1854 4a blue and red, 4th printing, Head Die III, Frame Die II, cut-to-shape, franked on re-directed 1856 envelope by 'B/1' octagonal, annotated 'Via Southampton/March 22nd/No 3', 'INDIA/PAID' boxed h/s in red and London 'MY 4/1856' transit below', the reverse with red dispatch cds, Blair Atholl (5.5) arrival and re-directed Dunkeld (5.6) arrival ds both in green. An attractive cover. SG 23 (Image)

1865 entire to Scotland bearing 2 x 8p, 2 x 1a, 2a and 8a tied by indistinct Bombay CDSs, Falkirk arrival on reverse, filing creases still an attractive 4-colour franking, plus another from the same correspondence, entire with major faults including stamps removed. (2) (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1940 Taxed cover from Agra to Barbados with strip of three Barbados 1d Postage Dues applied on arrival, scarce route (Image)

1941 (6 Apr), First Pigeon Post from Kalyan to Bombay, printed envelope showing silhouette of pigeon franked by 1932-36 1a3p mauve 'SERVICE' overprint tied by 'KALYAN /6 APR/1941/FIRST PIGEON MISSIVE' wavy-line machine cancel, sideways boxed Bombay G.P.O. same-day hs at left; envelope is sealed and will probably contained the issued booklet. Very fine (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1830s to 1940s assortment of covers, wrappers, entires and postal stationary, we note: sampling of pre-stamp entires with 'INDIA LETTER' marks, 1850s to 1870s covers franked with array of East India issues with 1859 cover bearing 4a black addressed to Reunion with Mauritius Packet Letter h/s, quantity of Feudatory States with strength in Bhopal, Cochin and Travancore, mixed condition; still an interesting lot for the postal historian, with many colourful frankings and marks.

POSTAL HISTORY: QV to QEII accumulation of mainly commercial envelopes, contained in a carton, including registered, assorted rates, airmail and instructional markings, careful inspection will reward. (hundreds)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1943 Prisoner of War envelope from Major Thomas O'Donnell held in POW camp in Korea, to his family in India. Indian and Japanese censor marks on the face, redirected on arrival with transit markings on reverse. Fine and scarce (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1893-1951 selection of envelopes/cards including 1893 stationery envelope ½a uprated by 2a ultramarine both cancelled by Calcutta squared circle and straight-line 'STEAMER' hs in blue, 1900 stationery ½a green the reverse with 'DETAINED/LATE FEE NOT PAID' hs in violet, 1907 Minto Fete real photographic picture postcard franked with 3p grey with 'MINTO FETE' red hs, 1915 stampless envelope with Base Office double-ring ds and double-line 'On Active Service/ Hospital Ship "Loyalty"' in purple, 1935 envelope with 'QUETTA EARTHQUAKE POSTAGE FREE' hs; also seven envelopes with various promotional/propaganda labels with 1950 registered envelope bearing 'Customs label'. Generally fair to fine. A most interesting lot. (19) (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: QV to QEII selection of airletters, envelopes, postcards and postal stationery with registered, contained in a half carton, including more interesting censored, FPOs and Prisoner of war. Condition variable. (100+)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1857-83 selection of envelopes comprising ½a blue (16), 1a brown (2, one with a strip of three and the other with additional 4a blue-green, 4a black (2, one with a vertical pair) and 8a carmine; also Officials with 1866 1a brown overprinted 'SERVICE' and 1883 'OHMS' 1a brown. Condition very mixed. (23) (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1929 Airmail issue selection of seven envelopes with different rates and destinations, etc, including 1931 long envelope inscribed 'Karachi-London' franked with 2a, 8a KGV head, 1931 Inauguration of New Delhi 1r and GB ½d, 1d, all cancelled by double-ring Karachi, 'Mit Luftpost befördert/Flughafen Nürnberg/Fürth' and 1933 cover franked with 12a and ½a KGV head cancelled very neat 'LATE FEE PAID/17/JULY 1933/BOMBAY FOREIGN' large oval double-ring ds; also similar postal stationery envelopes with 8a purple (4, one uprated and another with Czechoslovakia postage dues) and 7½a on 8a (4, two uprated). Condition mainly fair to fine. An interesting lot. (15) (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1841-64 selection of five stampless entire/entire letters comprising 1840 and 1841 both to Scotland and bearing 'INDIA' in oval hs, the latter with 'BENARES' boxed hs, 1851 to Bengal with 'CALCUTTA/SHIP LETTER' boxed hs and 1857 to Nantes, France with boxed 'INDIA UNPAID' hs. Condition mixed. (5) (Image)

POSTAL STATIONERY: 1879-1982 well written up (in German) specialised collection arranged in six volumes, contained in a carton, including Die Proof/Essay with Postal Card 1902 'QUARTER ANNA' affixed to card from the day book inscribed 'May 27/200 leads'(48mm x 52mm), 1912 ¼a affixed to card from the day book inscribed 'Feb 26/150 leads' ((55mm x 55mm), 1921 ½a modified 1912 ¼a inscribed '4th March 21' (89mm x 113mm), Envelope 1891 'HALF ANNA' stamped '12 MAY 91' (93mm x 60mm), 1903 'ONE ANNA' in orange stamped '27 AUG 03' and 'BEFORE HARDENING' (56mm x 56mm) and in black stamped '31 AUGUST 03', 'AFTER HARDENING' and initialled (56mm x 56mm), 1913 'HALF ANNA' reversed image affixed to card from the day book inscribed '½ Anna Postage/Emboss. P6/Oct 30. 3 leads' (55mm x 61mm), 1921 ½a modified 1912 ¼a inscribed '4th March 21' (90mm x 114mm) and Newspaper Wrapper 1895 Progressive stamped '17 JUL 94', 'BEFORE HARDENING' and inscribed 'No 59/Original die for Newspaper Wrappers' (92mm x 60mm), 'HALF ANNA' (52mm x 59mm) and 'ONE ANNA' (55mm x 57mm) both affixed to cards from the day book inscribed 'Oct 17. 40 leads' and 'Oct 11 94', 1922 'HALF ANNA' stamped 'AFTER STRIKING' and inscribed 21.7.22' and also including many used with some uprated and a selection of printing errors and varieties. A superb collection with many exhibition quality items. Generally good to fine. (hundreds) (Image)

POSTAL STATIONERY: QV to QEII large accumulation of unused and used mainly commercial mail some identified, contained in one and a half cartons, including registered, assorted rates with many uprated, airmail, censored, maritime and instructional markings; range of airletters with WWII Christmas types (3, all different internal illustrations) and Minto Fete postal stationery card. Careful inspection will reward. (thousands)

1925 'Delhi Specimen' essays group produced as samples of stamp production in India before the opening of the Nasik press, an unmounted mint selection comprising 2a in shades of brown (3), vermilion (2, one mounted) and indigo (2) and 1r with frames in brown and different centre colours (4, one mounted), greenish grey and chestnut (mounted), red-brown and yellowish green and reddish orange and grey. Mostly fine to very fine. A fine group. (14) (Image)

1948 (15 Aug) Gandhi Commemoration two sets to 10r in individual Memorial presentation folders bearing 'BANARAS' and 'CALCUTTA G.P.O.' day of issue oval ds respectively. Very fine. SG 305/7 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1866 2a purple on thick blue glazed paper, surcharge type O2 ''SERVICE / TWO ANNAS'' horizontal pair, large part o.g; very fine examples of this scarce provisional. BPA Certificate (2021) SG O15 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1866 2a purple on thick blue glazed paper, surcharge type O2 ''SERVICE / TWO ANNAS'', used cancelled with numeral ''47'' duplex, for Peshawar, light diagonal bend, still really fine for this issue. BPA Certificate (2021) SG O15

OFFICIAL: 1866 2a purple on thick blue glazed paper, surcharge type O2 ''SERVICE / TWO ANNAS'', lightly struck by Umritsur duplex dated 1866, minor marginal blemish, still fine for this stamp. BPA Certificate (2021) SG O15 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1866 2a purple, provisional opt ''SERVICE POSTAGE'' type O3 on fiscal, lightly cancelled by type 12 '2' Madras Suburban mark, slight bend at foot and some perf irregularities, still a pleasing and very collectable example of this stamp. BPA Certificate (2021), SG O16 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1866 8a purple, provisional opt ''SERVICE POSTAGE'' type O4 on fiscal, lightly used by duplex, some faults with crease and surface abrasions; still a very presentable of this key rarity, which is much scarcer in used condition than mint. BPA Certificate (2021), SG O18, £13,000 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1866 4a purple, provisional opt ''SERVICE POSTAGE'' type O4 on fiscal, used on small fragment, lightly cancelled by duplex dated 1869, crease at top and some surface rubbing, still a most collectable example of this scarce provisional issue. BPA Certificate (2021) SG O17 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1866 ½a mauve on lilac paper, opt ''SERVICE POSTAGE'' used trio, (with one on fragment O.H.M.S. piece), some small faults, still a very presentable group, each with accompanying BPA Certificates (2021), SG O19 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1874 red telegram envelope addressed to 'His Highness the Rajah of Vencathagherry franked with 1867-71 ½a blue 'SERVICE' overprint tied by Nellore duplex, 'TOO LATE' boxed hs below, the reverse with Nellore 'JL 24' despatch and Vencathagherry 'JUL 25' arrival ds; some minor faults. A most unusual item. SG O20 (Image)

OFFICIAL: 1925 2r surcharge (Type O13), on KGV 10r green and scarlet, error of surcharge on the wrong stamp, unused with small traces of gum and toned, still a key rarity, one of only 96 to have been surcharged. BPA Certificate (2021) SG O104, £5000 (Image)