1858/60: Great Britain 1856 6 d. lilac, a used wing margin example of good colour on 1859 cover to London, cancelled at Nassau by bold strike of "A05" obliterator in black. Reverse with double arc BAHAMAS datestamp (March 21) in black with 'London / Paid' arrival in red (Apil 11). A scarce and very fine cover. Cert. RPSL (1968).rnProvenance: Collection 'Staircase', Spink, London, 8 April 1999, lot 57; Spink, London, 21-22 Oct 2004, lot 2484. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image 4) (Image)

1859 (June 10): 1 d. dull reddish lake, imperforate, a used example on thick paper, good even margins all round, neatly cancelled by part strike of the "A05" obliterator at Nassau. A fine example of a rare stamp Gi = £ 2'250. (Image 1) (Image)

1860 (April): 1 d. dull lake, imperforate, an unused complete sheet of 60 subjects (10 x 6) on thin paper, of lovely colour and full unmounted og. Position 40 shows the "Line through "S" in INTERINSULAR", Position 58 shows the "Apostrophe betweeen second "I" and "N" in INTERINSULAR". Superb and beautiful Gi = £ 3'900+.rnProvenance: Tommy Allen. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1860 (April): 1 d. dull lake, imperforate, a used example on thin paper, good to large margins all round, in a rosy shade, neatly cancelled by complete strike of the "A05" obliterator at Nassau. A rare and attractive stamp. Cert. BPA (1978) Gi = £ 1'500. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1861 (June): 1 d. lake, no wmk., rough perf. 14 to 16, an unused horizontal pair of fine colour, extremely fresh and fine, superb large part og. A rare pair. Cert. BPA (1983) Gi = £ 1'300+. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1861 (Dec): 4 d. dull rose, no wmk., perf. 14 to 16, an unused example centred to right, of good colour with "Specimen" diagonally in manuscript, unused without gum. Rare.rnProvenance: Collection T.W. Hall, RL, London, 2 June 1964; Collection Morris Ludington, Spink, London, 9 Nov 1999, lot 1131.rn (Image 1) (Image)

1861 (Dec): 4 d. dull rose, no wmk., rough perf. 14 to 16, a used example on cover to New York tied by the Nassau "A05" obliterator and by fair "New York Ship Letter / 5" charge marking (Feb 22) of arrival. Reverse with fine strike of double arc "Nassau / New Providence" datestamp in black (Feb 17). A charming cover, carried on the penultimate Northward voyage of the 'Karnak'.rnProvenance: Collection Morris Ludington, Spink, London, 9 Nov 1999, lot 1468; Grosvenor, London, 2-3 Nov 2006, lot 617. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1861 (Dec): 6 d. pale dull lilac, no wmk., rough perf. 14 to 16, an unused example of excellent colour for this stamp, tiny horizonal scissor cut in margin at base of stamp, full perfs. at left and at right, large part og. An extremely rare stamp. Cert. BPA (1974) Gi = £ 4'250. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1862: Perforation Trial on 1 dd. lake, no wmk., perf. 11 to 12½ on three outer sides, (perf. 11¾ at top, perf. 11½ at left and at right) imperforate at base, horizontally across and vertically down, positions 48-49 / 58-59, with position 58 showing "Apostrophe between second "IN" of INTERINSULAR", of wonderful fresh colour, two diagonal creases at left do not affect the appearance, large part og. with lower pair unmounted og. A very rare multiple Gi = £ 9'000. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1862 (July): 1 d. carmine-lake, an imperforate Imprimatur in a fine shade, on thick paper, clear to large margins all round and sheet marginal from right of sheet. Small trace of rubbing at top, otherwise fine, large part og. Rare.rnProvenance: Tommy Allen. (Image 1) (Image)

1862 (July): 1 d. lake, no wmk., perf. 11½, an unused example in a bright shade, fresh and very fine, large part og. A rare stamp Gi = £ 1'600.rnProvenance: Collection W.A. Frazer, Spink, London, 30 Oct 2003, lot 1031. (Image 1) (Image)

1862: De La Rue 4 d. dull rose, no wmk., perf. 11½, 12, an unused example of good centering and colour, perfs. slightly blunted at right of no significance, large part og. Rare.rnProvenance: RL, Bermuda, 15 Feb 1979, ex lot 24; Collection Morris Ludington, Spink, London, 9 Nov 1999, lot 1142; Collection 'Abaco', Grosvenor, London, 22 June 2010, lot 72. (Image 1) (Image)

1862 (July): 6 d. lavender-grey, perf. 11½, 12, a used example on 1862 cover to Portadown, Ireland endorsed 'Nassau' at lower left, tied by "A05" obliterator in black. Manuscript '5' pence credit marking in red crayon adjacent. Reverse with double arc 'Bahamas' cds (Aug 25) and Portadown arrival cds (Sept 14) in black. An extremely scarce and most attractive cover. Cert. BPA (1999).rnrn (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image 4) (Image)

1863 (May): 1 d. red, wmk. Crown CC, perf. 12½, an unused block of four of lovely colour, pos. 39-40 / 49-50, with position 40 showing the plate flaw "Scratch through "S" of INTERINSULAR", superb centering and large part og. A delightful and rare block Gi = £ 280+.rnProvenance: Collection Major T. Charlton Henry, Harmer Rooke, New York, 4-7 April 1961, lot 108; Collection H. Moreton-Black, Christie's, London, 28 Feb 1996, lot 71. (Image 1) (Image)

1863/75: 1 d. vermilion, wmk. Crown CC, perf. 12½, an unused block of four of bright colour, bend on lower pair but of superb centering and large part og. An attractive multiple Gi = £ 300+.rnProvenance: Collection Major T. Charlton Henry, Harmer Rooke, New York, 4-7 April 1961, lot 113; Collection H. Moreton-Black, Christie's, London, 28 Feb 1996, lot 73. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1863 (May): 4 d. dull rose, wnk. Crown CC, perf. 12½, an unused block of four, of lovely appearance but for surface thin on fourth stamp and gum crack on left vertical pair, fresh and fine, large part og. A delightful and most attractive multiple Gi = £ 1'600+.rnProvenance: Collection T. Charlton-Henry, Harmers, New York, 4-7 April 1961, lot 116; RL, London, 25 Sept 1979, lot 652. (Image 1) (Image)

1863 (May): 4 d. brownish rose, wmk. Crown CC, perf 12½, a used irregular block of five of excellent colour showing part of the papermaker's watermark - although this appears to be "OWN" of Crown Agents, lightly cancelled by 'Bahamas' datestamps (6 April 1876) in black. A charming and rare multiple Gi = £ 400+.rnProvenance: Collection Alfred H. Caspary, Harmers, New York, 14-15 May 1957, lot 38; Collection Morris Ludington, Spink, London, 9 Nov 1999, lot 1203. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1863 (May): 6 d. deep violet, wmk. Crown CC, perf. 12½, a used example on 1889 registered cover from Nassau to London tied by "A05" obliterator with oval 'R' in black above REGISTERED / NASSAU datestamp in red (Nov 25). Reverse with London arrival (Dec 9). Flap missing and a few imperfections but a scarce and attractive cover, ex the 'Bernardy' correspondence. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1865/76: 4 d. dull rose, wmk. Crown CC, perf. 14, an unused example, variety "Watermark Inverted", merest trace of ex hinge thin at top, large part og. Rare - unlisted in unused condition by Stanley Gibbons. Signed A. Diena. Cert. RPSL (2002) Gi = £ 1'500, the variety unpriced.rnProvenance: DF, Geneva, 30 April 2009, lot 30013. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1863: De La Rue Die Proof for the 1 s. value, printed in black on glazed white card, slightly dusty but very fine. Extremely rare.rnProvenance: Collection Morris Ludington, Spink, London, 9-10 Nov 1999, lot 1225. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1863/80: 1 s. green, wmk. Crown CC, perf. 14, a used block of twelve (4 x 3), fresh and very fine, lightly cancelled by 'Bahamas' datestamps (2 Oct 1881) in black. Charming and scarce multiple Gi = £ 360+. (Image 1) (Image)

1882: 4 d. rose, wmk. Crown CA, perf. 12, an unused example, well centred and of fine colour, unused without gum. Cert. RPSL (1972) Gi = £ 550. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1882: 1 d. scarlet vermilion, wmk. Crown CA, perf. 14, a single example and a horizontal strip of three, used on 1883 cover from Nassau to Dresden endorsed 'via Havana' tied by two strikes of the "B" obliterator in black. Reverse with 'Bahamas' despatch cds (March 13) alongside London transit and Dresden arrival cds (April 6). One stamp closed tear and the cover with weak edges, nevertheless attractive and rare.rnProvenance: Collection 'Abaco', Grosvenor, London, 22 June 2010, lot 120. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1882: 4 d. rose, wmk. Crown CA, perf. 14, an unused example of fine colour, slight gum wrinkle, part og. A scarce stamp. Cert. BPA (1980) Gi = £ 850. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1883 (Nov 20): De La Rue Colour Trials (4) for the 1 s. value, wmk. Crown CA, perf. 12, applied on De La Rue sheet prepared for "Bahamas Postage Stamps / Existing and proposed Schemes of Colours" for the 1884 issue, with the current 1882 1 d. scarlet vermilion, perf. 14, flanked by 1 s. Trial in rose ("1d.") with "This colour is so nearly that which is prescribed by the International Postal Convention for this duty that it could not well be improved upon", 1 s. Trial in yellow next to the 4 d. rose, perf. 14 ("4d."), 1 s. Trial in violet next to 1863/77 6 d. deep violet Imperforate Proof and 1 s. green, perf. 14 below. Further items removed from this archive sheet - illustrated in the "De La Rue Collection" edited by Frank Walton RDP on page 2119 but beautiful and of great rarity.rnProvenance: RL, Bermuda, 15 Feb 1979, lot 42. (Image 1) (Image)