1927 OPENING OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE 1927 Opening Of Parliament House
Sale No: 242
Lot No: 308
Symbol: E
DESIGN COMPETITION: Stampsize photographic essays for vertical & horizontal designs by the same entrant, the second with 'AJ SHEARSBY' h/s on the reverse; plus another design by a different entrant (badly creased). Not recorded in the ACSC. (3)
DESIGN COMPETITION: Essays for the same vertical & horizontal designs as in the previous lot in both stamp-size & 200% enlargements (one damaged at L/L), all with 'AJ SHEARSBY' h/s on the reverse. Not recorded in the ACSC. (4)
Sale No: 242
Lot No: 310
Symbol: E
Cat No: Collection
DESIGN COMPETITION: Large bromide (201x137mm) of the accepted artwork by Ronald Harrison endorsed on the reverse "Copy of the design adopted for the postage stamp to commemorate the opening of the first Federal Parliament at Canberra/Jas Murray/for Secretary/29.9.26". A marvellous frontispiece for a Canberra collection/exhibit.
Sale No: 242
Lot No: 311
Symbol: P
Cat No: 132DP(9)B
PRESENTATION DIE PROOF: 1½d die proof in carmine-lake without inscriptions on thick wove paper (223x171mm) with deckled edge BW #132DP(9)B, some toning but generally of fine appearance, Cat $12,500. Illustrated by Geoff Kellow at page 34. Ex Arthur Gray: sold for $5355.
The ACSC states that three examples were created, one inscribed to the radio presenter at the Opening of Parliament House - now in the Australia Post Archives - and two uninscribed. The whereabouts of the other uninscribed proof is unknown.
ISSUED STAMPS: 1½d vertical pair Imperforate Between BW #132b (SG 105a), excellent centring for this error, lightly mounted, Cat $5000 (Cat £5500). One of the finest surviving examples. The ACSC states "22 pairs have been identified...[including] a block of 4 in the Royal Collection & a pair in the Australia Post Archives...well-centred examples command a premium". [Superior to Arthur Gray's pair - creased & a few nibbled perfs - that sold for $4998]
ISSUED STAMPS: 1½d horizontal strip of 5 with selvedge at left, Strong Offset affecting the Second (80%), Third (100%) & Fourth (40%) Units, unmounted. Unlisted in the ACSC. This is the most spectacular Australian offset variety we have seen! Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2014) states "Extremely rare" &, peculiarly, that the offset is inverted relative to the face: it isn't! [Geoff Kellow stated that this & similar varieties are not true offsets, being caused by transfer of ink after the sheets were gummed. This is the third item we have offered - including Colin Clark-Hutchison's used example with no gum - that refutes this theory]
ISSUED STAMPS: 1½d upper-right corner block of 4, the second unit partly Imperforate at Top because of a post-printing paper-fold. Not listed in the ACSC, or by Geoff Kellow who illustrates at p57 a different perforation error & states "...one example is recorded of stamps partly imperforate due to paper folds occurring after printing, but before perforating". The book was published in 2011 & this item was apparently discovered subsequent to that. Ex Arthur Gray: sold for $3570.
ISSUED STAMPS: 1½d upper-left corner block of 6 (2x3), the first unit partly Imperforate at Right, the second unit Partly Imperforate at Left & Wholly Imperforate at Right, & the fourth unit partly Imperforate at Right, the top four units are unmounted. An outstanding piece! Not listed in the ACSC. [Illustrated by Geoff Kellow at page 30 where he states "...one example is recorded of stamps partly imperforate due to paper folds occurring after printing, but before perforating". However, that is not the case here]
PLATE NUMBER BLOCKS: U/L corner block of 4 with virtually complete Plate Number '3' ACSC 132zb, well centred, three units unmounted, Cat $2500 (mounted).
PLATE NUMBER BLOCKS: U/L corner block of 4 with complete Plate Number '6' ACSC 132ze, well centred, minor hinge mark in the L/H margin, two units unmounted, Cat $2000 (mounted).
PLATE NUMBER BLOCKS: U/L corner block of 4 with complete Plate Number '11' ACSC 132zj, well centred, tonespot on one unit, three units are unmounted, Cat $1000 (mounted).
Sale No: 242
Lot No: 324
Symbol: B
Cat No: Collection
'JUMBO' BOOKLET: Complete booklet of eight marginal panes of 8 (2x4) stapled in the upper margins with backing paper of the same stock as the issued Canberra booklets, minor rust around the staple otherwise remarkably fine. Rare. [Geoff Kellow at page 63 states "Several are recorded, most with some panes of stamps removed". In fact, this is only the second complete example we have recorded. Long considered a 'mystery' issue, perhaps of private manufacture, Kellow goes on to state that these booklets were prepared by the Post Office: a Post Office memorandum states "...these will be in strips of 8 fastened into lots of 80 to represent the number in the whole sheet". If the Post Office could call a Registration Envelope a 'Registered Letter', it could call a block a 'strip']
POSTAL HISTORY: 1927 'Opening of the First PARLIAMENT at CANBERRA...' real photo card with 1½d tied by 'PARLIAMENT HOUSE CANBERRA/9MY27/FCT' cds being the First Day of Issue.
POSTAL HISTORY: 1927 (May 9) Buscall First Day Cover with Canberra 1½d strip of 3 tied by two strikes of the scarce 'BROCK'S CREEK/NT' cds & 'R'-in-oval h/s, Darwin arrival b/s of a week later.
POSTAL HISTORY: 1927 (July 17) cover to Ohio endorsed "Via US Air Mail/to Chicago or Detroit" with rare franking of Canberra 1½d irregular block of 8 (possibly the record franking of this stamp?) tied by 'SHIP MAIL ROOM/ MELBOURNE' cds, San Francisco & 'CHICAGO ILL/AIR MAIL' transits & 'HAMILTON OHIO' arrival b/s. [The foreign letter rate was 3d per ½oz. The US internal airmail rates changed 5 times in 2½ years & are somewhat confusing. Unfortunately, we don't have the 1927 'Post Office Guide' in our library]
POSTAL HISTORY: 1928 (c.) NSW Metropolitan Meat Industry Board OHMS window envelope with scarce franking of Canberra 1½d punctured Large 'OS/NSW' and KGV ½d orange punctured 'OS' tied by poor 'HOMEBUSH BAY ABATTOIRS/NSW' cds, minor defects.
POSTAL HISTORY: 1934 (Oct 9) cover to an official in the New Hebrides with Canberra 1½d + Sturt 1½d & Vic Centenary 2d tied by 'CABRAMATTA/NSW' cds, blue & black/white R label. [The Empire letter rate was 2d + 3d registration = 5d]
POSTAL HISTORY: c.1930 self-addressed cover to "SAC Campbell/Pilot Postmaster/BANZ Expedition/On board Discovery/Antarctic" with Canberra 1½d tied by superb 'BANZ/1930 [penguin] -31/ANTARCTIC RESEARCH EXP' cachet. Superb! Ex Stuart Campbell: sold at the Prestige auction of 19.7.2003 for $966. [Stuart Campbell was Douglas Mawson's aviator & was later a renowned flyer in Papua]
