Postal History
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 801 |
 |
 1826 (Jan 13) entire headed "Hobart Town" and signed "Robert Pitcairn", to a relative in Scotland with a largely fine strike of the
'HOBART TOWN/V.D.L' small undated single-oval handstamp (Hardinge Primitive (ii); rated RRR), largely very fine 'SHIP LETTER/DEAL' step-boxed handstamp, London '16JU16/1826' transit & Edinbugh 'JUN/18' arrival both in red on reverse where rated "2/-"
inland delivery charge, Scottish '½[d]' wheel tax cachet on the face, minor soiling & small closed tears slightly affecting the backstamps. The letter includes "... country is in a dreadful state at present, the bushrangers are so numerous and
formidable". Per the much-travelled Barque Denmark Hill which had reached Hobart from Rio de Janiero on 15.8.1825, and departed Hobart for England "intending to touch at St Helena" [see notes included] on 18.1.1826.
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$250
Currently Opening at...AU$210.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 802 |
|
 1829 (Sep 11) entire headed "Hobart" and signed "Robert Pitcairn", to a relative in Scotland with an almost very fine strike of the
small undated 'HOBART TOWN/V.D.L' single-oval handstamp (Hardinge Primitive (ii); rated RRR; most strikes are poor), very fine 'INDIA LETTER/PLYMOUTH' boxed handstamp and London 'FEB/19/1830' cds in red on reverse where rated "1/-" (?) inland
delivery charge, light ironed-out fold just touches the Hobart oval, very minor soiling. The writer has added a postscript "I have written by every ship that has left since you departed". Carried by the Barque Alice ex Hobart 12.9.1829 with a cargo
of whale oil, colonial produce and the mails but no passengers.
An early example of Australian Colonies mail accorded the lower 'India Letter' rate of 4d on arrival (in place of the previous 8d ship letter rate), which was extended to New South Wales, Western Australia (Swan River) and Tasmania (Van Diemen's
Land) from 13.1.1830. The inland charge should have comprised 1/2d mileage (up to 500 miles from Plymouth to Edinburgh) plus 4d India letter.
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$800
Currently Opening at...AU$950.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 803 |
|
 1830 (Jan 19) entire headed "Hobart" and signed "Robert Pitcairn" to a relative in Scotland "p Ganymede or first ship" with a
largely fine strike of the 'HOBART TOWN/V.D.L' small undated single-oval handstamp (Hardinge Primitive (ii); rated RRR) partly overstruck by light but largely very fine 'INDIA LETTER/PORTSMOUTH' boxed handstamp in red, London '28JU28/1830' transit &
Edinbugh 'JUN/30' arrival both in red on reverse where rated "1/6" inland delivery charge for 4d India letter plus 1/2d inland delivery (up to 500 miles from Portsmouth to Edinburgh), Scottish '½[d]' wheel tax cachet on the face, minor soiling &
light file fold affecting some markings. Carried by the Hudson Bay Co vessel Ganymede having put in at Hobart for refreshments on her return trip from the Columbia River, Oregon with a cargo of beaver skins.
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$250
Currently Opening at...AU$200.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 804 |
|
 1837 (July 5) entire headed "Hobart Town" and signed "And[rew] Crombie", to Scotland "p Crusader" with largely very fine
'[crown]/HOBART TOWN/VDL/14JY14/1837' oval datestamp (Hardinge Primitive (iii); rated RR) on the face, fair 'INDIA LETTER/DOVER' boxed handstamp & London transit backstamp of 28DE28/1837 in red, rated "1/6" payable for 4d India letter plus 1/2d
inland delivery, Scottish '½[d]' wheel tax cachet on the face, soiled along a vertical file fold mostly clear of the markings. Contents are a list of accounts for the sales of "Bales Packing Paper ex Columbia" & "4 Cases Proof Demy [Rum] ex Derwent".
The Crusader was apparently delayed as the letter arrived a day after the next Lot, which was posted more than a month later.
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 805 |
|
 1837 (Aug 14) folded entire headed "Hobart Town" and signed "C Swanston", to "George Mercer Esq" in Scotland with largely very fine
'[crown]/HOBART TOWN/VDL/18AU18/1837' oval datestamp (Hardinge Primitive (iii); rated RR) alongside another faint strike on the face, fair 'INDIA LETTER/DOVER' boxed handstamp, London '27DE27/1837' transit & Edinbugh 'DEC/29/1837' arrival backstamps
in red, rated "1/6" payable for 4d India letter plus 1/2d inland delivery, '1[d]' curved handstamp and Scottish '½[d]' wheel tax cachet on the face, minor blemishes.
Charles Swanston was the founder of the Port Phillip Association, which soon after John Batman's expedition landed in 1835, purported to purchase 600,000 acres of land from the Aborigines, including the future sites of Melbourne & Geelong. With the
support of the British government, Governor Richard Bourke in Sydney proclaimed the area to be part of New South Wales, and the new arrivals to be trespassers on Crown Land. By 1837, Swanston and Mercer were the Association's sole remaining
shareholders. He writes in part that it is "... useless in my troubling you with any observations what should further be done General Bourke having settled the business for us and I suppose ere this Lord Glenelg [Secretary of State for the Colonies]
will have settled it for you ... we may give it up and make up for our losses and expenses by squatting. From Port Phillip our Accoutns are very good the whole Establishment is working very well the men are contented. The lambing very prosperous and
the sheep doing well ...". A lengthy and fascinating account of the early colonial settlement of Victoria.
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$800
Currently Opening at...AU$800.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 806 |
|
 1838 (Sept 30) folded entire headed "Ship Gilmore Portsmouth" (convict ship, bound for Tasmania) and signed "John Steele", to his
mother in London with largely fine 'PORTSMOUTH/OC 1/1838' cds & London arrival (next day) backstamps, some edge faults & internal reinforcing, minor soiling. The fascinating letter begins "We are this far on our road to Van Diemen's Land and expect
to lay here for about six or seven days to allow time for the Convicts to write to their Friends and get answers back ... the scenes I see here on board are much beyond description ..." but describes a family farewelling their son "... the
unfortunate criminal chained and trying to hide his face in his sisters shawl". The Gilmore left Spithead on 5.10.1838 and arrived at Hobart on 24.1.1839 carrying 279 convicts on this, her second convict voyage. [The illustration is above Lot 803]
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$210.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 807 |
|
 1839 (July 12) entire headed "Launceston" and signed "[Rev] Charles Price", to the Colonial Missionery Society, London "p Rhoda"
rated "1oz" at upper-left with "7[d]" in red pre-paid, fine 'INDIA LETTER/DARTMOUTH' and London arrival backstamp of DC12/1839 in red where rated "1/8" payable, some edge faults & archival tape repairs, minor soiling. The letter is an account of the
divisions caused by the interference of a Mr West who had established the Independent Church of Launceston, and is docketed "Price's Statement". Per Rhoda ex Launceston 17.7.1839.
Grade (B) (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 808 |
|
 1839 (July 12) entire headed "Park Nook, Lake River, Launceston" and signed "IG Harris", to Kent with faint "4[d]" in red pre-paid
ship letter rate, fine 'INDIA LETTER/WEYMOUTH' and London arrival backstamp of 21OC21/1839 in red where rated "1/2" payable for 4d India Letter rate plus 10d inland delivery, some edge faults & internal reinforcing, minor soiling. Lake River PO
1.6.1832; closed 31.5.1875 (no markings known until 1860s manuscript).
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 809 |
|
 1847 (April 22) large-part entire to England "per Harpley" with largely very fine 'LAUNCESTON' double-ring cds (Hardinge Primitive
(iii); rated RR) and rated "1/-" in red for a triple outward ship letter, London transit of 9FE9/1848 where rated "2/8" inwards ship letter (8d per ½oz up to 1oz plus 8d for each additional 1oz) and Birmingham arrival backstamp in blue of the same
day, internal tears & repairs with pages missing & some soiling. The Harpley was built on the Tamar River at a cost of £14,000, and this was her maiden voyage. A few weeks out to sea, she ran into a severe storm and was forced to put in at Tahiti for
repairs in June. Departing in September, she did not reach England until February 1848, a voyage of almost 10 months.
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 810 |
|
 1848 (July 5) entire to Norfolk with largely very fine 'LAUNCESTON' double-ring cds (Hardinge Primitive (iii); rated RR) endorsed
"Paid" and rated "4[d]" in red outward ship letter with bold 'SHIP-LETTER' handstamp all on the face, London '25SE25' transit where rated "8[d]" inwards ship letter, three strikes of 'LYNN' cds but undeliverable and re-rated "9[d]" including 1d extra
for the re-direction fee, 'SCARBOROUGH/28SE/1848' arrival backstamp in blue, minor blemishes. Carried by private ship rather than Toulmin Packet, as evidenced by the rating (packet letters were rated 1/- payable).
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 811 |
|
 1854 outer to "Nanticoke/Canada West" with postmaster's endorsement "Kango Point/29 6 54" and an exceptional franking of Courier
Early Impressions 1d blue SG 2 four very fine singles all with full margins & almost complete outer framelines tied by poor First Allocation BN '39' (in each case the '9' is obvious), light semi-circle 'PAID/30JA30/1854' datestamp in red of Hobart,
London transit backstamp of 14OC14/1854 in red, rated "1/1" amended to "2/2" (?), of very fine appearance with separation of the panels having been rectified with professional restoration. Kangaroo Point PO c.1846; renamed Bellerive 1.1.1882.
A rare destination from Van Diemen's Land. Ben Palmer's Victoria Census lists only eight earlier items to the Colony of Canada, only three of which are to Upper Canada. Nanticoke is an industrialised town in Ontario, close to Lake Erie and 53km SW of
Hamilton. It was settled as farmland in the late 18th century. The Low Family were prominent settlers, Colonel Nathaniel Low purchasing land in 1852.
Grade (A) (Image1)
(Image2)
Get Market Data for [Australia (Tasmania) 2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census |
Estimate AU$5,000
Currently Opening at...AU$3,800.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 812 |
|
 1854 (Sept 8) outer to England "per Croesus steamer via Melbourne" with Courier 4d orange SG 5 horizontal pair (margins clear to
good; light oxidisation & soiling; Cat £2000+ x2+ on cover) tied by two light to very fine strikes of First Allocation Barred Numeral '59' with largely superb 'LAUNCESTON/8 SP 8/1854' cds at lower-left, on arrival rated "2/-" double packet letter
rate with London arrival backstamp of 5DE5/1854 in red, light horizontal fold clear the stamps just touches the Launceston cds, minor blemishes.
Posted too late to meet the General Screw Steam Shipping Co 'Croesus', which left Melbourne on 10.9.1854, and was carried on the P&O service 'Madras' leaving 20.9.1854 to Galle, 'Bengal' to Suez and overland then per 'Indus' from Alexandria arriving
Southampton on 4.12.1854. Although the 'Croesus' had left ten days earlier, she went via Cape Horn and did not arrive at Southampton until 14.12.1854, another ten days later.
Grade B (Image1)
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Get Market Data for [Australia (Tasmania) 5 horizontal] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census |
Estimate AU$1,000
Currently Opening at...AU$750.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 813 |
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 1857 (Sep 9) envelope to London "per Emu [sic] /via Suez & Southn" with rare franking of Star Wmk 4d blue SG 18 and No Wmk 2d dull
emerald-green SG 20 (both with margins in places; Cat £1100 x3+ on cover), BN '68' cancels of Hobart & light strike of the 35mm cds in below, both stamps tied by London arrival cds of DE7/57 in red & unusual concave-sided datestamp on the reverse,
partly-repaired flap fault otherwise very fine. NB: the 2d has been lifted to confirm the printing & is hinged in place. Ex Dale Forster. Per 'Emeu' ex Melbourne 17.9.1857; ran aground in the Red Sea 22.10.1857; mails transferred to 'Madras'; arrival
per one of five possible vessels. Brian Peace at page 71 states "Emeu covers from Tasmania are rare".
Grade A- (Image1)
(Image2)
Get Market Data for [Australia (Tasmania) 18] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census |
Estimate AU$1,000
Currently Opening at...AU$750.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 814 |
|
 1858 (Dec 18) internal envelope to "Cheshunt [House]/Deloraine" with QV Chalons Imperf 1d vermilion horizontal pair (trimmed at
right) & 4d blue (just touching in places) each unit with cross-hatched manuscript cancellations and postmaster's endorsement "Table Cape" at upper-left, Launceston 'PRE-PAID/18DE18/1858' boxed backstamp in red, minor blemishes. Table Cape PO
18.4.1858; officially renamed Wynyard 1.1.1882 (but the first 'WYNYARD' cds is known from 1872). The internal letter rate was increased from 4d (in place since 1842) to 6d on 1.3.1858. After public outcry, on 31.12.1858, after only 9 months, it was
reduced to 4d again.
A very attractive & scarce provisional cancellation cover. 'Tasmania: The Postal History and Postal Markings' states at page 41 that Table Cape used a "grid" cancel recorded on a cover dated 11.12.1858; Part II states (p27) that it used a "cross
hatch of six diagonal lines". It is unclear whether this is a re-interpretation of the orginal cover or based on a second item. Both descriptions match the markings on this item. Absent from the John Bell and David McNamee collections.
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$1,000
Currently Opening at...AU$1,050.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 815 |
|
 1859 (Feb 12) envelope to Scotland with 'TASMANIA' 6d lilac (margins close to large) tied by superb BN '62' with light but just
discernible 'GENERAL POST OFFICE/HOBART-TOWN/[crown]/VDL' cds (Hardinge Primitive (vi); rated R) in red below, Edinburgh 'AP 11/59' arrival backstamp, minor blemishes. Carried by the screw-steamer Salsette via Mauritius on the first voyage under the
P&O contract, which replaced the ill-fated European & Australian Royal Mail Co service from the middle of February 1859. From 1861, the P&O service ran via Galle (Ceylon) rather than Mauritius. [The illustration is above Lot 814]
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 816 |
|
 1883-93 mostly commercial mail franked with Platypus Postal Fiscals comprising 1) Savings Bank packet with 2d grey from 'BICHENO'
via 'CRANBROOK' to Hobart; the others from Hobart with appropriate arrivals 2) 1885 to GB "per Orient Line Sorata" with 6d mauve, very fine; 3) 1890 double-rate to Germany with 1/- rosine (Cat £30 x15+ on cover); and 4) 1893 philatelic use of size F
Registration Envelope to New Zealand with 3d brown & 1/- rosine; the stamps all very fine but three of the covers with problems. Scarce quartet.
(4) (Image1)
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Estimate AU$500
Currently Opening at...AU$380.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 817 |
|
 1895 (circa) plain private wrapper to a school headmaster in France with Tablets ½d pair tied by 'LAUNCESTON' -in-bars cancels,
light vertical fold & minor blemishes.
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$150
Currently Opening at...AU$115.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 818 |
|
 1905-13 postcards with tax handstamps comprising 1905 to South Africa with ½d Pictorial and 'T "1d" ' in oval, 1906 to Yorkshire
with ½d Pictorial and '5/CTMS/T' (stated 4 recorded), 1906 to South Africa with 1d Pictorial and '15/CTMS/T' (stated 2 recorded) plus Port Elizabeth '3D' marking in violet, 1913 'Government House Hobart' real photo (corner bend) to England with ½d
Pictorial and '10/CTMS/T' (stated 3 recorded) and 1913 'TSS Loongana, River Tamar' to England with ½d Pictorial and 'T 1d' in oval, those to England with British tax markings also, condition generally fine to very fine.
(5)Grade A/A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 819 |
PSE |
 1908 usage of 2d pale emerald STO Envelope on thick wove stock, to "The Registrar of Deeds" uprated with Pictorial 1d tied by 'TPO
No 5/JN22/08/TASMANIA' cds, Hobart backstamp of the next day, minor blemishes & a small part of the flap missing. The rate was 2d domestic letter + 1d late fee for posting on the TPO. Illustrated by Groom & Shatten at page 80.
Grade B (Image1)
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Estimate AU$150
Currently Opening at...AU$115.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
| 820 |
|
 1913 (Feb 11) OHMS envelope used locally with Pictorials 'ONE PENNY' surcharge on Perf 12½ 2d violet punctured 'T' solo tied by
Hobart machine cancel, a couple of light folds clear of the adhesive & minor blemishes. The 'ONE PENNY' surcharge was issued in late-October 1912 to supplement the 1d stock after the introduction of the uniform Australian 1d letter rate. Scarce used
in period, all the more so with the State Government perfin.
Grade A- (Image1)
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Estimate AU$200
Currently Opening at...AU$150.00
Closing..May-21, 08:00 PM |
