THE RAREST "COTTON REEL" ON COVER THE FINEST 4 CENTS DENOMINATION ON COVER 1850-51 4 cents black on lemon-yellow, with initials of postal official Lortimer "WHL", cut round with excellent margins for this stamp, just touched in small place at top left and preserving the continuous frame line, used on cover from Mahaica (Quayle Squire correspondence) to Georgetown, exhibiting uncommon centrally struck Demerara datestamp of 14 January 1851; (SG £ 96'000). The only cover recorded bearing the Stanley Gibbons no. 3: the 4 cents on lemon-yellow, consequently being the rarest "Cotton Reel" on cover. As an additional degree of importance and rarity, if we consider all covers recorded bearing the 4 cents denomination -Stanley Gibbons no. 2 & 3-, this example is the finest available (only two examples possess the continuous frame line all around). Provenance: Henry C. Gibson David Feldman "Rarities" sale, November 1992, sold for CHF24'000 Expertise: Two B.P.A. certificates (1969 & 1992) (Image)

1850-51, 8 cents black on blue-green, Townsend Type D, faint initials "EDW", thick frame, cut hexagonally with very large margins all around, cancelled by two strikes of Demerara datestamp on 26 November 1850, small thin at lower left in the margin clear of stamp design; very rare and most desirable with these extraordinary margins, which rank this stamp in a category much above the majority of the cut-square examples; (SG £16'000). Provenance: William Augustus Townsend (Lot 5, Harmer's London, October 1969, illustrated on the front cover) John E. du Pont (Lot 60005, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30023, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1850-51, 8 cents black on blue-green, Townsend Type C, exhibiting the rare initials "JBS" of J. B. Smith (Clerk to Imperial Branch), thin frame, cut round with full margins all around, this being a rare characteristic, used with Demerara datestamp of 27 November 1850, thinned although of little significance for this stamp, as most of the examples in existence have such fault, being of very fresh appearance and displaying a bright colour; very desirable and rare; (SG £16'000). Provenance: Philipp von Ferrary (Lot 185, Sale II, October 1921) "Imperium" (Lot 30024, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Signed Roumet and Roger Calves (Image)

THE "BURRUS" 8 CENTS COVER 1850-51, 8 cents black on blue-green, Townsend Type B, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", deep fresh colour, cut octagonally and preserving its frame, used on entire letter from Plantation Profit, Abary Coast, addressed to Georgetown, tied by a full strike of Demerara datestamp on 29 August 1851; (SG £64'000 for a single on cover). According to our records, only four 8 cents covers are recorded, this with the added importance of being one of just two exhibiting complete margins all round. Provenance: Maurice Burrus (Lot 7, Robson Lowe, November 1963) John E. du Pont (Lot 60002, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30026, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

ONE OF THREE UNUSED 12 CENTS RECORDED 1850-51, 12 cents black on blue, Townsend Type A, thick frame, without initials, cut round with the circular borders of the stamp being visible all around, small stain spot at top, in an uncommonly deep bright colour; (unpriced in SG). One of only four unused examples recorded in the "Cotton-Reel" primitives, this being one of three representing the 12 cents (the other two with initials, one sold in the Hind sale in 1935, the other belonging to the J. Simon Greenwood collection); one of the great unused rarities of the British Empire. Provenance: Philipp von Ferrary (Lot 195, Sale II, October 1921) John E. du Pont (Lot 60009, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30028, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Signed Roger Calves, Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1850-51, 12 cents black on blue, on thick paper, Townsend Type B, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut square with good to very large margins on three sides, barely touched at base, cancelled by light strike of Berbice datestamp; (SG £35'000). One of only about eight 12 cents cut square examples without faults. Provenance: Philipp von Ferrary (Lot 190, Sale II, October 1921) John E. du Pont. (Lot 60011, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30031, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Signed Bloch, Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1850-51, 12 cents black on blue, Townsend Type B, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut square with spectacularly large margins at left and right, being clear on other sides, displaying light 9 May 1851 Demerara datestamp, small thin at right not detracting from the great freshness, very rare; (SG £35'000). Provenance: W. J. Webster (Lot 7, Harmer Rooke, February 1942) John E. du Pont (Lot 60015, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30032, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Signed Roger Calves, Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1850-51, 12 cents black on blue, Townsend Type A, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut square with margins ranging from clear to large, cancelled with central Demerara datestamp of 9 May 1851, corner added at lower left which does not affect the design, very rare; (SG £35'000). Provenance: John E. du Pont (Lot 60010, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30030, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1850-51, 12 cents black on blue, Townsend Type A, with initials of postal official Wight "EDW", cut square with clear to wide margins on two sides, deep colour displaying light Berbice datestamp of 1st August 1851, surface thins and vertical crease as usually encountered, very rare; (SG £35'000). Provenance: John E. du Pont (Lot 60013, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30034, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

THE "AMUNDSEN" 12 CENTS INDIGO EXAMPLE 1850-51, 12 cents black on indigo, so-called sugar paper shade, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut square with close to good margins on two sides, light 1851 Berbice datestamp, tiny thins which are probably more due to the nature of the primitive sugar paper than to real abrasion; (SG £45'000). The rarest shade of the 12 cents value, of which only eleven examples are recorded according to Townsend. Provenance: W. J. Webster (Lot 11, Harmer Rooke, February 1942) Lars Amundsen (Lot 72, Stanley Gibbons, December 1967) John E. du Pont (Lot 60021, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30041, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

THE "SIR JOHN WILSON" 12 CENTS PALE BLUE COVER 1850-51, 12 cents black on pale blue, Townsend Type D, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut square with close to good margin on three sides, used on 2 June 1852 entire letter (Duff correspondence) from Berbice to Demerara, with clearly dated Demerara cds on June 3, the stamp tied by archive fold at left as in the two covers recorded, consequently being available to collectors in this condition only; (SG £160'000). The earlier known usage on cover of only two recorded exhibiting this stamp. All "Cotton Reels" are exceedingly scarce on cover and renowned "aristocrats" of worldwide philately. Provenance: Sir John Wilson (Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection) John E. du Pont (Lot 60026, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30045, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

THE "FERRARY" NUMERAL ERROR 1850-51, 12 cents black on pale blue, Townsend Type C, "2" of "12" with straight foot, with initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut round with uncommonly even margins well away from the circular frame-line, with March 1851 Demerara datestamp, which allows the variety to be clearly visible, small thins not detracting from the remarkably attractive appearance of this example; (SG £25'000). One of only six examples recorded showing this important variety, of which three are cut round, this being in contrasting superior quality as it possesses a lighter cancellation which enables a clear vision of the variety. Provenance: Philippe von Ferrary (Lot 288, Sale III, April 1922) John E. du Pont (Lot 60028, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30048, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1850-51, 4 cents black on pale yellow, pelure paper (very thin and transparent, almost onionskin), Townsend Type B, with initials of postal official Lorimer "WHL", cut round with mainly clear and almost complete margins, tear at right, with central 17 October 1851 Demerara datestamp; the very harsh BPA certificate states "small thins and tear at right, colour washed out", which is to be put in relation with the description in the Robson Lowe sale of the Frederick T. Small collection, where the stamp was described as with "fine small natural paper fault"; (SG £25'000). To our knowledge, only ten cut-round examples are known in private hands, also including one on cover (offered in this sale). A GREAT RARITY IN WORLDWIDE PHILATELY. Provenance: Frederick T. Small (Lot 13, Robson Lowe, March 1970) John E. du Pont (Lot 60030, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30051, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) Census of the cut-round 4 cents on pelure paper: - Used on 7th February, very fine - Used on 1st April, ex Ferrary and Townsend - Used on 1st April, ex "Tatiana" (David Feldman, June 2016) - Used on 25th April, (Spink London, July 2012) - Used on 7th October, ex Ferrary - Used on 17th October, ex Frederick T. Small, (the example presented here) - Used on 29th November, ex Caspary - Two unreadable postmarks, ex Isleham - Unreadable postmark (small margin nick, repaired and cleaned, Felzmann Auktion in May 2007) - Used on cover from Demerara on 7th February 1851, (lot 30053 in the current "Imperium" sale) (Image)

THE UNIQUE CUT-ROUND 4 CENTS ON PELURE PAPER ON COVER 1850-51, 4 cents black on pale yellow pelure paper, Townsend type B, used on cover (with full letter enclosed) to Georgetown, cut round with clear to predominantly wide margins, showing central datestamp of Demerara on 7 February 1851, tying the stamp at foot, with affixing paste showing through this fragile pelure paper; (SG £96'000+). One of only two covers recorded, exhibiting a "Cotton Reel" on pelure paper, both offered in this sale and displaying different types of separation: round and square. Provenance: W. J. Webster (1942) John E. du Pont (Lot 60003, David Feldman SA, June 2014) "Imperium" (Lot 30053, David Feldman SA, October 2021) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)