Great Britain and British Commonwealth British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (b.c.o.f.)
Sale No: 2
Lot No: 342
Symbol: C
1945 airmail cover with naval crest in green at U/L to GB with KGVI 3d purple-brown x3 tied by the woodcut 'TOKYO BAY/JAPAN' cancel with 'HMAS SHROPSHIRE/Official Signing of/Japanese Surrender' cachet in red and British 'POST/OFFICE - MARITIME/MAIL' machine in red, opened-out & minor blemishes. Unusual usage.
1949 airmail cover (230x168mm) to London with rare franking of unoverprinted 3d 1/- Lyrebird & Robes Thin Paper 5/- strips of 3 (Cat $750 for a single on cover) tied by 'AUST ARMY PO/11JE49/214' cds in use at Empire House in Tokyo, vertical fold & minor blemishes. A very scarce franking in any circumstances, all the more desirable for being a BCOF in Japan usage. ['Tillie' Mitchell's similar cover with 5/- pair sold for $659]
Grade B
Estimate AU$500
Opening AU$ 800.00
Sold...AU$ 800.00
Closed..Oct-09-2020, 17:00:00 EST
Sold For 800
Sale No: 2
Lot No: 345
Symbol: CL
1949 (Nov 5) registered airmail cover with rare solo franking of unoverprinted Thin Paper Robes 5/- (ACSC 213B) tied by 'AUST ARMY PO/214' cds used at Tokyo, boxed R cachet in violet at L/R, 'No 8 BASE PO/ A ' transit b/s of the same date, Adelaide arrival b/s of 11NO49, very minor bends.
This is a really significant item. Firstly, the BCOF Overprints were withdrawn on 12.2.1949, after which unoverprinted stamps were used. Secondly, it is a rare non-Forces cover with imprint & wax seals of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (Tokyo) on the reverse. Thirdly, this is a very scarce stamp on any type of cover. The ACSC prices it at $450 on cover. However, it is not recorded & priced as a solo franking.
