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1911 Downey Head 1d, imperforate die 2 paper trials comprising pair in scarlet and a marginal strip of four in carmine both on John Allen special finish paper, and singles in carmine on John Dickinson extra superfine very white paper or Austrian enamelled paper, also a 1d die 1B imperforate plate proof in carmine on experimental chalk surfaced paper, all fine. S.G. £1,485. (9). Photo on Page 164. £280-320
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1911-36 KGV Definitives, study in two albums with a good range of mint controls, shades, watermark varieties, overseas overprint issues, some booklet panes, a few covers, Seahorse issues with De La Rue 2/6 (3), 5/-, etc. (1,000). £500-600
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1911-36 KGV Used collection mounted on pages with a good range of shades, many fine c.d.s cancels, inverted and sideways watermarks, a few minor varieties and some covers, including 1912-24 Royal Cypher 2 1/2d royal blue used on piece with British P.O Constantinople c.d.s, 6d perf 14, 1913 Multiple Royal Cypher 1d with c.d.s cancel and good perfs, Seahorses with 1913 Waterlow 2/6 - £1 set of four, 1915 De La Rue 2/6 (3) and 5/- (2), 1918-19 Bradbury Wilkinson 2/6 (5), 5/- (3) and 10/- (with neat Edinburgh c.d.s cancels), 1934 re-engraved set, etc., also 1912 Royal Cypher 1d with Specimen overprint and "The Post Office Savings Bank gives Security" trial underprint (horizontal crease), condition generally fine. (c.430). Photo on Pages 114 & 160. £1,000-1,200
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1912-24 2d Intense bright orange fine used with Haslemere c.d.s, with R.P.S Certificate (1975). S.G. N19 (9), £475. Photo on Page 160. £120-150
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1912-24 2 1/2d Dull Prussian blue used on piece with part oval 1922 Registered Smyrna datestamp, with 1990 R.P.S Certificate for a piece originally bearing three 2 1/2d stamps which included this smaller piece. S.G. N21 (17), £850. Photo on Page 164. £180-220
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1912-24 2 1/2d Indigo-blue on toned paper fine used with May 1920 c.d.s, very scarce. S.G. N21 (15), unpriced used (£7,000 unmounted mint, £5,000 mounted mint). Photo on Page 160. £600-800
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KGV - KGVI Control blocks and pairs mint, some with cylinder numbers, including KEVIII 1 1/2d blocks with control A37 cylinder numbers 12 (dot) or 15 (no dot), etc. (72). £100-120
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1934 KGV Photogravure issue 1d essay with large size King's head in scarlet and 1 1/2d colour trials in ultramarine, deep grey-green, scarlet, or the issued colour of red-brown, all imperforate, on gummed paper with Block Cypher watermark. S.G. £860. (5). Photo on Page 160. £160-180
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KEVIII-QEII Issues in 14 albums and stockbooks including mint and used high values, overprint issues for offices in Persian Gulf or Occupation of Italian Colonies, some mint decimal postage, also a few covers. (1,000s). £200-250
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Booklet. January 1943 2/6 Booklet edition 165, 1/2d and 2d panes with upright watermark, 2 1/2d pane with inverted watermark, very fine. S.G. BD17, £975. £180-220
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Postal Fiscals. 1889 Cover to Kokstad, East Griqualand, Cape Colony, bearing 1d purple postal fiscal (die 4, Small Anchor watermark) block of four each tied by Bury St. Edmunds squared circle, arrival backstamps, minor faults with a few light manuscript lines across the lower pair, an unusual and attractive franking paying the correct 4d rate. £100-120
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Postage Dues. 1914-82 Mint and used stamps in an album including control singles and blocks, watermark varieties, Occupation of Italian Colonies overprints, used 1 1/2d brown (24), etc. Also a few revenues and cinderellas. (100s). £100-120
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1940-66 Presentation packs (4) and First Day Covers (18), the presentation packs comprising 1964 Geographical Congress, Botanical Congress, Forth Road Bridge and 1965 Battle of Britain, first day covers including 1957 Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference 4d with the conference c.d.s (4) and 1958 Commonwealth Games with special Cardiff machine cancel (2), the F.D.Cs all illustrated covers. S.G. £1,540. (22). £250-300
| GREAT BRITAIN POSTAL HISTORY | |
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c.1804 Eighteen page manuscript draft of a paper written by Francis Freeling, Secretary to the General Post Office, suggesting increases in various postal rates in order to increase Post Office revenue. Most of these increases were adopted by the Post Office in 1805. A unique document which includes details of the revenue raised (and therefore number of letters sent) for each band of inland postage, London 2d Post, foreign and packet rates. £150-200
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1810-65 Prestamp and stampless entire letters and covers with Weymouth Ship Letter, red oval Plymouth Dock Ship Letter, 1813 entire letter from H.M.S "Rapid" at Corfu, 1836 entire letters from H.M.S "Dublin" off Brazil (2), 1865 cover to Russia with blue "4/3", 1856 entire letter from Havana with "ART-2" and Liverpool triple arc dotted type datestamp (faults), 1854 cover from Holland to USA with London Registered handstamp, etc. (11). £220-260
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1833-50 Entire letters (5) and a coach parcel label illustrating mails transported by railways, coach or steamer with 1838 letter from London to Edinburgh endorsed "pr Duke of Wellington Steamer" but charged the usual rate of 1/3 with boxed " 1/2" and Edinburgh backstamp so possibly carried by coach from London; 1841 letter from Birmingham to Grays Inn Coffee House in London which would have been carried by train; 1841 Norwich to London entire with "Prepaid" handstamp; 1850 London to St. Petersburg entire via Aachen; 1833 entire letter from Holyhead to "H. Chaplin Esq., Lad Lane, London" regarding booking a lady to London at just £4 due to the low fares offered by the new rival "Nimrod" coach; and an orange label advertising Chaplin's Parcel Office, apparently having been used on a parcel, with the instructions "to return if missent". An interesting group, the parcel label very scarce. (6). Photo on Page 120. £200-250
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1848-78 Entire letters to Captain J.C Press of Great Yarmouth, Master of the Schooner "Isis" until 1851, Schooner "Ianthe" 1853-56, Barque "Rowena" 1857-64, and then owner of a Yarmouth fishing smack and the Barque "Frederica" (of which his son J.B Press was Master), most posted from Yarmouth by the ship owners, others from ship brokers or agents, including 1851 entire letter with "SOUTH / RECEIVING HOUSE" handstamp of Yarmouth; 1854 stampless entire letters to Press in Antwerp (4); 1855 entire letter to Queenstown and redirected to Liverpool endorsed "Vessel cannot be found in Liverpool"; 1856 "SOUTH YARMOUTH" handstamp; 1857 stampless entire letters from Yarmouth to Venice (2), Malta or Cadiz (both with sideways duplexs); 1859 entire letter to Syra franked 11d with Yarmouth sideways duplex and a stampless entire letter from Smyrna to Syra; 1859 entire letter franked 6d to Constantinople with Yarmouth sideways duplexs; 1860-64 entire letters from Yarmouth to Buenos Ayres, La Union (El Salvador), Venice (2), Amsterdam, Alexandria or Constantinople all bearing surface printed issues and a stampless entire letter prepaid 8d in cash to France; and 1d red covers with Yarmouth sideways duplexs (8). Also some ephemera and later covers to Press's children including 1878 cover from Melbourne to J.B Press, and an 1877 auction notice for "The A1 Barque "Frederica" now lying in the Yarra, South Side", sold with all ship's stores listed on the notice, Press having decided to sell the ship after it was dismasted off Melbourne in 1877. A few faults but a fascinating correspondence all written up with details of the enclosed letters. (111). £350-400
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1846-91 Covers with enclosed letters all to a Mrs Courthope mainly in Kent or Sussex, including 1d pink envelopes, Hawkhurst squared circles (2), etc. (49). £100-120
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1857-1945 Entire letters, covers and cards including 1857 entire letter to India bearing 2d + 4d (4), 1859 cover bearing 6d (2) to Spain with Birmingham spoon cancel, 1872 cover from Guernsey franked 3d with oval framed "P-D", 1875 (July 5) cover with early use of "T" handstamp, 1877 entire letter franked 1/- to Belize with arrival c.d.s, 1886 cover with two 1/- green stamps to Cape Town and redirected to Sydney charged 6d (faults), 1897 coloured picture postcard of Brighton, 1901 cover with QV 1/2d O.W Official, 1905 Coronel Paquebot, 1908 cover to Switzerland with three QV stamps on reverse cancelled upon arrival by circular dumb cancels, 1945 stampless postcard from a Dutch airman in Norfolk with violet "VELDPOST / LONDEN", etc., a few faults. (16). £300-350
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1860-84 Entire letters and covers (16) and a part cover all addressed abroad and franked by surface printed issues including 1862-64 4d, 6d (4, including a pair, one on entire letter to Nova Scotia), 9d (3, one to Victoria, two to India) or 1/-, 1883 3d on 3d on cover to Victoria, etc. (17). £200-240
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1876 Cover to Ceylon bearing G.B 3d (3) + 1d (2) all tied by Edinburgh 131 dotted duplexs, redirected from Deltota to Colombo with Ceylon 4c cancelled "C"; and 1888 1/2d newspaper wrapper from Wakefield to New York redirected with USA 1c. Both items with opening faults, still two attractive redirected covers each bearing stamps of two countries. (2). £150-180
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1880 Post Office Telegraphs receipt for a telegram to Berlin costing £1·4·0, bearing 1d Telegraph pair tied by Ladbroke Grove Rd c.d.s. Also 1979-81 acceptance forms for International telegrams all bearing G.B stamps tied by F.P.O datestamps (3), 1970 T.P.O late fee cover, and 1971 (Feb 8) local cover posted at Woodchurch, Ashford, during the Post Office strike. (6). £70-80
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1891 "Whitakers Almanack" advertising envelope printed in the form of a reproduction Mulready envelope, posted from Enfield to the College of Organists in London franked 1d, very fine. Also black plate 9 1d red entire (faults) and G.B or foreign first flight covers (3) including 1929 (May 15) London to Rotterdam first flight card posted at Croydon Aerodrome. (5). £80-100
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c.1935-45 Covers and air letters from or to Major Charles Napier, Gordon Highlanders, including 1938 covers to Royal Military College at Camberley with violet "INSUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED / COMPANY UNKNOWN" (3), Field Post Offices, etc. (100s). £100-120
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1940 Covers and cards from Switzerland (7), Portugal (2) or Spain to G.B all handstamped in London with boxed "DETAINED IN FRANCE / DURING GERMAN / OCCUPATION", two Swiss covers sent express delivery, one with October 1945 machine cancel. (10). £160-180
| Air Mails
(Also See Lots 5, 9-18, 22-32, 61/2, 64, 832, 1270/1) | |
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1907 (Oct 12) Daily Graphic Ballon Post, special postcard depicting the three aviators, signed by Charles Turner who was the Daily Graphic representative on the balloon, with "TOSSE" c.d.s and "T" handstamp, a 2d charge mark applied in the London Foreign Branch. Fine and scarce, these cards only used by the three aviators, very few recorded. Photo on Page 118. £400-500
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1907 (Oct 12) Daily Graphic Ballon Post card unusually with drawings of three men shooting at the balloon, endorsed "Posted by Mr A.V Mickow, Mellerud, Sweden" with Mellerud c.d.s, "T" handstamp and 2d Foreign Branch charge mark; and the miniature eight page booklet depicting the balloon and aviators, dropped from the balloon whilst still over England. The card with a few faults but unusual, the booklet superb and very scarce. (2). Photo on Page 114. £480-550
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1934 (Aug 20) Railway Air Services first flight covers, all carried on different routes including Cardiff to Teignmouth or Liverpool, Cowes to Liverpool, Glasgow or Manchester, Southampton to Glasgow, Manchester to Cowes, Belfast to Glasgow, etc., two on postal stationery envelopes, all fine, written up on pages. (10). £100-120
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1936 Unaddressed cover bearing an uncancelled KEVIII 1/2d, handstamped "FIRST East-West / WOMAN'S SOLO FLIGHT / Abingdon, England to / Louisburg - Nova Scotia / SEPTEMBER 4th - 5th 1936 / BERYL MARKHAM" and signed by Markham. Markham flew from Abingdon to Nova Scotia in 22 hours; 26 covers were carried on the flight. Also two contemporary news cuttings. £150-200
| 1911 Coronation Aerial Post | |
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1911 Small four page leaflet headed "Notice. Aerial Post" giving the prices of Aerial Post envelopes and postcards, where they may be purchased and posted and how they may be ordered by post. Very fine and unusual. £100-120
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1911 Green and brown London postcards both from the second printing (with the instruction "Address only to be written here" raised by half an inch), the brown card written from Gamages with London 3 c.d.s (Sep 13), the green card with London 2 c.d.s (Sep 15), both fine. £120-140
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1911 (Sep 15) Brown London postcard from the second printing, unusually printed from the envelope plate with "Copyright" in the left margin, used with London 2 c.d.s, very fine. £120-140
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1911 (Sep 11) Green London postcard signed by the pilot C.H Greswell, used with London 4 c.d.s, addressees name removed, otherwise fine and scarce. Photo on Page 118. £260-280
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1911 (Sep 9) Brown London postcard used with London 4 c.d.s, signed by Warwick Lendon, the designer of the postcards and envelopes, 1cm tear at upper and corner fold at lower left, otherwise fine. Photo on Page 118. £180-200
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1911 (Sep 9) Green postcard used with London 2 c.d.s, reverse with handwritten advert of Associated Newspapers Ltd, one of the rarest of all the adverts. Photo on Page 118. £320-350
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1911 (Sep 9) Brown London postcard used with London 4 c.d.s, the reverse with advert for F. Hedges Butler, founder of the Royal Aero Club, celebrating ten years since the club's foundation, with illustrations of a balloon and aeroplane, very fine. Photo on Page 118. £200-220
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1911 (Sep 9) Violet privilege envelope with London 1 c.d.s, pencil note on reverse states "addressed by one of the mechanics to his wife". Flap missing, otherwise fine. Photo on Page 118. £580-620
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1911 (Sep 9) Violet privilege envelope with enclosed notepaper, with KGV 1d unusually cancelled by London code 3 c.d.s; all privilege mails were supposed to have been sent in the first bag and to have received the code "1" or "2" c.d.s. A few minor tone marks at left, otherwise fine. Photo on Page 118. £620-680
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1911 (Sep 9) Violet privilege envelope with enclosed letter on violet notepaper, addressed to London with KGV 1d very unusually tied by London code "5" c.d.s. used on mail sorted at Hendon Aerodrome. Very unusual; all privilege mails were supposed to have been sent in the first bag and to have received the London c.d.s with codes "1" or "2". Minor staining at left edge, otherwise fine and very scarce. Photo on Page 122. £650-700
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1911 (Sep 9) Violet London postcard with "Souvenir of the First United Kingdom "Aerial Post". With the Compliments of the Founder" printed alongside the picture and signed by Windham, reverse with KEVII 1/2d tied by London 4 c.d.s, a little creased but very scarce. Photo on Page 122. £800-850
| Cancellations
(Also See Lots 108, 937, 1031, 1046-1054, 1141-1172) | |
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1841 1d Reds with distinctive Maltese Cross cancels comprising single stamps with crosses of Perth (three margins, just touched at base) or Manchester "fishtail" cross (4 margins, small scissor cut upper left), 1d on piece with Leamington cross and datestamp alongside (stamp touched on two sides) and 1d SE-SH strip of four (3 margins) each with Perth cross. S.G. £1,850. (7 stamps). £150-180
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1842-43 Entire letters or entires with 1d reds (all 3 margins) tied by distinctive Maltese Crosses of Greenock, Stirling or Dublin. S.G. £1,350. (3). £120-150
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1846 Entire (side flaps removed) bearing a 1d red (3 good margins, very close or just touched at left) cancelled by light numeral cancel and boxed "PP... / PAID" (number unclear) both in black, backstamped at Birmingham. Photo on Page 122. £150-180
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1855-96 Covers with various duplex cancels including Scottish dotted duplexs (10) and experimental duplexs (5, with rare type 1 duplex of Inverness); spoons (4, with Hull and Gloucester on imperf 1d reds), etc., all written up on pages. (27). £160-200
| Express Mail | |
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1893 Cover from Ramsgate to Belgium franked 1d pair + 1 1/2d pair, endorsed "Express" and handstamped "EXPRES" in Belgium, some faults but early and scarce; and 1914 red "PLI URGENT A DISTRIBUER PAR EXPRES / Marine Nationale" printed envelope sent as an official letter without stamps from Paris to London, bearing a London F.S registration label and endorsed "Fee Paid 3d, Express", edge repaired with tape and reverse endorsed "Envelope accidentally torn in FS". (2). £100-120@Side Head underline 14pt:The Phil Kenton Collection
The fine collection of this interesting subject, from 1891 until the 1990s, with detailed studies of the various Express handstamps, many unusual foreign origins and destinations, rare railway letters, underpaid mail, and the unique experimental Charing Cross Automatic Box covers and cachets.
| Inland Express Mail | |
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1905 Card Notice, "LETTERS AND PARCELS FOR EXPRESS DELIVERY ACCEPTED HERE", for displaying in Post Offices, 229x196mm, two light vertical folds. £150-200
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Charing Cross Automatic Box Experiment. 1892 Printed "Post Office Express Delivery" envelope on red paper, with printed lines for the time of sending, senders name and address and the amount to be paid for express delivery, telegram or reply service, all to be completed by the sender, also with the instruction "to be placed in this envelope in cash or postage. N.B - The enclosed envelope and card are for the convenience of the public in sending the express letter or telegram". Also present are the enclosed message card and white envelope, which has the printed heading "Express Delivery" and lines for the address. The outer red envelope backstamped with oval "CHARING CROSS / AUTOMATIC BOX" and "POST OFFICE / EXPRESS / PAID", and a "WEST STRAND B.O / W.C" c.d.s (May 3), the white message card also bearing the oval "CHARING CROSS / AUTOMATIC BOX" handstamp. The only recorded items from this trial of December 1891 until May 1892, when a Mr Everett sold stationery at a stall at Charing Cross Station, which was linked by wire to the Strand Post Office across the road allowing messages to be sent almost instantly from the station. (3). Photo on Page 120. £1,200-1,500
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1891 (Aug 28) Cover from Manchester to Bradford franked 1d + 2d, with red "POST OFFICE / EXPRESS" label, endorsed "Express delivery 1·30 Mail" and "Received 4·45pm", arrival backstamps. A scarce early cover sent in the first month in which express letters could be sent between different towns; the rate of 2d per mile + postage only existed from the introduction of local express services in March 1891 until the end of December 1891. Photo on Page 122. £200-250
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1898-1902 Covers sent entirely by express delivery within London, therefore only paid the 3d express fee, the first a 1d pink envelope bearing 1d lilac pair to Lavender Hill, tied Clapham Common c.d.s; the other from London Western Office to Oxford St. franked 3d (perfin M&S) with oval "EXPRESS" handstamp, both with "M.-No. 55 / POST OFFICE / EXPRESS" labels in red or pink. The 1902 cover with edge tear and minor edge staining, otherwise both fine and early. (2). £160-200
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1899-c.1901 Stampless covers sent within London, the postage having been applied to an "E" form, the first to Barry Road with Lordship Lane S.E c.d.s and oval "EXPRESS" handstamp, unusually endorsed "By Special Messenger, await reply"; the second to Grosvenor Place with unusual "ALL CHARGES PAID" handstamp. A scarce pair, the first ex Vivien Sussex collection and illustrated in "Express Service 1891-1971" by Hilary Wellsted. (2). Photo on Page 122. £250-300
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