BISHOP MARK COLLECTION INC. CLARET-RED EXAMPLE & SOME HIGHER POSTAL RATES: 1691-1786 E/ELs with poor to very fine Bishop marks as well as a few higher postal rates and/or extra charges, such as a 1771 EL from London to Biddenden, Kent pre-paid 1/8 plus 3d local delivery in Kent, scarce 1777 EL with claret-purple Bishop and matching POST PAID, etc. Attractive lot with many neat Bishops, one most unusually struck on the address-side and one cover with two different Bishop Marks. (12 covers) (Image)

1700-08 RANGE: Small group inc. 1702 EL to Aston, Cheshire ex Warrington endorsed "Warrington Bagg", with partial "MR/3"(?) Bishop Mark and indistinct hs "?B", both in black; 1704 EL to Dublin ex London with fair (blurred) "JA/13" Bishop Mark and partial "YEO" circular handstamp, both in black on reverse; and 1708 EL to Hythe with partial "NO/13" Bishop Mark and fine "MO" circular handstamp, both in black on reverse; plus other related examples. (12) (Image)

1723-27 GROUP: Small range inc. 9 Mar. 1724 EL to Penrith ex The Bell Tavern, Westminster, with fine "9/MA" Bishop Mark and fine "LU" Receiver's Mark in (faint) circle, both in black; and 14 Apr. 1724 EL to Durham with fair mainly partial "14/AP" Bishop Mark and poor "H(?)C" circular Receiver's Mark on reverse, both in black; plus other less-fine examples. (6) (Image)

18th CENTURY ENGLISH TOWN MARKS: 1736-85 mostly ELs, some Es, with poor to very fine town marks, Bishop marks and a few red London POST/PAID circles, partly fine 1736 READING (crease), 1768 EL with a very fine straight line ENFIELD, mainly fine 1751 TEWKES/BURY, mainly fine scarce “136 SOMER/TON” 1st-Type Mileage, a 1739 EL from Bozeat, Northamptonshire to London with an albino (? NEWPORT/PAGNEL, Bucks.) town mark, etc. (12 covers) (Image)

RECEIVING HOUSE INITIALS: The balance of a collection of circular initial handstamps on E/ELs, dating from 1762-1784. Some duplication of marks, but inc. 17 Apr. 1766 E to Lincoln with v. fine "17/AP" Bishop Mark and fine "TI" circular hs on reverse, both in black; 13 July 1779 part E to Coventry with v. fine "13/JY" Bishop Mark and fine/fair "F" circular hs on reverse, both in black; and 21 May 1781 EL to Horsham with "21/MA" Bishop Mark (2 - one partial, one fair) & fair "EH" Receiver's Mark on reverse, all in black; plus other similar examples. (16) (Image)

PRESTAMP MAIL INC. FREE PAIR EX ITALY, 4d-POST EX SCOTS ISLAND, "BRADFORD/Y" TRIO, ETC.; 1785-1839 group inc. 1785/1800 trio of "BRADFORD/Y" types, 1805 London h.s. "In All", bright blue "MINTLAW" boxed mileage, 21 Dec. 1839 EL ex "[Island of] Easdale" posted at Uniform 4d-rate ex "OBAN", 1834/5 pair to London/Dublin ex "MESSINA"/"ROMA" and sent free (rare ex Italian States), 1839 much-travelled EL to France with scarce "NEW PITSLIGO", and 1833/9 trio of printed reports listing many sailings by the Irish Sea Packet ships. Great variety. (12 covers + 3 reports)Cross Reference: YORKSHIRE, IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY, SCOTLAND, FREE MAIL (Image)

THE RARE LARGE "1" & "2" R.H. MARKS OF "ALDERSe ST" (1 & 2), "FLEET/StS" AND "W-HALL/Et.": 1795/7 EL/Es - very scarce group of these short-lived marks, all different: "ALDERSe/St1", "ALDERSe/St2", "FLEET/StS-1" and "W-HALL/Et2". Mainly fine strikes: one prepaid plus three with m/s "1" rates. (4 covers)Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

1796-1838 BOXED RECEIVER'S HOUSE MARKS INC. 4 IN RED: Small accumulation of E/ELs inc. 1809(?) E to Monmouth with fine clean "C-F E/3/809" double-ring hs and v. fine boxed "Wimpole/Street" hs on reverse, both in black; 17 Jan. 1832 EL to Sherborne, Dorset ex Aylesbury, Bucks. rated red ms "9" (2 - one faint and one v. bold), with v. fine red "PAID/[date]/1832" cds and fine (faint) red boxed "277 OXFORD/STREET" hs, both on front; 25 July 1833 EL to Wendover, Hants. ex London, rated black ms "8", with fine "U/[date]/1833" cds and fine boxed "NEWINGTON/CAUSEWAY" hs on reverse, both in black; and 18 Oct. 1836(? - date partially omitted) E to Romsey, Hants. rated red ms "8", endorsed black ms "P.P." on front lower left corner, with partial fine "PAID/[date]183?" cds on front and very fine boxed "MARGARET ST" hs on reverse, plus other similar and less-fine examples. (39 covers) (Image)

ENGLISH/WELSH PRE-STAMP/STAMPLESS MAIL: 1799-1852 range of E/ELs inc. 21 Dec. 1801 EL to Carnarvon but with ms "Mifent to" next to "WREXHAM/[202]" hs on front; 26 July 1830 EL to London with Skeleton cds and "ST NOETS (sic.)" (misspelling of St. Neots") hs on reverse, both in red; and 5 May 1840 (last day of use!) E to Cornwall bearing "S Audley St/1py P Paid", boxed "D/PAID/5 MY 5/1840" and faint "Sth Audley St S.O." h.s.'s on front; plus other related examples. (112 covers) (Image)

ECLECTIC MIX INC. FREELING LETTER EX "PRINCESS OLIVE", 1840 ROADS BOOK & PRINTED PATENT DRAWINGS; 1815-c.1980 lot inc. 1815/21 pair of letters (no wrappers) to Francis Freeling - ex a vicar who admitted to sending letters illegally in parcels and offering £1 in penance(!) - and from "[Princess] Olive" (the famous 'Royal' fraud, Olivia Serres) ref. her lawsuit, scarce 1840 200-page "OWEN'S NEW BOOK OF ROADS" (inc. 8pp ref. railways & a neat map of principal roads/railways), autographs/letters of "Charles Hawtrey", "Hyp[polyte] Lucas" (Donizetti's librettist), George Lamb, radical essayist "Leigh Hunt" etc. Plus fake Mauritius front with 1d+2d "POST OFFICE" stamps, and six 1836 "REPERTORY OF PATENT INVENTIONS" magazine articles with unusual printed engineering drawings (horseshoes, navigation vessels, wood veneer, and an early railway carriage (of "DUBLIN & KINGSTOWN RAILWAY"), etc. (20 items)Cross Reference: AUTOGRAPHS (Image)

QV MIX - BLACK PLATE 1d RED, UNUSED 2d MULREADY, CLOTH-COVERED DUPLEX, 1d RED ON NPAPER, ETC.; 1840-c.1900 lot inc. dusty unused 2d Mulready env. (a209), off-cover AA 4m 1d Red with MX, 1869 1d Red pair tied to env. by fine rare cloth-covered "BRISTOL/134" Duplexes, 1875 newspaper to Derby with 1d Red tied by London dotted "NPB", 1842 DLO wrapper & 6 spectacular 1d Lilac returned covers, and five 1840/63 printed Reports ref. Irish maritime mails. (14 covers, 1 stamp & 7 reports/maps)Cross Reference: 1841 1d REDS, MULREADY STATIONERY & PROPAGANDA COVERS, BRISTOL, YORKSHIRE (Image)