1860-1884 Halfpenny Stamps
The Smith numbers at the end of each description are taken from
"Malta Halfpenny Stamps 1860-1884" by Clive Smith
Buyers can expect to find that most covers have been handstamped
on reverse, at least once, with initials |
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1860 (16 Nov.) Government Notice relating to "a daily delivery of Inland Letters and Newspapers in the town of Valletta, Floriana and Sliema and the erection of Letter Boxes at different parts of Valletta".... "notice is hereby given that on and after the 1st December 1860"... "provided such letters, if destined for the Inland Post, bear the Malta half-penny Stamp".... The location of the letter boxes is later listed; slightly stained and with folds £100-120
Provenance: Col. D.G.N. Lloyd-Lowles, January 1978 | Die Proofs | |
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Queen's Head only, stamp-size in carmine on glazed card, inset on thick card (38x50mm.) marked "Colonial 1" and "Joubert" (in pencil) at top; the proof with some burnishing at left and at foot. (Smith DPH0009). Photo £250-300
Note: This proof is illustrated in "The De La Rue History of British and Foreign Stamps, 1855 to 1901" by John Easton, plate 21.
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Complete in black on glazed card (93x60mm.) dated "21/6/59", fine. One of two recorded full size proofs. (Smith DP0010). Photo £2,500-3,000
Provenance: R.B. Yardley, October 1944
Brigadier F.M. Montresor, November 1966
L. Frank, October 1972
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Complete in black on glazed card, stamp-size, fine. (Smith DP0045). Photo £800-1,000
Provenance: "Rosemarie", November 1978
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Complete in black on glazed card (22x61mm.); some red marks and rubbing near nose and chin of Queen. (Smith DP0015). Photo £200-250
Provenance: Major Fred Orme, May 1965
R.K. Clough, November 1981
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Complete in stone-yellow on glazed card, stamp-size, a trifle rubbed and scratched otherwise fine. Unique. (Smith DP0050). Photo £2,000-3,000
Provenance: E.E. Yates, May 1939
H.A. Cann, June 1970
Michael Lawson, May 1982
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Complete in yellow-stone on glazed card, overprinted "specimen" (Samuel Type 9), stamp-size, a little rubbed or scratched otherwise fine. Unique. (Smith DP/S0054). Photo £2,000-2,500
Provenance: H.A. Cann, May 1970
Michael Lawson, May 1982
| Imperforate Plate Proofs | |
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A top left corner block of eight (4x2) with part marginal inscription, in orange-yellow on unwatermarked glazed white thick paper, each overprinted "cancelled" (Samuel Type D7), fine. (Smith PP/C0074). Photo £600-800
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A horizontal pair with margin at right, in orange-yellow on unwatermarked glazed white thick paper, both overprinted "cancelled" (Samuel Type D7); a few tiny tone spots, mainly on reverse. (Smith PP/C0144) £100-120
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A single in orange-yellow on unwatermarked glazed white thick paper, overprinted "cancelled" (Samuel Type D7), fine £70-90
Provenance: Marcus Samuel
| Ink Recipes | |
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De La Rue dummy stamp blocks of four (3), two are affixed to part pages from De La Rue recipe book of about 1870 giving details of the ink mixture, one is numbered "657" and marked "Deep Chrome", the other is number "668" and marked "Amber", also another ink recipe numbered "667", marked "Indian Red" and bearing part GB 1d. Inland Revenue or Receipt Stamp. A most interesting lot £400-500
| Supply 1 - 1860 (Dec.) blued paper, no watermark, perf. 14. (S.G. 1) | |
Imperforate Plate Proof | |
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A single, without gum, good to large margins, pressed vertical crease barely affecting fine appearance. Extremely rare, one of three recorded. (Smith PP10110). Photo £2,000-3,000
Provenance: E.E. Yates, May 1939
"Rosemarie", November 1978
| Specimens | |
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"Buff" with diagonal manuscript "Specimen" in red ink, no gum; blunt perf at top left. Considered to be of doubtful status and is sold on its merits. (Smith S10150). Photo £50-60
Provenance: Marcus Samuel
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Brown-ochre block of six (3x2), each overprinted "specimen" (Samuel Type D2), part to large part original gum, some clipped perfs at left otherwise fine. An extremely rare multiple, blocks of six being the largest, one other is recorded. (Smith S10170). Photo £4,000-5,000
Provenance: E.E. Yates, May 1939
"Rosemarie", November 1978
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Brown-ochre overprinted "specimen" (Samuel Type D2) affixed to piece cut from an old De La Rue stamp register of the 1860s, fine. (Smith S10180). Photo £400-500
Provenance: De La Rue archives
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Brown-ochre overprinted "specimen" (Samuel Type D2), no gum, fine. (Smith S10185). Photo £500-600
Provenance: Marcus Samuel
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Brown-ochre overprinted "specimen" (Samuel Type D2), centred to lower right, regummed and slight horizontal crease at top. (Smith S10245). Photo £400-500
| Mint | |
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Brown-ochre, a marginal horizontal pair from the top row of sheet showing part marginal inscription, small to large part original gum, left stamp with small fault and some light creases in margin, fine. Cat. £2200+. (Smith 10450). Photo £1,000-1,200
Provenance: "Rosemarie", November 1978
Michael Lawson, May 1982
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Brown-ochre affixed to small piece of De La Rue day book dated "1859, July 21", fine. With photocopy of the sales entry for supply number 1 from which it was taken. Cat. £1100. (Smith 10470). Photo £300-400
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Brown-ochre, small part original gum, centred to lower left and with light horizontal crease at foot, not affecting appearance. R.P.S. Certificate (1975). Cat. £1100. Photo £200-250
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, wing-margin at left, large part original gum. A very fine example. (Smith 10471). Cat. £1100. Photo £300-400
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, small part original gum, centred to left, perfs a little clipped at foot, and a fraction soiled, otherwise fine. R.P.S. Certificate (1958). Cat. £1100. Photo £200-250
| Used | |
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Brown-ochre, neatly cancelled by large part c.d.s. with code A of "jy 6/61", centred to lower right, fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 11030). Photo £120-150
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Ochre, cancelled by almost complete c.d.s. with code A of "ja 21/61", centred to lower right, fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 10690). Photo £120-150
Provenance: H.S. Damsell, November 1955
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Ochre, cancelled by almost complete c.d.s. with code A of "mr 12/61" ("6" punctures the paper), centred to upper right, two short perfs at foot, otherwise fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 10810). Photo £100-120
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Ochre, cancelled by complete c.d.s. with code A of "mr 20/61", centred to lower right, one short perf at left, fine. B.P.A. Certificate (1971). Cat. £550. (Smith 10830). Photo £120-150
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by large part "M" obliterator, centred to lower right, pressed vertical crease at right not affecting appearance. Cat. £550. (Smith 10515). Photo £100-120
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by small part "M" obliterator, fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 10575). Photo £120-150
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, two examples cancelled almost complete and large part c.d.s. with code A of "9 jan/61" and "ju 1/61" respectively, both a little off-centre; the former with heavily creased corner perf, and the latter with light horizontal crease. Cat. £1100. (Smith 10625 and 10985) £150-180
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by complete light c.d.s. with code A of "ja 11/61", centred to lower right, a few short perfs otherwise fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 10630). Photo £100-120
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by almost complete c.d.s. with code A of "mr 20/61", centred to upper right, one short perf at top otherwise very fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 10820). Photo £120-150
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by fine almost complete c.d.s. with code A of "my 22/61", centred to lower left, two short perfs at left otherwise fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 10921). Photo £120-150
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by light large part c.d.s. with code B of "oc 2/61", well-centred, fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 11190). Photo £150-180
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Cinnamon brown-ochre with wing-margin at right, lightly cancelled by part duplex of 1863, fine. Cat. £550. (Smith 11370). Photo £120-150
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Cinnamon brown-ochre, cancelled by part diamond of dots maritime cancel, well-centred, one short perf at left and light horizontal crease at top. A most unusual usage. Cat. £550. (Smith 12001). Photo £100-120
| Covers | |
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1860 (13 Dec.) entire letter from Valletta to Mosta, bearing a well-centred brown-ochre neatly tied by "M" obliterator, very fine. The earliest use of the halfpenny stamp and the only recorded example of the use of an "M" cancellation which can be directly associated with a date of use. A. Diena Certificate (1966). (Smith 10500). Photo £1,500-2,000
Note: The letter is from G. Grognet (Grognet de Vassé), the architect of the great circular church of Mosta, whose dome ranks third in size after that of Santa Sophia in Istanbul and of St. Peter's in Rome.
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1861 (3 Jan.) large part front to Rabato, bearing brown-ochre tied by duplex with complete c.d.s., fine. The earliest recorded usage with dated cancellation. (Smith 10610). Photo £500-600
Provenance: H.A. Cann, June 1970
Col. D.G.N. Lloyd-Lowles, January 1978
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1861 (13 Jan.) entire to Birchircara, bearing cinnamon brown-ochre with wing-margin at left tied by very fine c.d.s. and crossed by pressed horizontal filing crease, nevertheless a most attractive franking. (Smith 10640). Photo £500-600
Provenance: Major Fred Orme, May 1965
Laurie Malin, January 1985
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1861 (16 Jan.) entire to Birchircara, bearing cinnamon brown-ochre clearly tied by c.d.s. with code A, fine. (Smith 10680). Photo £300-400
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1861 (24 Oct.) entire letter to Gozo, bearing brown-ochre with wing-margin at left, affixed inverted and clearly tied by duplex, fine. (Smith 11230). Photo £500-600
Provenance: "Rosemarie", November 1978
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1862 (16 Sept.) entire to Filippeville (Algeria), bearing brown-ochre tied by light duplex, showing "poss. angl./marseille" double-ring d.s. (19.9) in red with handstruck "8" (decimes) alongside and, on reverse, light arrival datestamp crossed by manuscript calculations totalling 7.40, evidently Algerian postage due; some minor staining around adhesive. A fine example of the invalid usage of the halfpenny stamp for overseas mail. B.P.A. Certificate (1971). (Smith 11330). Photo £1,200-1,500
Provenance: Lady Bignold, October 1971
Major Clifford Cole, April 1978
| Supply 2 - 1861 (Nov.) white paper, no watermark, perf. 14. (S.G. 2) | |
Specimen | |
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Pale orange-cinnamon with diagonal manuscript "Specimen" in black ink, fairly well-centred, a few short perfs otherwise fine. The only recorded example. R.P.S. Certificate (1970). (Smith S20100). Photo £300-400
Provenance: H.A. Cann, June 1970
| Mint | |
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Pale orange-cinnamon with sheet margin at top showing part inscription, the stamp with full original gum, a few shortish perfs at right and some pin-holes in selvedge. A fine and desirable example. Cat. £1100. (Smith 21100). Photo £350-450
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Pale orange-cinnamon on thin translucent paper, virtually full original gum, one short perf at foot otherwise fine. Cat. £1100. (Smith 21110). Photo £300-400
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Pale orange-cinnamon, part original gum, centred to lower right, fine. B.P.A. Certificate (1958). Cat. £1100. Photo £250-300
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Pale orange-cinnamon, part original gum, centred to foot, a few short perfs at top otherwise fine. Cat. £1100. Photo £250-300
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Pale orange-cinnamon, part original gum, fairly well-centred, fine. Cat. £1100. Photo £300-400
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Pale orange-cinnamon, two examples, one with traces of original gum, the other without gum, both with some short perfs otherwise fine. B.P.A. Certificate (2002) for both. Cat. £2200. Photo £300-400
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Stone, large part original gum, centred to upper right, creased corner perf otherwise fine. Also another example with perfs cut off at left and other faults. R.P.S. Certificate (1978) for former. Cat. £1100. (Smith 21200). Photo £300-400
| Used | |
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Pale orange-cinnamon, a horizontal pair cancelled by duplex (date unclear), well-centred, the left stamp with short perf at top and lower left corner creased. Scarce. Cat. £900. (Smith 22510). Photo £150-200
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