ONE PENNY BLACK USED ON MAY THE 6TH, 1840 FIRST DAY USAGE 1840 Folded entire from London to Thornbury, franked 1d black, plate 1a, lettered RL, good to large margins tied by a faint bur clear strike of an orange-red Maltese cross, showing on flap a faint but legible strike of MY 6 1840 despatch cds which opens well to display; not trusting the glue, the stamp has been additionally fixed with a piece of sealing wax, two filing folds, one through adhesive, barely detract (SG £160’000) An important showpiece Expertise: Signed Raybaudi & Holcombe, cert. BPA (1995) Estimate: € 20’000 – € 30’000 (Image)

MINT PENNY BLACK PLATE SELECTION 1840 1d Black selection of plates including: Plate 1a OL right marginal with inscription “to remove the Cem”, fine even margins, cert. E. Diena (1999) Plate 1b QA good to large margins, with double “Q” variety, cert. BPA (1991) Plate 2 LH good to large margins Plate 3 PH good to very good margins, cert. RPS (1984) Plate 4 IA left marginal with inscription “D SIDE of the Letter”, close to good margins Plate 5 FL right marginal with “CE 1d Per Label. 1/-” inscription, close to large margins, toned Plate 6 CL right marginal, good margins, cert. Brandon (2002) Plate 7 QF with good margins, cert. RPS (1988) Plate 8 TG lower marginal with “rds the RIGHT HAND” marginal inscription, crease at upper left, cert. BPA (2007) Plate 9 KC, good to very good margins, slight toning, cert. P. Behr (2001) Plate 11 BA left marginal, good margins, some rust spots, cert. BPA (1974) A beautiful selection of this iconic stamp with an almost compete set of plates and the bonus of some choice marginal examples. Some with original gum. (SG £170’500+) A fantastic opportunity for the connoisseur Estimate: € 60’000 – € 70’000 (Image)