388th Auction

1866, fiscal stamps with overprint "SERVICE/POSTAGE" in green, 2 a., neatly cancelled, very fine. Signed Pfenninger

1866, fiscal stamps with overprint "SERVICE/POSTAGE" in green, 2 a., neatly cancelled, fine

1937, picture postcard 9 a. with scenes of Kashmir, 3 different, unused, vf (H&G 42)

1933, The Houston Mount Everest Expedition: Survey flight by Air Commodore Fellowes over the Himalayas towards Mount Everest, postmarked PURNEA 8 April 1933, Union Jack label and violet cancel "MOUNT EVEREST EXPEDTN 1933 PAR AVION BY AIR CORREO AEREO" alongside, on reverse arrival mark Calcutta 10 Apr.33 and signed Stephen Hutt Smith, only 87 covers carried on this flight, very fine.

1889, ½ a. black on pink with embossed 'peacock', tied by native cancel, with combination franking India QV ½ a. green, tied by "INDORE CITY" squared circle, on cover to Tellichery with arrival mark on reverse. On cover a rarity.

1817, entire letter from “LIVORNO” via Otranto to Corfu, taxed in transit in Neapel “10” Grana with reverse red “NAP(OLI) 27 MAR.”, slitted and roasted for disinfection, arrival faint circular bluish postmark “ISOLE IONIE” with “18” gazette to pay, fine. An extremely scarce early mail from the British Protectorate period

1818, entire letter endorsed inside “Zante 7 Augusto” to Corfu, faint red circular “IS(OLA) DI (ZANTE)” and framed “FRANCA”, fine, together with a 1819 entire letter from Malta to Corfu, endorsed “P. Osprey” and with faint red circular “ISOLA IONIE” with manuscript "45." gazette to pay, fine, both entires slitted and treated against cholera. A rare and early duo from the British Protectorate period

1923, Turkey 20 para postal stationery reply part, overprinted "IRAQ IN BRITISH OCCUPATION 1 An" cancelled by WESTGATE ON SEA 14/NO/20 KENT c.d.s., hex. postage due “T/20 D.R.” and “OVERLAND POSTAGE DUE A/2” alongside, addressed to "Col. S.G.Leslie Ordnance Base Depot Majil Basra" (written by his sons) and forewarded to Ordnance Advanced Basra by red pen, arrival mark on reverse. A very scarce usage of this reply part from England, no other recorded in PROFI archive

1887, Perak Taiping: 1 c. postal stationery card to Penang, overprint variety 'PAIAK', cancelled by oval of bars, showing fine THAIPENG/PERAK 10/JAN/87´ oval d.s. (Type D4; only known date of use) at left and arrival mark A PENANG JA/11/87 c.d.s., tiny border toned, otherwise fine and very scarce. PROFI Archive listed only two other cards with this Taiping cancellation.

1848/59, Early impression 1 d. orange-vermilion, nice fresh colour, tiny touched, but mostly clear margins,lightly cancelled by boxed handstamp. Small thin and tiny pinhole, but still fine and attractive. Signed Gebr. Senf
 

“Auckland Garrison Artillery Division DEVONPORT ON ACTIVE SERVICE”, clear strike of military postage-free cachet on envelope with adjacent cds. “DEVONPORT 2-NO 14 10-AM N” to Wellington, 

Provenance: Len Jury (2015, Spink)

1926, Malayan Airmails The Air Survey Company, envelope flown on first flight from Sibu to Kuching (18 July), bearing Sarawak 4 c. clearly tied by Sibu cds. marked ´Per Air Mail´ by Mr. Jacques. Rare, about 70 covers flown, shortened at left, otherwise fine. Note: In 1926 the Air Survey Department had a contract with the Sarawak Government to map the Rejang delta. The company made their base at Sibu, and on July 19th, the chief pilot, Mr. R.P.Raynham, had to fly to Kuching to collect some spare parts. With the agreement of the Sibu Postmaster, Mr. E.W.H. Jacques, he carried a small amount of mail.

1878/80, ½ d. to 2 s. set of 7 in top left corner blocks of four, unused no gum, 2 s. with some perf. separation, mostly very fine (SG £2.600+)

1883, Eagle with spread wings 1 s. green, re-issue, horizontal tete-beche block of four, light cancelled PRETORIA, fine and attrcative.

1885, ½ p. on 1 sh. green, tete-beche block of four, stamps mint never hinged, hinge at top margin. The top left stamp with inverted cliche, bright and fresh, very fine, a rare tete-beche pair. (SG £2.000++)

1917/21, G.E.A. on 1 c. – 50 r. including some shades and wm mult. Scipt 12 c. – 5 r., unused o.g., fine and scarce 

1915, 4 h., 7½ h. and 15 h., overprint in reddish violet, mint never hinged, 15 h. gum slightly toned, each opinion Dr. Pauligk (2002)

1917, large format registered stationery letter with overprinted 1 d. with London printing  ½ d. two singles, each tied by cds. “LOME 17. 3. 20” to Hamburg, reverse transit and arrival marks, fine (Higgins & Gage-Nr. 1 + SG-Nr. H47)

1862, Escuditos 5 c. rose, fresh colour and good to wide margins all around tied by oval "FRANCA" with adjacent cds. "CORREOS DEL PARANA 5 OCT 62" to envelope to Dep.to de la Paz, vertical file fold and tiny border toned, otherwise fine and attractive.

1864, Rivadavia 15c. blue on ribbed paper unused, near-perfect centering, bright color with a sharp impression, usual rough perf, fine. Certificate RPSL (1959).

1889/91, Definitive Issues, a selection of 13 die proofs on card, ranging between the ¼ c. to 50 p. values, some in unadopted colours, including unissued Lopez 10 p. brown (minor surface tone spot) and Funez 50 p. red on card, some values with some light toning, 30 c. light crease, otherwise fine. A rare assembly, the two high values certificate Gugliano AIEP (2025) 

1844/46, Inclinados 180 r. black, ample to large margins, used by red boxed handstamp, very fine, signed Pfenninger

1857, Second London printing 5 c. red-brown on blued paper, horizontal right margin strip of three, nice colour, the left stamp slightly touched at left, otherwise good to very large margins, at bottom into other stamps and showing parts of two neighbour stamps, tied to lettersheet by target handstamps, red "VALPARAISO 16/4/57" cds. alongside, to Copiapo. Light vertical file fold, barely touching the design. A fine and rare entire showing different distances between stamps. Signed and certificate Maier BPP (1998).

1855, 2nd London printing 5 c. red-brown on blued paper, horizontal strip of 3 with large margins, tied by target to entire letter from "SERENA 6 DBRE 55" to triple rate entire letter to Valparaiso. Very fine.

1855, 2nd London printing 5 c. red-brown on blued paper, touched at left, otherwise clear to large margins, tied by target to entire letter 1857 from Santiago to Paris, endorsed "Vapor por via de Panamá. At London struck with framed "GB / 2F 87½ c." accountancy mark, alongside '12' décimes due handstamp. A scarce and fine entire.

1856/65, 10 c. blue, bisect in pair with entire stamp, together with another copy 10 c. and 1855, 5 c. red-brown on bluish, tied by target to letter sheet from Valparaiso 1858 to Concepción. A fine and very scarce combination. Certificate Rendon (1988)

“COLLECT POSTAGE 04 CENTS”, excellent strike applied on arrival to unfranked postcard from “SWATOW 22 OCT 15” (Shantou) via “SHANGHAI” to Massachusetts, USA. The card with one corner crease and some light toning, scarce

1897, Coiling Dragons 1 c. yellow, horizontal pair with 1898 1 c. ocher, neatly tied by cds “KUIKIANG 1 NOV 01” to postal stationery card 1 c. rose to Munich, Germany with additional French PO in China Sage 10 c. black/lilac tied during transit with “SHANGHAI 4 NOV 01 CHINE”, arrival “MUENCHEN 8 DEZ. 01” alongside. The card showing some slight soiling on the back, the 10 centimes with a small fault otherwise very fine. A scarce mixed franking combining two Dragon issues

1898, Coiling Dragon ½ c. brown horizontal strip of four together with 2 c. red, all tied by cds. "HANKOW JUNE 01"  to postcard to Austria with additional French PO in China Sage 10 c. black/lilac tied during transit via SHANGHAI for outbound despatch; a ½ c. with a toned perf tip and some ink soiling in the upper right corner not affecting the adhesives, still a fine mixed franking

1897/1909, Coiling Dragon ½ c. brown, 1 c. ochre and 2 c. red tied by cds. “SHANGHAI LOCAL POST MRZ.30” on postal stationery card 1 c. red in combination wit French Post Office 10 c. tied by cds. “SHANGHAI CHINE 30.MARS.00” to Stuttgart with arrival mark. The card with light traces of age and small tear at top, otherwise fine

1903, Coiling Dragon 2 c. red, pair tied on double rate redband cover by fancy type cancel from Great P.O. Tsing Laichow Province Shantung 28th year 12th month 17th day, transit mark mark Kiangchow alongside, to Weihsien with bilingual oval WEIHSIEN 7/JAN/1903 ds. and 4 x German P.O. "TSINGTAU KIAUTSCHOU 8/1/03" arrival mark, tiny crease, otherwise fine. The cover with content is forwarded by Huangyuan Yong to Tsingtau Tapautau, attractive and scarce

1 c. ocher, four singles neatly tied by cds “SHANGHAI 7 JUN 01” to postcard to Paris, France, handed over to the French Office with Sage 10 c. black/lilac tied in transit with cds “SHANGHAI CHINE 7 JUIN 01” repeated alongside; one 1 c. with negligible soiling at a corner, still very fine and attractive, certificate Haveman BPP (2024)

1898, Coiling Dragons 1 c. ocher vertical strip of three neatly tied by bilingual cds “SWATOW 24 JUN 01” to postal stationery card 1 c. rose to Bremerhaven, Germany with additional Hong Kong 2c. green vertical pair applied in transit tied by “HONG KONG JU 25 01” and red framed “IPO” (Webb fig. 104, Swatow Type 3). The card with a minor crease running between the Hong Kong adhesive and slight toning on reverse, still fine

1 c. ocher and 2 c. red neatly tied by cds “CANTON OCT 00” to postal stationery card 1 c. rose to Germany, additional franking Hong Kong 4 d. pearlish grey tied in transit by both cds “HONG KONG OC 7 00” and additional framed “I.P.O.” (Webb fig. 104, Canton I, rated “R”), arrival “LICHTENSTEIN” alongside. The Coiling Dragon 1 cent with a torn perf, otherwise fine, very scarce, certificate Haveman BPP (2024)

1 c. ocher vertical pair, 2 c. red and 10 c. green, tied by large cds “SHANGHAI” to registered postcard to Austria with additional Hong Kong 2 c. rose horizontal pair and 10 c. lilac/red tied in transit with small cds “HONG KONG NO 28 98”, handed over to French paquebot with hexagonal “LIGNE N 3 DEC 98” and registration circle handstamp “R” alongside, arrival “MAIDHOFEN 31 12 98”. The card with a vertical crease barely affecting one adhesive, fine. An attractive combination enhanced by the registration status

1898, Coiling Dragon 10 c. green, neatly tied by bilingual cds “PEKING 23 NOV 99” with additional Japanese 10 s. brown with “IPO.” (Webb Type Peking 1) to red band envelope to Dorchester, USA, handed over in transit to the foreign Japanese Office with “SHANGHAI I.J.P.O 28 NOV 99", reverse transit and arrival; the 10 cents adhesive with small fault, the envelope with minor soiling at top, still fine. An exceedingly rare usage from the IPO marking on a Japanese adhesive, certificate Haveman BPP (2026)