1840 VR 1d black OK, unused without gum, good to large margins all round, a bright and most attractive example of this very rare official; cert BPA (1998) (S.G. £20'000). (Image)

1840 VR 1d black MB, unused without gum, good even margins all round, a bright and most attractive example of this very rare official; cert Holcombe (1989) (S.G. £20'000). (Image)

1840 VR 1d black SH (re-entry), a fine "unused" example used by Rowland Hill for cancellation removal experiments showing traces of red ink, a major rarity of which very few are recorded, an exhibition show piece. Note: This example is almost certainly from the Rowland Hill estate which was bought by Philbrick and then sold to Ferrary, see the GB Journal articles written about this stamp by Dr John Horsey and Karl Louis volumes 47 and 48 respectively- (Image)

Inland Revenue: 1890 5s rose DD "IR Official" overprinted "SPECIMEN" type 11, mint o.g., fine and scarce. (Image)

Inland Revenue: 1890 5/- rose LC "IR Official", a superb used example beautifully cancelled by perfectly struck thimble NO 12 1901 cds, exceptional in this quality; cert. BPA (2007) (S.G. £2'500). (Image)

Inland Revenue: 1890 5/- Rose I.R. Official, white paper, ME-NH, a magnificent mint NH corner block of eight from the lower right corner of the sheet, beautifully rich fresh colour; folded vertically through the perforations between MF and MG and MG-MH rows in no way affecting the fine appearance of this stunning departmental block, an exhibition showpiece. Cat. £96,000 as unused singles which doesn't take into account the premium for unmounted mint and rarity of such a large multiple. Photocopy of cert. Michael Astley (2005). Provenance: Ex De La Rue Archives (Robson Lowe auction on 30th April 1976 in their Rarities auction entitled ‘G.B. in Geneva’) (Image)

Inland Revenue: 1890 10s ultramarine I.R. Official, white paper, CE-DG, a magnificent mint og block of six (four stamps Mint NH), beautifully rich fresh colour; CG and DE with a couple of light diagonal creases, never the less in no way affecting the fine appearance of this stunning departmental block, an exhibition showpiece. Cat. £69,000 as unused singles which doesn't take into account the premium for the four unmounted mint and rarity of such a large multiple. Photocopy of cert. Michael Astley (2005). Provenance: Ex De LA Rue Archives (Robson Lowe auction on 30th April 1976 in their Rarities auction entitled ‘G.B. in Geneva’) (Image)

Inland Revenue: 1892 £1 green I.R. Official, a wonderfully fresh mint n.h. vertical strip of three from the upper right corner of the sheet lettered AD-CD, mounted in the margin only, AD with light diagonal crease though in no way affecting the very fine appearance of this stunning multiple of exhibition quality (S.G. £37'500 as single unused examples, which doesn't take into account the premium for unmounted mint and the rarity of such a large multiple). Provenance: Ex De LA Rue Archives (Robson Lowe auction on 30th April 1976 in their Rarities auction entitled ‘G.B. in Geneva’) (Image)

Inland Revenue: 1902-04 5s bright carmine "I.R Official", a magnificent marginal mint large part o.g. example from the top left corner showing variety raised stop after R, a superb example of this major rarity; cert. RPS (2011). (Image)

Office of Works: 1902 10d. dull purple and carmine O.W. Official, mint n.h. block of four from the top left corner of the sheet, a fantastic multiple of exhibition quality and the finest of the two recorded blocks in private hands. (S.G. £29'000 as single unused examples, which doesn't take into account the premium for unmounted mint and the rarity of such a large multiple), cert BPA (1974) and photocopy of cert. Astley (2005). Provenance: Ex De La Rue Archives (Image)

Army Official: 1902 6d pale dull purple with type O6 overprint, mint, cert. RPS (1986) (S.G. £2'800). (Image)

Army Official: 1902 6d pale dull purple with type O6 overprint, used, couple of toned perfs, fine (S.G. £1'600). (Image)

Government Parcels: 1883-86 9d. dull green and 1/- orange brown overprinted "SPECIMEN" and mounted on page from presentation book, This actual item is from the Specimens of Adhesive Stamps Great Britain 1885 book presented to Mr Mulock who was the Director (head) of the Confidential Enquiry Branch at the General Post Office. and was a member of the joint committee of postage stamps appointed by the Postmaster General. (Image)

Government Parcels: 1900 1s green & carmine with inverted overprint, used with the typical Mount Pleasant roller obliteration, very fine and very rare, with only 12 examples recorded of which at least five are damaged, cert. RPS (1958) (S.G. £15'000). (Image)

Board of Education: 1902 5d. dull purple and blue, a wonderfully fresh mint NH block of four from the top of the sheet, a fantastic multiple of exhibition quality (S.G. £23'000 as single mint examples, which doesn't take into account the premium for unmounted mint and the rarity of such a large multiple). Provenance: Ex De La Rue Archives (Image)

Board of Education: 1902 1/- dull green and carmine, a wonderfully fresh mint NH block of four from the top of the sheet, a fantastic multiple of exhibition quality and one of the most important pieces of all the departmental issues (S.G. £48'000 as single unused examples, which doesn't take into account the premium for the unmounted mint and rarity of such a large multiple). Provenance: Ex De La Rue Archives (Image)