1915 (March) commercial cover front to New Britain Corporation in Sydney with NWPI Kangaroos 2½d x3 (all damaged before being affixed) tied by two strikes of the straight-line 'Station Kieta' h/s in blue & overstruck with three of four strikes of the 'TULAGI/28MR15/BRITISH SOLOMON IDS' cds, part of the reverse still present with Sydney arrival b/s of 8AP15, vertical folds at left. A very rare cover: fine strikes of the postmark on loose stamp are worth $500+. [We have never seen usage of any other stamp with this marking, suggesting that at the time only the 2½d had been allocated to Kieta]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

1915 (Feb 19) Forces use of German PPC ('Neu-Pommern - Bismarck Archipel'; photos of naked children & women) to Victoria with KGV 1d tied by a light but obvious strike of the 'STEPHANSORT/  13/ * ' "frozen" cds in blue, superb '3rd Batt N and M Forces/Trop Unit' handstamp in violet & endorsed "Censored/Capt", minor faults. Message carelessly dated "19.2.14" states "What my neighbours are like in my new home".

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1915 (Nov 16) philatelic cover registered to Australia with 6d blue type b/c block of 4 with central Rabaul cds and another very fine strike alongside, German New Guinea registration label and 'PASSED-BY-CENSOR' straight-line handstamp on face, Sydney '-4DE15' transit backstamp, the upper-right stamp with a slightly rounded corner otherwise very fine. Ex David Hopper.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1916 (July 17) cover to Copenhagen, Denmark endorsed "per SS Matunga via Sydney" with ½d green type a & Kangaroo 2d grey type c tied by largely very fine 'RABAUL' cds (dot at base), not censored, a couple of very minor blemishes. The foreign letter rate was 2½d per ½oz; the ½d War Tax was not introduced until 28.10.1918. The Burns Philp Line 'Matunga' replaced the service previously provided by the Nord-Deutscher Lloyd steamers before the outbreak of WWI; for her fate, see Lot 1053.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1917 (Feb 17) commercial cover to Brisbane with 1d red solo tied by 'MOROBE' cds, censored locally with German New Guinea-era 'MOROBE/25.FEB.1917' office handstamp with manuscript "Passed by censor/GC, Lieut" in red ink, carried  by Runner Mail south into Papua with 'IOMA/-2MAR17/PAPUA' transit cds on the face, 'PASSED CENSOR/22MR17/BRISBANE' cds in red and scarce 'CALLED/29MR17/BRISBANE' Letter Carrrier Room cds in black alongside, some staining & edge faults. This handstamp was also used as a postal marking [see Lot 1207]. Morobe used a variety of provisional censor markings in this period: William Pate's March 1917 cover with manuscript censorship sold at our auction of 3.3.2019 for $1239 and his May 1918 cover with makeshift 'PASSED/by/CENSOR' cachet sold for $944.

Grade C (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

1917 (Nov 2) unstamped usage of NSW Deputy Postmaster General OHMS 'Penalty' envelope with 'New South Wales' crossed out & endorsed "Rabaul", to the "Public Library/Chelmsford/England" with largely very fine 'RABAUL' cds (dot at base), not censored, back flap missing & minor edge bends. A very scarce usage.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1918 registered philatelic covers with NWPI Overprints frankings 1) Morobe-GB with KGV ½d & 1d pairs, 'PASSED/by/CENSOR' cachet in black; 2) Namatanai-GB with Kangaroos 2/- tied by cds (makeready at base wearing-away) in violet; and 3) Rabaul-NSW with KGV 1d & Kangaroos 9d; all with German-pattern R labels.  (3)

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1918 (April) cover to "Yandoit Hills/Victoria" endorsed on the flap "Stanley W George/Petty Officer Tel" with 1d red solo tied by 'RABAUL' cds, censored with a largely fine strike of 'PASSED BY CENSOR/No.2/A.N. & M.E.F.' upright oval h/s in violet on face, a few aging marks around edges & minor blemishes. With the enclosed real photo 'Rabaul/Pacific/Easter Greetings ...' PPC.   (2 items)

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1922 (Jan 19) Iremonger philatelic cover to England with Kangaroos 5/- black & yellow tied by very fine 'KIETA' cds (Powell #67; rated D; no base inscription) with black R label alongside, Rabaul & Sydney transits and London arrival backstamps.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1922 (Feb 24) usage of real photo postcard ('Spear Dance, Sth New Ireland' with native warriors in grass skirts and body paint), from the Witu Islands with message headed "Peterhaven", to Italy with KGV New Colours NWPI Overprints 2d orange solo affixed on view side tied by light but discernible 'RABAUL/NEW BRITAIN' cds, minor blemishes mostly on address side. A remote origin.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1923 (May 30) double-rate to Germany with scarce franking of New Colours 2d orange & 4d violet tied by largely very fine strike of 'KOKOPO/[   ]' cds (Powell #14b; 'QUEENSLAND' excised from base) and another light strike alongside, slightly trimmed at left. From 1.1.1922, the foreign letter rate was 4d for the first 1oz plus 2d per additional 1oz. This was reduced to 3d first 1oz & 1½d additional 1oz from 1.10.1923. A most attractive example of a 'double rate' during this short-lived period.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1925 (July 5) cover to Australia with scarce franking of New Colours 1d violet & 2d scarlet tied by two unusually fine strikes of the 'WITU/NEW GUINEA' cds lightly overstruck with Rabaul '-7JL23' transit, minor opening faults on back flap only. Most usages of the Witu cds are faint strikes on picture postcards that were not actually mailed. [The Witu Islands are located some 350km west of Rabaul]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1928 (March 10) German missionary's cover from "Rev Fr Doepke" to Michigan with scarce franking of very fine New Colours 4d ultramarine SG 124 tied by 'MANUS' cds, minor soiling. Ex David Hopper. [Receiver's endorsement "2 Mar 1928" relates to the date the letter was written, indicating it took up to a week to reach the only post office on Manus Island. The 4d foreign rate applied only between 1.1.1922 & 1.10.1923, when it was reduced to 3d. The missionary probably had a supply of obsolete NWPI stamps (see the next lot) & continued to use them up]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1928 (Dec) German missionary's cover from "Rev Fr Doepke" to Michigan with scarce & very late usage of Fifth Setting 4d yellow-orange SG 104 tied by 'MANUS' cds, minor soiling. Ex David Hopper. [The stamp, issued in 1919, had been folded in half, which might explain why it wasn't used in a more timely manner. This may well be the latest recorded commercial usage of this stamp]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$200