Sydney Views: Unusually large selection by various forgers including Spiro Brothers group comprising 1d red Plate II (Clouds) x15, 2d blue Plate II x10 and 2d blue Plate III x13 including a scarce pair; others unidentified with a few commendable efforts but mostly fairly crude to laughable including 1d on bluish paper 'unused' pair, 1d in blue x2 one with impressive 'double print', 2d in black, 2d blue 'unused' pair, 2d in red-brown, etc, most of the used with various fanciful 'cancellations', but including fakes of Sydney bars, BN '1' of Melbourne & Butterfly '15' of Geelong x2; condition variable.  (109) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

Sydney Views: 1d Plate II (with Clouds) forgery by George Kirke Jeffryes recessed 'die' proof of a pair of impressions in deep carmine on high quality wove paper (70x115mm) showing the full dimensions of the die, above the left-hand unit is an engraved squiggle that could be a "G" and below in tiny upper-case letters 'A BENJAMIN'. Superb & exquisite. A must-have for the collector of forgeries. Historically, these forgeries have been attributed to Jeffryes but this piece suggests that his partner-in-crime, Alfred Benjamin, was the actual engraver. The original plate is in the possession of the RPSofL. They have made reprints in black but this is the only example in colour known to us.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

Sydney Views: 1d Plate I (No Clouds) and Plate II (with Clouds) forgeries by George Kirke Jeffryes singles in different shades of carmine, margins close to good. The critical feature that identifies the forgeries is that the star is slightly to the right of the 'T' of 'POSTAGE'. On genuine stamps, the star is directly below the 'T'. (2) 

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

Sydney Views: 1d Plate I (No Clouds) forgery by George Kirke Jeffryes horizontal pair in dull carmine, margins close to good, shallow thin at upper-left & a couple of tiny surface imperfections, 'mint' with large-part original gum. Ex George Ginger (1945) - where the estimate was £10, compared with £20 to £35 for his unused Sydney Views - and Robson Lowe Reference Collection.

Grade B/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

Sydney Views: 1d Plate I (No Clouds) forgery by George Kirke Jeffryes three singles and six horizontal pairs (one with bars cancels) all with full margins though some are close in places, all-different forged Barred Numeral cancels. A mischievous lot.  (15) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Sydney Views: 1d Plate II (Clouds) forgery by George Kirke Jeffryes four singles and four horizontal pairs (one with bars cancels) all with full margins though some are close in places, various forged Barred Numeral cancels. More mischief.  (12)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

Sydney Views: 1d Plate I (No Clouds) forgery by George Kirke Jeffryes three singles on a genuine 1864 cover from 'CHILTERN/VICTORIA' (backstamp) to Melbourne (faint arrival in red), fake bars cancels & a fanciful '62'-in-oval-of-bars in red below, a little soiled. Nice item. Sold at our auction of 23.2.2013 for $414. Ex Robson Lowe Reference Collection. [The illustration is above Lot 194] 

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

Sydney Views: Unknown forger 2d blue composite of Plate II (Vertical Background) and Plate III (Dated Bale & Dots in Corner Stars) horizontal strip of 4 with good even margins & virtually complete outer framelines; and 3d dull green with No Clouds and fanciful outer framelines; both on thin wove paper, 'unused'. Scarce multiples.  (2 items)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

Sydney Views: Unknown forger 2d blue & 3d yellow-green both featuring a European medieval city (!) and with 'AUSTR' for 'AUST' error irregular blocks of 11 or 10 both on thin wove paper with Spiro-like 'NSW'-in-concentric ovals or deformed bars cancels respectively. Scarce multiples that suggest the format was a miniature sheet of 16 (4x4).  (2 blocks)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Laureates: Range on Hagners with Jeffryes group including 'unused' pairs of the 1d vermilion x3 (one 'used'), 1d brown-red x2 (one 'used' on piece) & 2d slate x3 (one 'used'), 6d 'used' x7 on white or bluish paper, etc, good selection of forged Barred Numeral ancels; also Spiro duplicated group with 3d x11, 6d x6 & 8d orange x3, crude 'REGISTERED' (6d) x12; etc, condition variable.  (109) (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

Laureates: Panelli/Oneglia group comprising 1d shades x16 including a proof & a couple on Bluish Paper, 2d x4, 3d x8 and 8d x7, dangerous forgeries but they are unwatermarked and many have improbably large margins (those with close margins being quite convincing to the untrained eye), most are very fine.  (35)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

Laureates: Forgery by George Kirke Jeffryes 'progressive die proof' in black on thick wove paper (103x159mm) showing the full dimensions of the die, the impression surmounted by Jeffryes' trademark of an arm holding a shepherd's crook (how appropriate!), a few minor damp spots and the paper with even overall aging still an attractive artefact.

Grade C (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

Laureates: Forgeries by George Kirke Jeffryes engraved 'die proof' of two horizontal impressions on thin wove paper of the 1d in vermilion x2 (shades, both with Double-Lined Numeral '1' watermark), 1d in brown-red & 2d in slate-grey (with Printer's Guide Marks at the sides), all with huge even margins. A delightful group.  (4 items)

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

Laureates: 1852 & 1853 genuine entires to London "pMaitland" or "per Pelham" each with Sydney backstamp, both with Jeffryes 1d x3 in different shades of brown-red tied by different fake cancels, both with vertical filing folds the first clear of the stamps, the other with the middle stamp creased to match the fold (a nice touch!).  (2)

Grade B/C (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

Laureates: Van Dyke 'reprints' including 2d large-part reconstruction of 35/50 positions and a defective sheet of 50 with large-part imprint, 6d blocks of 15 & 20 in different shades, 8d blue blocks of 6 and 20 with the full 'ENGRAVED BY HC JERVIS PITT ST SYDNEY' imprint, and 'used' 8d blue & 8d yellow.  (163)

Estimate AU$400

Laureates: Van Dyke 'reprints' complete sheets of 50 (10x5) of the 8d in blue and of the 8d in orange-yellow both with the full 'ENGRAVED BY HC JERVIS PITT ST SYDNEY' imprint, and 6d two complete sheets of 25 (5x5) in different shades of brown, all very fine.  (4 sheets)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

Diadems: Group identified as mostly by Spiro Brothers but of a better standard than their Laureates with Imperf 5d x5, 6d in an array of shades x16, 8d x7 and 1/- x18, a handful of perforated values, also an annotated page of modern facsimiles of unfinished die proofs; then back to their usual crude standard with 5/- Coin imperf x20 (including a block of 8) and perf x2; condition variable but generally fine to very fine most of the imperfs with full margins.  (94) (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

Diadems: Imperf 1d block of 16 (4x4) in the issued orange-vermilion shade as SG 107 being a facsimile of Arthur Dutton's Trial Rouletting with printed rouletting obvious between rows three & four, the paper cleverly aged & a few small stains added to give it more than a hint of respectability, Cat £7200++, for singles, if it was genuine. A very dangerous piece of work.

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Diadems: Panelli/Oneglia group comprising 5d x9 (one 'unused), 6d x4, 8d x5 and 1/- x3 (carelessly in the colour of the Perf 13 1/- SG 170), dangerous forgeries but they are unwatermarked and most have improbably large margins, most are very fine..  (21) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Centennial: 2d Emu postal forgery by Takuma in an unusually pale shade on unwatermarked paper Perf 11, minor corner crease, light 'GEORGE ST WEST' cds.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250