2011 Rarities of the World continued...

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE FAMOUS GREAT BRITAIN 1840 PENNY BLACK. THE PENNY BLACK IS RARELY SEEN IN SUCH SUPERB SOUND ORIGINAL-GUM CONDITION AND WITH SUCH WIDE MARGINS.

With 2011 Sismondo certificate. SG £14,000 (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE 1890 10-SHILLING I.R. OFFICIAL ISSUE.

Ex Silkin. With 1969 R.P.S. certificate. SG £8,500 (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE BRITISH GUIANA ONE-CENT VERMILION FROM THE ORIGINAL PRINTING.

On subsequent printings a white line above the values was added. SG £4,250. (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE CEYLON 100-RUPEES KING GEORGE V ISSUE WITH THE SCROLL VARIETY.

The variety unlisted in Scott, which is given an 84% premium in Gibbons. Scott Retail as normal $2,100.00. Stanley Gibbons value (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE UNUSED EXAMPLE OF THE MAURITIUS 2-PENCE "POST PAID" FROM AN EARLY INTERMEDIATE IMPRESSION AND CLEARLY SHOWING THE "PENOE" SPELLING ERROR. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF MAURITIUS.

Mauritius was the first British colony to issue adhesive postage stamps, with the famous "Post Office" issue. The second "Post Paid" issue is almost as famous. The one and two-pence stamps were printed from sheets of twelve (three across by four down), and were engraved on the back of a copper plate previously used to print advertisements for a hotel in Port Louis. Each position was individually engraved, so each is unique. Position 7 (third row, first position) is the only position with the distinct "PENOE" spelling error.

Due to the softness of the copper plate the impressions quickly wore away. There are five widely recognized states of the plate: Earliest, Early, Intermediate, Worn and Latest. The Earliest and Early are the scarcest since the plate wore fairly quickly. The supplement to the 1993 Feldman catalogue of the Kanai Collection details each position on the plate and the characteristics necessary to identify the state of the impression. For Position 7, the lines at the base of the bust are clear in the Early state but have disappeared in the Intermediate state. A secondary characteristic is that the shading lines on the forehead extend at least halfway to the front edge. The stamp offered here shows both of these characteristics, but since the lines are faint we have correctly classified it as the Intermediate impression. There is a significant difference in catalogue value ($45,000 vs. $24,000) for Early vs. Intermediate impressions.

With 1953 Friedl certificate. SG £22,000. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE $100 1910 STRAITS SETTLEMENTS KING EDWARD VII ISSUE.

With 1980 Friedl certificate. SG £14,000 (Image)

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VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE TRENGGANU ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR SULTAN SULEIMAN.

With 1990 Diena certificate. SG £6,000 (Image)

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VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE EXAMPLE OF J. VALENTINE'S OCEAN PENNY POST PROPAGANDA ENVELOPE USED FROM AUSTRALIA TO ENGLAND, WITH ONE OF THE VICTORIA STAMPS AFFIXED OVER THE ALLEGORICAL FIGURE OF PEACE AT LEFT ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE AS THIS WAS CARRIED ON THE CLIPPER SHIP MARCO POLO ON THE FIRST TRIP BACK TO LIVERPOOL.

According to http://www.new-brunswick.net/marcopolo/historic.html , the Marco Polo, built as a cargo ship, was launched near St. John in New Brunswick in April 1851. She was the longest ship built in New Brunswick, with three decks, and at her launch promptly got stuck in the sand and keeled over to one side. After two weeks she was freed and began her maiden voyage. In June of 1852 the Marco Polo was bought by James Baines of Liverpool for the Black Ball Line of Australian packets. She was refitted to carry passengers. She made her first trip to Australia in 76 days, landing at Port Phillips Head on September 18. An epidemic of measles among the children aboard caused 52 deaths during the voyage. After three weeks she returned to London in another 76 days, arriving on Boxing Day. This was the first recorded round trip in less than six months. This cover was carried on the return trip, and it is likely the blank propaganda envelope was carried by a passenger on the outbound voyage.

Accompanied by another example of the Ocean Penny Postage cover, State 5a, addressed to Hobart Town in Van Diemen's Land with manuscript "pr Derwent 5/6/52" and carried privately. The two covers, one from and one to Australia, make an outstanding exhibition pair.

First ex Haas and Risvold and with 1974 and 2010 B.P.A. certificates. (Image)

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A SPECTACULAR APPEARING COVER FRONT TO NEW YORK FRANKED WITH A HIGH VALUE AND COLORFUL ARRAY OF VICTORIA STAMPS. THIS IS THE HIGHEST FRANKING WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON A VICTORIA COVER.

The analysis of the rate paid by this cover is fascinating and somewhat complicated (our thanks to John Barwis and Dale Forster for their analysis). Assuming we are correct that the missing stamp is a 6p, the sender paid 9sh9p (a total of 117p) to prepay the British, French and American packet portion of the rate to the U.S. for British mail via Marseilles. The letter must have weighed between 2-1/2 and 2-3/4 ounces -- the single prepaid rate for less than -1/2 ounce was 2sh. For the single rate, the components upon leaving Victoria were 6p per half ounce to England, plus 3p per quarter ounce to the French for the railroad charge from Marseilles to Calais, plus 8p per half ounce transatlantic rate for the ship portion (of the 1sh prepaid rate between England and the U.S.) by American packet. For a cover weighing between 2-1/2 and 2-3/4 ounces, this would be 6 x 6p Victoria to England, plus 11 x 3p French transit, plus 6 x 8p American packet, for a total of 117p, or 9sh9p. The 6 x 5c U.S. internal rate portion of the treaty rate from England was payable by the recipient.

The cover left Melbourne on the P & O steamer Emeu, departing on Mar. 17, 1859 -- the Emeu put into Port Louis, Mauritius, with a broken screw on Apr. 13. Mails were transferred to the Granada which sailed from Port Louis on April 14, arriving in Aden on Apr. 27. From Aden the cover was carried on the P & O Bengal, sailing on Apr. 27 and arriving at Suez on May 4. The cover was then carried to Alexandria for the May 7 departure of the P & O Ellora, arriving at Marseilles on May 13. After a voyage by train to Paris and Calais, then making the trip to Dover and London, the cover finally sailed on the HAPAG Hammonia, departing Liverpool on May 18 and arriving in New York on May 30.

If this were a full cover it might well be regarded as the most spectacular Victoria cover in existence. Even as a front, it is very desirable and a most impressive franking (Image)

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