WITHDRAWN (Image)

1840 1d Black plates 1a to 10 used (one of each), all four margins (excl. 1b just touched), all very fine (11) (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.1a GD with fine to very good margins, red MC, a few small tone patches otherwise fine (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.1a IF with fine to very large margins, faint MC, vertical crease and corner crease at right (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.1a JA left marginal with inscription “ards the RIGHT HA”, just touched at lower left, neat red MC, very fine Expertise: Cert. BPA (1974) (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.1a JG, with fine to good margins, unused, very fine and fresh (Image)

1840 1d Grey-Black pl.1a NH, good to large margins, red MC, tiny thin spot in margin caused by paper impurity drop out, very fine (Image)

The Earliest Cover from Russia Known with a Postage Stamp 1840 (Nov) Pre-philatelic letter datelined St.Petersburg, RUSSIA, bearing a straight-line “Franco” and “St.Petersburg, 10.NOV.1840” (Julian Calender), rated on reverse “61 1/2” kop and “1/8” (the rate to England via Prussia), but without any transit markings, addressed to Cox’s Hotel London, England, where it was rated “N1/8”, arriving on December 6, 1840 (Georgian Calender); it was re-addressed by the Hotel to Kearsney-Abbey and an 1840 1d black pl.1b BB was added and tied by a red Maltese Cross, bearing London ds of December 7 on reverse. An outstanding showpiece being the first Russian-origin cover bearing a postage stamp, and a unique usage of a Penny Black on a redirected cover from Russia Expertise: Cert. Holcombe (1995), BPA (2014) Estimate: £30’000-£40’000 (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.1b GL right marginal with inscription “Per Row of 12. £1..”, no margin at left, red MC, fine (Image)

1840 1d Grey-Black pl.1b MB with fine to good margins unusually cancelled by small red circle, small corner crease, fine (Image)

1840 (Sep 29) Wrapper sent locally in Edinburgh with 1840 1d black pl.1b QH, good to large margins, tied by red MC with Edinburgh bs, very fine (Image)

1840 (Aug 13) Entire from Eton with 1840 1d black pl.2 BL good to very good margins, tied by red MC with Windsor cds below, fine (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.2 FA left marginal with inscription “t to remove the Ce”, otherwise fine to good margins, faint red MC, crease in margin, fine and rare marginal example (Image)

1840 (Oct 4) Wrapper from Sunderland to London with 1840 1d black pl.2 KI, good margins, tied by red MC, reverse with despatch and arrival ds, fine (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.2 NH with fine to good margins, red MC, slightly discoloured (Image)

1840 1d black pl.2 NJ, three good even margins tied by red MC on June 1, 1840 folded entire from Paris, via London to Newcastle, the adhesive was applied on arrival June 3, tied by red MCs, and forwarded on to Darlington, an unusual and rare usage, certainly one of the first covers out of France with a postage stamp, a showpiece Expertise: Cert. Holcombe (Image)

1840 (Jun 16) OHMS entire from Edinburgh to Dingwall with 1840 1d black pl.2 RB, fine to good margins, tied by beautiful red MC, vert. crease affecting stamp, attractive and fresh (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.2 TD IMPRIMATUR, without gum as prepared, a little rubbed and creased, rare Provenance: De La Rue Imprimatur Collection (1883), Robson Lowe Imprimatur auction (1975) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014) (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.3 GG with fine to good margins, light red MC, light diagonal crease (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.3 PJ, just touched to fine margins, mint part og (toned), showing constant variety “small loop of P”, fine and rare (SG AS20a, £19’500) Expertise: Brandon (2013) (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.4 GA with fine to large margins, red MC, light internal bend and scissor cut touching G square (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.4 HC with good margins, light red MC, tiny natural paper inclusion on chin, fine (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.4 LG, touched to good margins tied by red MC on June 30, 1840 folded entire from New York to Edinburgh, carried privately across the Atlantic and franked on arrival for its onward journey, very fine and the second earliest recorded Trans-Atlantic cover bearing a postage stamps, showpiece (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.4 QC with fine to very good margins cancelled by neat red MC, very fine (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.4 TH, three margins, with lower margin showing inscription “ND SIDE of the”, tied on 1840 (Jul 2) lettersheet from London to Dublin by red MC, with Lombard St. and Dublin bs, very fine and rare usage of a marginal example on cover (Image)