Great Britain and British Commonwealth Malayan Region
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1860
Symbol:C
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS: 1878 cover to London with Queensland Chalons 6d apple-green pair tied by Indian-pattern 'B/172' cancel & a second very fine strike at lower-left obliterating a 'SINGAPORE/UNPAID' cds that was applied in error, rectified with 'SINGAPORE/ D /AP18/78/PAID' cds in red with a better strike on the reverse plus a superb '1'-in-circle h/s also in red, roughly opened at the base with a professionally repaired tear that intrudes on the address but is almost imperceptible from the face, light vertical stain. A wonderful cover, being the only recorded Queensland loose letter cancelled with a Bengal Circle numeral. Ex Dale Forster. Ben Palmer's Census at page 235.
The enclosed 6pp octavo social letter is headed "Townsville/30 March 1878". Presumably the cover was posted shipside & carried per 'Bowen' ex Brisbane 28.3.1878, arrived Singapore 15.4.1878. Without a British arrival datestamp, it is uncertain if it was forwarded per 'Geelong', which departed Singapore 18.4.1878, or if it was held unril 11.5.1878 & carried per 'Nizam'.
Ted Proud recorded three similar B/172 cancels. This is his type K6, with straight top serif on the '1'. He states that K6 was transferred to Penang by 1874. This cover suggests that to be an error, or that the numeral had been returned from Penang to Singapore. The '1'-in-circle h/s on the reverse is not recorded by Proud for Singapore or Penang: it's significance or purpose is not clear to us.
MALAYSIA: 1990s issues comprising 1992 Coral strip of 5, 1993 Kingfisher pairs, 1996 Pitcher Plant pairs and 1998 Rare Fruits pairs all with Double or Triple Prints, also Perlis 1979 Flowers 1c with Black Printing (Sultan & Inscriptions) Printed Five Times, unmounted. No it's not your eyes playing-up!
LABUAN: 1885-86 Crown CA Wmk 10c brown & 16c grey with 'SPECIMEN' overprints SG 32s & 33s and 1892-93 No Wmk 2c, 6c, 8c, 12c & 40c with 'SPECIMEN' h/s in black plus Overprints on North Borneo 1894-96 Pictorials, 1895 Surcharges, 1896 Arms, 1896 Jubilee, 1897-1901 Pictorials, 1899 '4 CENTS' Surcharges (including the unissued 1c 2c & 3c; the 24c faulty), 1900-02 Pictorials New Colours and 1902-03 Colony Arms all with 'SPECIMEN' overprints SG 62s-128s (ex 96s), affixed to two album pages, condition generally very fine, Cat £1700 approx for the listed Specimen overprints mint. Ex Sweden UPU Specimen Collection.
LABUAN: 1885-86 Crown CA Wmk Perf 14 2c red, 8c violet, 10c brown & 16c grey with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type D12) SG 30s-33s, large-part original gum, a couple with hinge remainders and/or minor aging marks, still unusually fine for this difficult set, Cat £550.
NORTH BORNEO: 1888-92 Arms ½c to $1 SG 36-47, 1889 Arms $5 & $10 (small surface rub) SG 49 & 50 and 1894 Pictorials SG 66-79 issued stamps plus 1894 Arms, 1895 Surcharges, 1895-97 'POSTAGE DUE' overprints, 1897-1902 Pictorials (ex 16c) & Corrected Inscriptions, 1899 '4/CENTS' Surcharges (including the unissued 1c 2c & 3c) and 1901-05 'BRITISH/PROTECTORATE' overprints to 50c all with 'SPECIMEN' overprints SG 81s-140s (ex 107s), affixed to two album pages, condition generally very fine, Cat £2300+ for mint. Ex Sweden UPU Specimen Collection.
NORTH BORNEO: 1894 Pictorials 1c to 24c set SG 66-79 simplified with 'SPECIMEN' h/s (Bendon Type TUN1) and 1894 Arms 25c to $10 set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Type NB2) SG 81s-86s, affixed to album page. The Pictorials were distributed unoverprinted in December 1893 (two months prior to issue on 1.2.1894) and handstamped on receipt. Ex Tunisia UPU Specimen Collection.
NORTH BORNEO: 1894 Arms 25c to $10 set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type NB2) SG 81s-86s and 1895 Surcharges on $1 Arms set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Type NB3) SG 87s-91s, most are lightly mounted with large-part original gum, a few with minor gum tropicalisation, Cat £260.
NORTH BORNEO: 1897-1902 Pictorials 1c to 24c set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type NB4; the 4c with NB5) SG 92s-109s, most are lightly mounted, a few with minor gum tropicalisation, Cat £325.
NORTH BORNEO: 1897 Pictorials Corrected Inscriptions 18c & 24c with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type NB4) SG 110s & 111s vertical strips of 5, unmounted & superb, Cat £275+. Gibbons does not distinguish between perforations in the Specimen overprints; the 18c is Perf 14½-15 (the 'normal' perf) but the 24c is Perf 13½-14 (which is priced at double the issued stamp).
NORTH BORNEO: 1897 Pictorials Corrected Inscriptions Perf 14½-15 18c black & green & Perf 13½-14 24c blue & lake with locally-applied 'SPECIMEN.' h/s (dot after 'N'; Bendon Type NB1) Inverted on the 18c, small hinge remainders, plus each with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Type NB4) SG 110s & 111s for comparison (the 24c with a small thin).
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1872
Symbol:*
Cat No:112s-124s
NORTH BORNEO: 1899 '4/CENTS' Surcharges on Pictorials & Arms set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type NB5) SG 112s-124s, most are lightly mounted, a couple with small hinge remainders, the $10 with small aging mark on gum, Cat £250.
NORTH BORNEO: 1899 '4/CENTS' Surcharges on Arms 25c to $10 SG 118-124 optd 'SPECIMEN' strips of 4 or 5 to 4c on 24c and strips of 3 of the 4c on $5 & 4c on $10 each unit with 'ULTRAMAR' handstamp in blue, unmounted. Ex Portuguese Colonial Archives. Rare multiples. [The 8c is absent]
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1874
Symbol:**
Cat No:158s-177s
NORTH BORNEO: 1909-23 Pictorials 1c to 24c set plus '20/CENTS' on 18c Banteng & 'THREE/CENTS' on 4c Sultan all with 'SPECIMEN' overprints SG 158s-177s & 276s, the Surcharges with minor gum blemishes, all appear to be unmounted, Cat £455 for mounted.
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1875
Symbol:*
Cat No:178s-183s
NORTH BORNEO: 1911 Arms 25c to $10 set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type NB7) SG 178s-183s, the $5 & $10 with some gum toning, large-part original gum, a few with small hinge remainders, Cat £375.
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1877
Symbol:*
Cat No:262s var.
NORTH BORNEO: 1922 'MALAYA-BORNEO/EXHIBITION.' overprint with Stop After 'N' 8c deep rose-lake with 'SPECIMEN' overprint (Bendon Type NB10) SG 262s variety, lightly mounted, slight gum tropicalisation, Cat £100 without the Specimen overprint.
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1878
Symbol:*
Cat No:295s-302s
NORTH BORNEO: 1931 British North Borneo Company Anniversary 1c to $5 set with 'SPECIMEN' overprints (Bendon Type W4) SG 295s-302s, lightly mounted, a few with some gum tropicalisation, Cat £400.
Sale No: 250
Lot No:1880
Symbol:**/*
Cat No:335s-349s
NORTH BORNEO: 1947 Crown Colony Pictorials 1c to $5 set with 'SPECIMEN' punctures SG 335s-349s, all very fine unmounted except the 8c which is lightly mounted, Cat £325.