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1934 1/2d - 5/- Set of ten mint and 1938-53 KGVI 1/2d - 10/- set with all perforations mint (also the five perf 14 stamps used), 1948 Royal Wedding pair and 1949 UPU set mint. S.G. £900 (approx). (54). £150-180
| AUSTRALIA & STATES
(Also See Lots 186, 251-253, 398-402, 405, 406, 447, 653) | |
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New South Wales. 1841 Entire letter from Sydney to England with a red Paid Ship Letter Sydney datestamp, the prepaid 6d rate cancelled with the unusual erasure mark (LL250) clearly applied in Liverpool, probably used in the Ship Letter Office, and replaced with an "8" charge mark, boxed Liverpool Ship datestamp on the reverse. £100-120
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New South Wales. 1855 Cover franked 6d from Sydney to London carried on the clipper ship "Boomerang" with red "5" and "AUSTRALIAN / PAID / LIVERPOOL / PACKET" in red on the front, backstamped with the unpaid version of the same Packet datestamp in green. An unusual error, both datestamps well displayed with the flap open. Photo on Page 53. £140-160
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Victoria/New South Wales. 1855 (Nov 9-14) Entire letters all carried on the same sailing of the clipper ship "Shalimar", two sent from Geelong prepaid with Victoria 6d or 1/- pair (paying the quadruple rate) both with red "AUSTRALIAN / PAID / LIVERPOOL / PACKET" c.d.s (Feb 3, two slightly differing datestamps), the other sent unpaid from Sydney with "6d" charge mark and "1d" (due to NSW), black "AUSTRALIAN / LIVERPOOL / PACKET" c.d.s. An unusual trio from one sailing, the 4/- rate letter with partial "Received Open and Resealed / at the General Post Office" cachet. (3). £180-220
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Victoria. 1855-56 Covers from Melbourne to England carried by the clipper ships "Donald McKay", "Marco Polo" or "Royal Charter", the first two franked 6d with red "AUSTRALIAN / PAID / LIVERPOOL / PACKET" arrival datestamps, the Royal Charter cover registered so franked 6d + 1/- with a "6d" charge mark applied at Liverpool to pay for registration within G.B, backstamped with the unpaid version of the Liverpool Packet datestamp in black. (3). £200-250
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Victoria. 1859 Cover from Melton to London "p. first ship" franked rouletted 2d violet + perf 4d rose, carried on the "Ben Nevis" on a non contract sailing, a fine red "PAID / LIVERPOOL / SHIP" datestamp therefore applied upon arrival, flap missing, otherwise fine and attractive. £100-120
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Western Australia. 1854 1d Black, good margins, fine used. S.G. 1, £275. Photo on Page 55. £80-100
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War Tax. 1919-20 Covers sent within Australia franked 1 1/2d (5) or registered at 4 1/2d rate (2), franked 1 1/2d to England or 3d to Holland, and 1 1/2d postcards sent within Australia (3), all rates including the War Tax of 1/2d. Postal stationery includes 1 1/2d postcards (P48, 51), 1 1/2d or 1d + 1/2d envelopes (E35, 48, 49) and O.H.M.S 1d envelope (ES 31) or 1 1/2d postcard (PS17), also a cover bearing Tasmania 1/2d and 1d stamps, and a registered cover with 1/2d and 4d O.S perfins, the official 1d envelope uprated with a 1/2d perfined "OS / NSW". An interesting lot. (12). £280-320
| AUSTRIA
(Also See Lot 975) | |
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Trentino. 1918 (Nov 11) 90h Lake with "Regno d'Italia / Trentino /3 Nov 1918" overprint, fine mint. S.G. 13, £1,900. Photo on Page 55. £300-400
| BAHAMAS
(Also See Lot 187) | |
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1d Concession Rate - Jamaica/Bahamas. 1835 Entire letter to Southampton, headed "From Alexander Spain on board His Majestys Brig Wasp", countersigned by the Commanding Officer, landed at Liverpool where it was handstamped red oval framed "Paid 1" (LL152) with a Liverpool c.d.s on the reverse. The letter is headed from Port Royal, Jamaica (Feb 12) and tells of the various West Indies islands visited, and continues a month later from Nassau, Bahamas, when it includes "Since writing the first part of this letter we have been with troops to Honduras in New Spain and thence to this place on the same errand. May perhaps proceed from this to Bermuda but it is uncertain - continue direct to Port Royal Jamaica or elsewhere". Some folds a little split and reinforced and a 55mm tear through the address panel, nevertheless a rare sailors letter from the Bahamas and an exceptional use of this "Paid 1" handstamp (usually found on local Liverpool letters) applied to an incoming sailors concession rate letter, that was presumably accompanied by a 1d coin for prepayment. £200-250
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1926 Registered O.H.M.S cover from Nassau to Cape Town bearing 1920 Peace issue 3d, redirected to Kalk Bay with a South Africa 4d applied, violet Cape Town registration handstamp, an attractive redirected cover. £100-120
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1944 (Apr 18) Registered air mail cover from Nassau to South Africa with a US Examiner seal, bearing marginal 5/- purple and blue and £1 blue-green and black with plate number "1", backstamped with Miami, New York and Benoni datestamps and "General Post Office, Nassau Bahamas" cachet. An attractive and scarce use of these high value stamps. Photo on Page 53. £120-150
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1971 Christmas issue, essays by Sylvia Goaman, with ink or pencil designs (26) and watercolours (2), and copies of correspondence between the artist and Crown Agents. None of Goaman's designs were accepted for the issued set. (28). £130-150
| BAHRAIN
(Also See Lot 333) | |
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1938-41 3p - 25r KGVI set of 16 mint and used. S.G. 20/37, £1,450. (32). Photo on Page 55. £300-350
| BARBADOS
(Also See Lots 188, 1433) | |
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1799 Entire letter from Bridgetown to Scotland by the "Louisa" handstamped "LIVERPOOL / SHIP LRE" (Rob. S3), and 1808 entire letter to London "p. Tiger" with red oval "SHIP-LETTER / (crown) / LIVERPOOL" (Rob. S5), both fine. (2). £120-140
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1898 Page from the Madagascar Post Office specimen stamp ledger bearing 1/2d newspaper wrapper and two examples of size F 2d registration envelopes, each handstamped by red circular "POSTES ET TELEGRAPHES / COLLECTION / DE / BERNE / MADAGASCAR", some staining but a unique archival page. £130-160
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1957 2c Newspaper wrapper from the printers archives perfined "SPECIMEN", endorsed "114,226" and dated "21/11/57", heavy vertical and horizontal folds but probably a unique Specimen perfin on this wrapper. £180-220
| BASUTOLAND
(Also See Lots 71, 189) | |
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1859 (Mar 5) Entire letter written in French and Afrikaans by Pasteur S. Rolland, from Beersheba Mission Station (then in Basutoland, now in the O.F.S) to A. Haussmann, the French Consul in Cape Town, presumably hand delivered. Rolland complains about the lack of help given to the missionaries by the British High Commissioner Sir George Grey at the Treaty of Aliwal, and that the Boers have shown no signs of regret at their actions in destroying the Missions at Beersheba and Morija and this is reflected in the actions and statements of the O.F.S Parliament. Rolland then includes a transcript of a statement made in the O.F.S Parliament in which they deny responsibility but nevertheless decide to compensate Pasteur Mareder of Morija £3 for one wagon, to return all cattle belonging to Pasteur Rolland of Beersheba (but no other cattle seized from the station) and give £100 to the French Missionary Society for buildings and contents lost; Pasteur Arboussant of Morija who lost his house and contents will get nothing more as the Boers suspect him of complicity with the Basutos. A rare early Basutoland letter regarding claims and counter claims between the French Missionaries and Boers, conducted via the French Consul and British High Commissioner, following the War of Senekal. Photo on Page 63. £1,500-1,800
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South Africa used in Basutoland, 1910-33 selection comprising 1910 2 1/2d pair used at Maseru, 1913-24 1 1/2d tete-beche pair on piece used at Teyateyanong and 1 1/2d tete-beche strip of six used at Maseru (some perfs rejoined with hinge), 1926 4d triangular (English inscription) used at Mohales Hoek. (4). £80-100
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1933 1/2d - 10/- Set of ten mint. S.G. 1/10, £300. (10). Photo on Page 96. £100-120
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1938 1d Scarlet postage due on ordinary paper in a marginal block of four, and 1948 Silver Wedding 10/- marginal pair both superb unmounted mint. S.G. 37, D1a, £300. £80-100
| BECHUANALAND
(Also See Lot 468) | |
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1887 Unappropriated die 1d - £5 set of twelve each handstamped diagonal "SPECIMEN" type BEC2, 6d with light crease and 5/- thinned, otherwise fine with large part gum. (12). Photo on Page 96. £500-600
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1910 Cover from Gaborones to Belgium bearing KEVII Bechuanaland Protectorate 2 1/2d and South Africa 1910 2 1/2d. An exceptional combination franking on a commercial cover to the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the South Africa 2 1/2d used in the month of issue. Photo on Page 63. £300-400
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Stellaland - Revenues. Mint selection comprising 1884 1/-, 2/6, 10/- and £5, 1886 vertical monogram 6d (2), 1/6, 2/-, 5/- and inverted monogram 10/-, £5 and 10/- vertical pair variety imperforate horizontally between pair. Faults to the 1884 1/-, 10/-, £5 and one 1886 6d, the 10/- pair with a little light staining, the other seven largely fine. (13). £120-150
| BELGIAN CONGO | |
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1863 (Oct 11) Cover to England franked at the 6d Naval Officers rate with six 1d reds each cancelled "466" at Liverpool and a red "PAID / LIVERPOOL / BR. PACKET / 10 DEC 63" c.d.s on the front. The enclosed letter headed "Landano 60 miles N of Congo River" tells of two court martials, and also includes "we have not taken any slavers yet but I expect we will before long ...... I have got lots of curious things made by the niggers ..... the Zebra is a very nice ship". A good letter from H.M.S "Zebra" on anti-slavery patrol off the Congo, transferred to H.M.S "Griffon" sailing north from Fernando Po and then by African S.S Co "Retriever" to Liverpool. Flap missing, otherwise very fine. Photo on Page 63. £300-400
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1926 (Feb 11) Registered covers from Bukama to Antwerp with different frankings totalling 2f.50, both carried on the first Sabena flight from N'Gule to Leopoldville via Bukama with the black printed cachet "INAUGURATION DE LA / Ligne Aerienne "ROI ALBERT" / KATANGA BAS-CONGO / 12-13 FEVRIER 1926". Just 20 covers carried on the leg from Bukama, both fine. (2). £150-180
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1934 (Mar 30) Cover from Leopoldville to Brussels franked Air 5f + 3f.25 on 3f, flown by Marie-Louise and G. Hansez on their return flight to Antwerp with "LIAISON AERIENNE / BELGIQUE-CONGO / MARS 1934" cachet, backstamped at Antwerp (Apr 11), very fine. £80-100
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1937 Registered cover from Aba to Malakal franked 1f + 4f with Aba Customs handstamp and registration label, redirected to England with Sudan 5m, Air 15m + 2 1/2pi tied by Malakal datestamps and endorsed "Fresh Postage Collected Registered by Air Mail". An unusual cover with the supplementary fee for air mail added upon forwarding. £160-180
| BERMUDA
(Also See Lot 70) | |
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1875 Cover to Scotland franked 1d rose and 6d mauve (perfs trimmed at right), Hamilton and red "PAID / LIVERPOOL / U.S PACKET" datestamps on the front. Closed opening tear at upper left corner, otherwise a fine and attractive cover, carried on the "City of Houston" to New York and then by Cunard "Russia" to Liverpool. Photo on Page 63. £250-300
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Air Mails. 1930-34 Covers bearing a combination of Bermuda stamps and USA air mail stamps applied to pay for US air mail from from New York. The first cover to Canada franked 1d + USA Air 5c; the second to Peru franked 1d, 1 1/2d + two USA Air 20c stamps. Fine commercial U.S air mail scheme covers with Bermuda and USA stamps, unusually on covers addressed beyond the USA. (2). Photo on Page 63. £180-220
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Railway Letter. c.1939 Long cover from the West India Oil Co. at St. Georges West to their office in Hamilton, sent as a railway parcel bearing Bermuda Rly Co., Ltd., 3d red "Paid Parcel and Goods" stamp (No. P4901, no station name included). Very scarce, about eight covers recorded, all from this same correspondence. Photo on Page 63. £250-280
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1943 KGVI 2/- Purple and deep blue on pale blue paper with major variety shading omitted from top right scroll, upper left corner marginal copy, superb unmounted mint. S.G. 116db, £2,000. Photo on Page 95. £800-900
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1943 KGVI 2/6 Black and red on pale blue paper, variety broken lower right scroll, margin at base, superb unmounted mint. S.G. 117be, £650. Photo on Page 95. £300-350
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1945 KGVI 5/- Green and red on pale yellow paper, lower left corner marginal block of four, the corner stamp with variety missing pearl, superb unmounted mint. S.G. 118e/ea, £1150. Photo on Page 95. £400-500
| BRAZIL | |
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1878 Cover from Para to Liverpool endorsed by the "Paraense", bearing Brazil 1876 100r pair each cancelled "466" upon arrival at Liverpool. Backstamped boxed "LIVERPOOL / SHIP" datestamp (Rob. S18) with red "PAID / LIVERPOOL / SHIP" datestamp (S19) on the front. An attractive cover with an unusual combination of Liverpool Ship datestamps. Photo on Page 63. £200-250
| BRITISH GUIANA
(Also See Lot 191) | |
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1817 Entire letter headed "Hope & Experiment (Plantation)" in Berbice to Belfast "Pr the Ottawa Capt Fox" with "LIVERPOOL / SHIP LETTER", rated at 7/3 but then unusually endorsed "2/5 alld" and initialled. The letter reports on the cotton and plantain crops and the plentiful fish, £5 duty is charged on each puncheon of Rum brought from Demerary, Berbice paper money doesn't pass in Demerary, the negroes are healthy and in high order. £100-120
| BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS | |
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Literature. "British Solomon Islands Protectorate, its Postage Stamps and Postal History" by H. Gisburn; Annual Colonial Reports for April 1897, November 1898, October 1899, April 1901, February 1902 and November 1902 all written by C.M Woodford and printed by H.M.S.O for presentation to parliament, each 15-32 pages with much detailed information on the residents, visiting ships, trade, language; photocopies of 1881 Proceedings in the Solomons, 1898-99 Colonial Report and 1911 Solomon Islands handbook, etc. (13). £80-100
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1906 Unadopted photographic essays of a 1/2d design featuring a native with a bow and two 1d designs featuring native canoes, all on a single piece of white gummed paper, 178x75mm. The BSIP Commissioner C.M Woodford proposed a stamp issue for the Protectorate in 1906, and had these photographic essays produced by the Sydney firm of W.E Smith & Co whilst in the city on BSIP business; however he rejected these designs and drew the Large Canoe design himself, used for the first stamps issued in 1907 and also printed by W.E Smith in Sydney. We have only recorded one other example of these essays which was divided into three separate pieces (sold in our March 2016 auction for £1,500). Rare essays, illustrated on page 29 of "British Solomon Islands" by H. Gisburn. Photo on Page 65. £1,600-2,000
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c.1906 Photograph (111x65mm) depicting a native canoe with an island behind, endorsed on the reverse "Gizo Harbour, where our missionaries for the British Solomon Islands disembark" and "Photo by Rev. F.T Metcalfe", the corners glued to a part album page with "Original photograph of the New Georgian war canoe ("Tomako") used for the first stamp issue of 1907" written below, apparently by Harold Gisburn. This would appear to be the same canoe used on the first "Large Canoe" issue and Gisburn used this photo to illustrate an article he wrote in "Stamp Collecting" in December 1950; it therefore seems likely the write up is correct and this was the photo used by Woodford for his Large Canoe design. Photo on Page 65. £150-200
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1907 1/2d - 1/- Large Canoe set of seven fine used. Also a forgery of the 2 1/2d yellow with forged Munia c.d.s. S.G. 1/7, £300. (7). £100-120
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1930 4 1/2d Value and duty plate Die Proof in black on white glazed card (92x60mm), stamped "BEFORE / STRIKING" and dated "12/8/30" in pencil. The 4 1/2d value was not issued until 1931. A fine De La Rue Die Proof. Photo on Page 65. £200-250
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A similar 4 1/2d value and duty plate Die Proof, stamped "AFTER / STRIKING" and dated "14/8/30" in pencil, very fine. Photo on Page 65. £200-250
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1947 Paris U.P.U Congress, red folder presented to delegates with the 1939-51 KGVI set to 10/- (less 4 1/2d) and Victory pair; 1949 Silver Wedding 2d block of four on F.D.C, one stamp with pocket handkerchief flaw (S.G. 75a, £60); and 1939 1/2d with bogus "New Hebrides Condominium 5 centimes" overprint and surcharge, also other 1908-49 stamps with 1908 thin paper 1/2d and 1d mint corner pairs, etc. £70-100
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1956-88 QEII Issues mint and used, including 1956-63 1/2d - £1 set mint and used; two examples of each of the 1959-60 4/-, 5/- 11/- and £1 booklets with staples at left or right sides; F.D.Cs (35) with scarce 1970 Honiara G.P.O issue correctly dated 15 April (nearly all were cancelled with an incorrect date); 1976 flight issue presentation pack (only 200 produced), 1978 Independence folder, 1980 Sydpex and 1982 Palmpex presentation packs; varieties with 1966 inverted "8" surcharge on 9d within a used pair, 1982 Cyclone Relief 50c surcharge with missing "0" within a mint gutter pair, etc. S.G. £700++. £160-200
| Postal History
Many of the following items are listed in "The Stamps and Postal History of the Solomon Islands - Illustrated Check List of the Pre-Protectorate and the Woodford Eras" by Don Franks, published by The Pacific Islands Study Circle, 2001. | |
Pre-1907 Covers | |
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1881 (May 4) Stampless cover with "Government House / New Zealand" embossed on the flap, initialled "H.H.R" by Hugh H. Romilly, Deputy Commissioner for the Western Pacific, and addressed to his mother Lady E. Romilly in London, charged 10d upon arrival. The cover was redirected to "Huntington Park, Kington, Herefordshire" with a 1d stamp applied (now unfortunately having fallen off the cover) and was endorsed by Lady Romilly "Solomon Islands, May 4/81, Recd Huntington Pk Sep 6/81", backstamped at London S.W (Sep 5) and Kington, a Churton St. S.W duplex applied upon redirection. Romilly arrived at Ugi from Sydney on April 28th following the massacre of Lt. Bower and four men of H.M Schooner "Sandfly" on Monoliana Island in October 1880, and left for New Britain on May 7th. During his ten days in the Solomon Islands he wrote one letter to his mother, headed from "Cormorant, Ugi, Solomon Islands, May 4/81"; this letter was published in his 1893 book "Letters from The Western Pacific and Mashonaland 1878-1891". The cover comes with a photocopy of the original four page letter, a copy of the transcript of the letter from his 1893 book, and brief biographical information on Romilly. In the original letter within he wrote "I wont write a long letter now as the ship I send this in does not sail for 6 weeks ..... The natives are far from what I would wish. They will have nothing to do with us, and are as sulky and generally unpleasant as they dare to be with two men-of-war at anchor opposite their town. We shoot a great deal, and are all collecting birds and slugs &c for a naturalist we have on board. We are all supposed to have found new beasts, and I shall undoubtedly be handed down to fame by having a slug called after me". A rare early cover from the Solomon Islands, not listed in Don Franks book, which only recorded five earlier Solomon's covers or letters. With R.P.S Certificate (2009). Photo on Page 63. £800-1,200
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1898 (Apr 5) Stampless official cover with "ON HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SERVICE" printed heading (crossed though in ink) and "WESTERN PACIFIC HIGH COMMISSION" in the lower left corner, signed and dated "C.M Woodford, Solomon Ids, 5 Apl 1898", addressed by Woodford to "Lieut. Colonel F. Bailey, Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Queen St., Edinburgh". Handstamped with a Sydney duplex (June 20) and "POSTAGE PAID SYDNEY / N.S.W" c.d.s, backstamped at Edinburgh (July 25), unobtrusive opening tear at upper edge, otherwise fine and very rare. Franks records just two of these official "Western Pacific High Commission" envelopes both sent in 1898, and four similar "British Solomons Islands Protectorate" envelopes and a front sent in 1899-1901, all from Woodford, the Solomon Islands Resident Commissioner. Three of these covers to Sydney or Fiji were delivered without stamps and three others have NSW stamps added in Sydney, this cover being unique with the Postage Paid c.d.s to pay for the onward transmission from Sydney to G.B. An important cover, the second earliest recorded outgoing cover from the Protectorate, with R.P.S Certificate (2008). Franks 19. Photo on Page 67. £1,500-1,800
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1899 (June 18) Similar On Her Britannic Majesty's Service cover but with "BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS PROTECTORATE" printed in the lower left corner, signed and dated "C.M Woodford 18 June 1899" and addressed by Woodford to "J. Scott Keltie Esq., Secretary Royal Geographical Society, 1 Savile Row, London", with a NSW 2 1/2d stamp added and cancelled in Sydney (Aug 15) to pay for onward transmission to G.B, London arrival backstamp (Sep 18). A superb and rare cover, the earliest of five of these official "British Solomon Islands Protectorate" covers recorded and the third earliest outgoing cover from the Protectorate. All seven of the recorded outgoing official items of 1898-1904 are written by the Resident Commissioner C.M Woodford, three of these covers have NSW stamps added in transit at Sydney. With R.P.S Certificate (2008). Franks 20, illustrated on the front of his book. Photo on Page 67. £1,500-1,800
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1901 (Aug 1) Long stampless front with printed heading "ON HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SERVICE" and "BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS PROTECTORATE" in the lower left corner, signed and dated "C.M Woodford, 1st August 1901" and addressed by Woodford to "The Postmaster General, Suva, Fiji", with datestamps of Sydney (Oct 22) and Suva (Oct 30). Just seven 1898-1904 official outgoing items are recorded, all sent by Woodford, this Fiji destination being unique. Franks 23. Photo on Page 67. £500-600
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1905 (Oct 12) Melanisian Mission picture postcard depicting "A Solomon Islander, Mother and Child" posted from Norfolk Island to London with a NSW 1d tied by a "NORFOLK ISLAND" c.d.s with a second strike alongside, both typically awful impressions but with "LAND" clearly readable in the final part of the c.d.s. Also an unused example of the same postcard, postcards of "Canoes at Santa Cruz" or "Mission School House, Florida, Solomons" posted in New Zealand in 1904 or New South Wales in 1906, an unused real photo postcard of "H.M.A.S Brisbane taken from Tulagi", and two other postcards. (7). £120-150
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1906 Front addressed by the Resident Commissioner C.M Woodford, to "Mrs Woodford, Silverleigh, Tonbridge, England" handstamped boxed "BRITISH / SOLOMON / ISLANDS / PAID" with a NSW 2 1/2d added and cancelled at Sydney (May 2) to pay for the onward transmission to England. The reverse with a pencil note written by Woodford "No. 1, May 1906, Solomon Frank not recognised by N.S.W", with further pencil note "P. & S. "Woodford" Colln, AJ/S 25/9/1929". The boxed Paid handstamp was used by Woodford on outgoing letters from April 1906 (with the first mailing received at Sydney on May 2) until the Large Canoe stamps were issued in February 1907. Fewer than 20 covers and fronts are recorded of which less than half have NSW stamps added at Sydney; the two recorded covers and one front received in Sydney on May 2nd have no Tulagi c.d.s, (all later mailings receiving a Tulagi datestamp alongside the Paid handstamp). A rare item, the first recorded use of this Paid handstamp. Franks 28. Photo on Page 67. £700-1,000
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