Selection to 5d (Single-Line Perf) with some extra shades including 1d red Smooth Paper x8 (two with the Watermark Inverted and a Die II), Rough Paper x4 & Die III x2 (one with the Watermark Inverted), 4d orange x3 (one with the Watermark Inverted), 4d lemon, 4d violet, 4d blue x2 (one with the Watermark Inverted), 4d olive and 4½d x2, variable centring, generally very fine unmounted, Cat $8500+ (£1300+, for mounted). A very desirable lot.  (43)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,750

FIRST DAY COVER: ½d green horizontal pair tied by 'SPECIAL/22FE15/SYDNEY' cds being the First Day of Issue to Fred Hagen cover with his Sydney Views red wafer seal on reverse ACSC 63y, neat typed Victoria address, a couple of small hinge remainders on the reverse hardly detract, Cat $15,000. RPSV Certificate (2023) as "earliest known postmark on the issue". The ACSC states in footnote 7 that "Three first day covers have been seen, one of which is in the ... Australia Post archival collection." Arthur Gray's world-class KGV collection did not include a ½d green FDC (having only a block of 4 on piece with FDI cancel; sold in 2015 for $595). We have not seen the other publicly-available cover, but it would have to be exquisite to top this one.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$6,000

½d green Electro 3 with the Watermark Inverted and with Clubbed Fraction Bar at Left [Pos 3R11] ACSC 63a(3)r, well-centred, Sydney '8FE16' cds cancel just intrudes on the variety, Cat $1200+ for normal. Unplated Watermark Inverted stamps are priced at ten times the price of normal stamps, so the premium for this rare combination of varieties should be significant.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

½d green Electro 3 'CA' Monogram single with Notched Lower Right Frame [Pos 3L57] ACSC 63(3)za, quite well-centred, light indistinct Queensland cds clear of the variety, Cat $8500+ for a mounted monogram single (unpriced used). All monograms from Electro 3 are scarce; used examples are very rare and should be worth a substantial premium.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,500

½d green Electro 5 with unlisted variety Substituted Cliché (Weak Right Frame) inserted in place of the Cracked Electro from Left Wattles to Kangaroo's Forearm [Pos 5L46], minor bend at upper-right hardly detracts, light Mingenew (WA) cds cancel largely clear of the variety, unlisted in the ACSC. Because the Electro 5 Substituted Clichés were inserted by Harrison, they can exist on Single Watermark paper only from his rare May 1918 printing. The only similar variety found exclusively on this rare Harrison printing is his Thin Fraction at Right retouch, Cat $15,000 used. This is the only example of a Substituted Cliché on Single Watermark paper in the Andrew Johnston collection.

Grade A- C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,500

½d green Electro 5 'JBC' Monogram strip of 3 ACSC 63(5)zb in a block of 12 (6x2; no margin at right), some hinge reinforcing including on the monogram strip, Cat $1000+ for a mounted monogram strip of 3 plus four unmounted & five mounted singles. Purchased at our auction of 10.3.2007 for $604.

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

½d yellow-green Electro 6 TS Harrison Two-Line Imprint ACSC 63G(6)za in a block of 18 (6x3) with 'Headless' Emu Retouch [Pos 6L52], 'Neckless' Emu Retouch [Pos 6L53], Crack Through King's Ear Retouched [Pos 6L54] and Eight Wattles at Right [Pos 6R49], the lower margin slightly trimmed, perf reinforcing along the lower margin & at top of the central gutter, a couple of mostly minor aging marks on the reverse, some gum disturbance and/or small hinge remainders and two upper units with tiny thins, Cat $15,000+ for the imprint block of 4 plus a premium for the shade.

Grade A-/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

½d green CTO ACSC 63w scarce block of 4 from the base of the sheet, large-part original gum, Cat $80+.

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

½d pale emerald Electro 3 Single Line Perf ACSC 64A (SG 20a) with 'MH/C' commercial perfin of Michaelis, Hallenstein & Co Melbourne (?; a number of pins missing), quite well centred, Melbourne machine cancel, Cat $900 (£650). There are approximately a dozen stamps with perfins known: an 'NZL' example sold at our auction of 28.2.2023 for $456 & an 'MM' example sold at our auction of 16.5.2023 for $600.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

½d pale emerald Electro 3 Single Line Perf with Retouched Lower-Left Corner and White Dot in Lower Right Frame [Pos 3R7] ACSC 64Ap, large-part 'BATHURS[T]/[NSW]' cds largely clear of the variety, Cat $1500. This variety was not previously confirmed as existing in Single Line Perf by the ACSC. A NSW usage location not recorded by the ACSC. 

Grade A D1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

½d pale green Electro 3 Single Line Perf with Clubbed Fraction Bar at Left [Pos 3R11] ACSC 64Br, light but slightly indistinct 'KEW/VICTORIA' cds cancel largely clear of the variety, Cat $6500 plus a premium for the scarcer shade. One of the most iconic of the Electro 3 varieties. This variety was not previously confirmed as existing in Single Line Perf by the ACSC, but should have been because it is included in the recorded mint block of 4 (the ACSC incorrectly states that this block includes variety "j" Extended NE Corner). The Stampboards Census lists only one other example of Clubbed Fraction in Single-Line Perf (#249).

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

½d pale emerald Electro 3 Single Line Perf ACSC 64A (SG 20a) with unlisted variety Missing Colour Band behind Emu's Neck [Pos 3L6], horizontal Watermark Line at top, Victoria machine cancel just clear of the variety, Cat $900+ (£650+) for normal. This variety is not listed in Dix & Rowntree (1995), but is listed in Rod Buchko's unpublished update.

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

Perkins Bacon Die Proofs in bright red on highly surfaced thin card State 2 with Lined Field & King's Nose Crooked  (125x95mm) as ACSC 70DP(12)Ba but endorsed "B" at upper-left, very fine, Cat $15,000. [Arthur Gray's examples of ACSC DP(12)Ba & (12)Bb sold for $8925 and $6500 respectively]

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$5,000

1d rosine Rough Paper Die II ACSC 72I(1)i (SG 47j), well centred, faint bend at lower-right otherwise superb unmounted, Cat $2250+ (£1500+), for mounted. A very attractive stamp of this popular and obvious shade. Michael Drury Certificate (2000) as the then ACSC 72I(1)e.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1d rosine Rough Paper horizontal Die II-I Pair punctured 'OS' ACSC 72ibb(1)i, well centred, lightly mounted, Cat $2250 just for the Die II: the ACSC doesn't price Die I-II pairs in the various shades.  

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1d plum Rough Paper ACSC 72L, unmounted, Cat $3250. Scott Starling Certificate (2024).

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1d red Die III ACSC 75 (SG 53) three quite well centred examples, one with the Watermark Inverted ACSC 75a (SG 53w), unmounted, Cat $1125 (£310+, for mounted). A superb trio. (3) 

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1½d brown Electro 9 horizontal pair [L27-28] with Cracked Electros 1) from Small '1' at Left to the Oval below 'P' of 'POSTAGE' (very early state); and 2) from Oval Below 'E' of 'POSTAGE' through Right-Hand Value Tablet ACSC 85(9)f & g, well centred, very lightly mounted, Cat $2500+. A rare multiple. Ex Arthur Gray: sold at our auction of 30.10.2015 for $906. 

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1½d brown Electro 12 left-hand pane of 60 with listed varieties ACSC 85(12)d, e, h & i plus partial Harrison Imprint, missing the upper margin over four units & some minor perf separation, the stamps are fresh & unmounted, Cat $1900+ for the varieties mounted plus 56 unmounted singles. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1½d green Electro 17 complete right pane of sixty with Cracked Electro ACSC 88(17)r Pos [17R26] but without any crack apparent on Pos [17R27] - see ACSC footnote 1 - and also with White Spot over 'S' of Australia additionally with Spots in front of Emu's Breast and in Kings Hair ACSC 88(17)vbb [Pos 17R48], a couple of minor marks & some perf separation but the stamps are fresh & unmounted, Cat $2700+ for the two varieties mounted plus 58 unmounted singles.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1½d red Electro 16 left hand pane of 60 with Shading Lines Broken Left of Crown (First State) ACSC 89(16)f Pos [16L22] plus others listed & partial Harrison Imprint, some units affected by aging marks particularly at right, Cat $1000+ for the listed varieties plus 53 singles.

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1½d red the [R26] Substituted Cliché identified by Richard Guy et al from Feather on 'T' of 'THREE' & Accent above 'C' of 'HALFPENCE', light cds of 15SE24. Unlisted in the ACSC.. Ex Arthur Gray: sold at our auction of 30.10.2015 for $193.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

2d orange with the Watermark Inverted ACSC 95a (SG 62w), bold 'JUNEE/2FE21/[NSW]' cds, Cat $5000 (£5500). The ACSC states that "approximately 20 used examples [and no mint] have been traced".

Grade A D1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

2d scarlet Electro 16 with Large White '21' Flaw in Left-Hand Value Tablet [Pos 16L4] ACSC 96(16)f, well centred, 'MELBOURNE/15SE23' cds just touching the variety, Cat $3500. The ACSC states "...extremely rare in red". An example with the cancel clear of the variety sold in our auction of 19.5.2018 for $2832.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

2d scarlet Electro 16 with Right Frame Missing behind Emu [Pos 16L56] ACSC 96(16)ma, horizontal Watermark Line at base, very light cds cancel, Cat $3500. The ACSC states "...extremely rare in red". [An early state with no sign of the Retouch to Lower-Left Corner evident]

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$800