Commonwealth

**CEYLON**
Lot	Catalog No.	Descrip	Opening
141	T1-9	CEYLON: 1880 set of overprints on India (first watermark) 2a to 50r upper halves, a very lightly cancelled set of nine with COLOMBO straight-line cancels. The vendor states that this is the finest known used set. SG T1-9, £1117 Note: Only 100 of the 50r were overprinted (Image) Get Market Data for [Ceylon T1-9] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 400 SOLD for £950.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
142	T1-5, 7	CEYLON: 1880 overprints on India on large piece of Telegraph form; the 2a, 4a, 8a, 1r, 2r8a and 10r upper halves, with two COLOMBO 16-7-80 straight-line cancels. SG T1-5, 7 Note: This issue used on piece is exceptionally rare and this six-value franking must surely be the finest known (Image) Get Market Data for [Ceylon T1-5, 7] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 120 SOLD for £2,000.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.

**INDIA**
Lot	Catalog No.	Descrip	Opening
1		1860 Die Proof of the head with uncleared surround, sunk-mounted on thick card (92 x 60mm) with mica covering. This was the original head die from which the master double-head die was prepared; ex De La Rue archives Note: This head was based on William Theed's sculpture and engraved by Daniel Pound (Image)	Starting at £ 320 SOLD for £900.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
2		1860 Head Die Proof in black on glazed card (92 x 59mm), with oval surround uncleared, annotated '4th proof' and dated 'Decr 9th 1856'. Reverse thinned on removal from archival source Note: This proof is referred to in the DLR Invoice Book AA, page 70; 'Taking master die for ½a duty', June 1857 (Image)	Starting at £ 320 SOLD for £900.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
3		1860 Head Die Proof in black on glazed card (93 x 60mm), with inner oval and outer circular surround uncleared, dated 11/2/57. Ex Koh-i-Nor (CRL 25/2/1986, lot 399) Note: This head, with a circular surround, was used for the 1861 Foreign Bills issue (Image)	Starting at £ 320 SOLD for £1,000.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
4		1860 Head Die proof in black on glazed card (93 x 60mm, top left corner removed), with double oval and surround uncleared, marked in pencil 'Before Hardening March 7/57' (Image)	Starting at £ 200 SOLD for £850.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
5	T1/3	1860 Head Die proof, stamp-sized in black on glazed card, sunk-mounted on piece of card ex the De La Rue day book, with uncleared oval frame and surround. Endorsed 'India' in ink and 'duplicate in use' in pencil. A few small foxed areas affect the card, but not the proof. Unique Note: Ex Spink, 16.10.2003, lot 499, where the engraving was misattributed to Pound. The head was prepared for the Electric Telegraph issue, and was subsequently used as the basis for later postage issues, the 1860 8p and the 1868 8a Die II (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1/3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 650 SOLD for £750.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
6	T1/3	1860 Electric Telegraph set of three cut-down Die Proofs in black on glazed card; a lovely and very rare set, ex Jal Cooper, Malin and Christie's Robson Lowe (13.3.1985) Note: We record four sets of cut-down Die Proofs, one of which is in the Royal Collection (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1/3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 1,200 SOLD for £2,500.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
7	T3	1860 Electric Telegraph 4r Die Proof in black on glazed card (92 x 60mm), dated 'April 29th' in pencil. Some minor marks around the edge, the proof impression very fine, and unique in private hands. Note: There is a set of Die Proofs overprinted SPECIMEN in the Inland Revenue Stamping Archive in the British Library; apart from these we have no record of other full-size Die Proofs for any value, overprinted or otherwise (Image) Get Market Data for [India T3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,000 SOLD for £3,000.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
8	T1	1860 Electric Telegraph 4a on blue glazed paper, an imperforate vertical pair from the imprimatur sheet, with clear to excellent margins. A minor crease to the upper stamp does not affect the surface, or the splendid appearance of this very rare and important multiple. Ex Desai and Sturton Note: Five singles (of which two are in the Royal Collection) and two vertical pairs are known. This is much the superior of the two pairs, which are the only multiples known from the Electric Telegraph issue - in any condition (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,000 SOLD for £2,000.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
9	T2	1860 Electric Telegraph 1r on blue glazed paper, an imperforate right-marginal Plate Proof. Good colour and impression, one very light crease and a little smudge on the 'CT' of ELECTRIC, very rare Note: Six single examples are recorded, of which two are in the Royal Collection (Image) Get Market Data for [India T2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 1,400 SOLD for £1,400.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
10	T3	1860 Electric Telegraph 4r on blue glazed paper, a spectacular imperforate Plate Proof from the bottom right of the sheet, displaying 'H' of marginal inscription TELEGRAPH and marginal watermark (inverted) GOVER of GOVERNMENT. Some marginal creasing and soiling, still most attractive and an item of the highest rarity and importance, unique in private hands. Note: Two further single examples of the 4r Plate Proof are known, both of which are in the Royal Collection (Image) Get Market Data for [India T3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,400 SOLD for £2,600.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
11	T1/3	1860 Electric Telegraph set of three Plate Proofs imperforate on blued paper, each vertically overprinted 'IMEN' of SPECIMEN Type 2, with four margins and good colour, minor staining on the reverse of each. A very rare set Note: Five sets are recorded of which one is in the Royal Collection, with another in the Inland Revenue Stamping Archive at the British Library (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1/3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,000 SOLD for £3,000.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
12	T1	1860 Electric Telegraph 4a reddish purple, right marginal example with large part o.g., marginal inscription LONDON. A few shorter perfs but with good gum, expertised Roumet on reverse, lovely colour and with just a few tiny surface scuffs. SG T1, £3250 Note: Sixteen unused examples are recorded, of which two are in the Royal Collection, with a number in poor condition. This appears to be the only known marginal example (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 1,200 SOLD for £2,200.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
13	T1-3	1860 Electric Telegraph set of three, part to large part o.g., some minor blemishes; very small foxed spots on the reverse and a few short perfs, the 4r with a bend. Very fine colour and appearance, each with pencilled Alberto Diena initials on reverse. An exceptionally rare set. SG T1-3, £40750 Note: Ex Koh-i-Nor (CRL 25/2/1986, lots 402-404), where it became the only set of the Electric Telegraphs to be offered by auction. Just four unused examples of the 4r are recorded. There is no example in the Royal Collection (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1-3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 16,000 SOLD for £18,000.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
14	T1	1860 4a reddish purple on blued paper, used, uncancelled but with Check Office punches. Heavily creased and with a small thin. Ex Sturton. SG T1, £2000 Note: Use of the Electric Telegraph issue was barely publicised and severe restrictions were placed upon their use, to the extent that we have recorded just five examples of the 4a used (one in the Tapling collection), four of the 1r (three used in Ceylon) and two whole stamps and a left half of the 4r. Col. Robinson states - "The extent to which they have been used may be stated as practically nil...." (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 480 SOLD for £480.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
15	T1	1860 4a reddish purple on blued paper, used, with nine small Check Office punches and two neat Bangalore CDSs of 15.11.91 (year slugs inverted). Creased, still above average and an attractive example of this rare stamp. SG T1, £2000 (Image) Get Market Data for [India T1] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 650 SOLD for £800.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
16	T2	1860 1r reddish purple on blued paper, used, cancelled by the distinctive CEYLON TELEGRAPH OFFICE/ PRIVATE oval. A very rare stamp, seemingly the finest example extant. SG T2, £5000 (Image) Get Market Data for [India T2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,000 SOLD for £2,400.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
17	T2 var	1860 Electric Telegraph 1r reddish purple on blued paper handstamped 'ON H M S S ONLY' in blue, uncancelled. Faulty at right, unique in private hands, ex Ferrary (Sale 5, 15/11/1922, lot 274) SG T2 var Note: Hausburg et al state on page 159 that 'Copies of the one rupee stamp are known bearing a black handstamped overprint reading "ON H.M.S.S. ONLY". This appears to be of the same nature as the local surcharges which preceded the official issue of service postage stamps.' Reference to the overprint in black suggests that Stewart-Wilson and Crofton had only seen illustrations of the issue. The other example is in the Tapling collection at the British Library (Image) Get Market Data for [India T2 var.] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,400 SOLD for £2,500.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.
18	T3	1860 Electric Telegraph 4r left half, used with partial Jacobabad cancellation of 23.12.71, with evidence of the printed form on the reverse. Some colour suffusion at right, a little soiled but an exceptionally rare stamp. SG T3, £8000 Note: This appears to be the example referred to on page 159 of Hausburg et al. Ex Jal Cooper (who removed it from its form) and Sturton (Image) Get Market Data for [India T3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Starting at £ 2,800 SOLD for £2,800.00 Closing..Sep-27, 11:59 PM EST.