1744 Playing card duty. Very fine wrapper proof for Robert Durrance card maker's 'King Henry the First', number '113' with a blank space for the 6d embossed duty stamp. Printed in chestnut on thick laid paper. A lovely exhibition piece and very rare. (Image)

1841 Postmasters Notice from E.S. Lees, announcing the issue of the new 1d and 2d the latter without corner letters, and the new 1d pink postal stationary envelope handstamped with large 'SPECIMEN' in red, very fine devoid of any of the usual tears and splits usually seen with these, an ideal frontispiece. SG Spec. PN8 (Image)

1842 Uniform Penny Post. Very fine entire sent from New Pitsligo to Aberdeen cancelled by a superb strike of a handstruck New Pitsligo "1" handstamp in red with a black "NEW PITSLIGO" straight line handstamp on reverse with a Mintlaw boxed transit datestamp for MY.2.1842 and and Aberdeen arrival boxed datestamp for the following day. Very rare, possibly unique. Ex Peter Chadwick FRPSL Gold Medal Collection. (Image)

1856 British Post offices Abroad. Very fine entire 1½-2oz cover from Tampico to Vera Cruz, rated in red "4/-" with a red "Paid/at/Tampico" Crowned Circle at upper right and a double-arc dispatch cds on reverse for SP.2.1856. A large black "5" (real) from the Mexican post office at foot denoting a charge due for delivery. Scheduled to be carried by Royal Mail steamer "Tay", unfortunately this ship ran aground close to Cape Rosco on route to Tampico, all mails were delayed for a month and taken by the next available Royal Mail steamer, "Conway" in October. Very scarce so fine. (Image)

1858 Maritime mail. Very fine cover from on board HMS Racer (Anchored off Antwerp) to Musselburgh, paid at a concessionary rate of 1d with a 1d Rose red Pl.46, cancelled by a London "39" numeral with a Ship-Letter/London cds on reverse for AU.13.1858 and a Musselburgh receiver for the following day. _x000D_ HMS Racer accompanied HMS Banshee, the Trinity Steamer and the Royal Yacht HMS Osbourne as part of a diplomatic mission for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to France following the "Orsini" affair the previous January. Felice Orsini was an Italian refugee from Britain who had attempted to assassinate Napoleon III with an English made bomb. The ensuing diplomatic crisis destabilised the government and Palmerston resigned. The Trinity Steamer returned to England on the 12th, almost certainly carrying this letter. (Image)

1862 Overseas Mail. Very fine cover from Monkstown, Ireland to Mrs. Charles Higginson (Daughter of the former Governor, Sir James Macauley Higginson) Mauritius, prepaid by a 6d lilac neatly tied by a very fine strike of the rare H&K Pact. '186' duplex for OC.18.1862. showing a red manuscript '4½' accountancy mark at left with Monkstown (Oc.18), London Oc.20) and Mauritius (No.24) datestamps on reverse. Routed by the cheaper, slower route via Southampton and carried by P&O steamers 'Ripon' (Southampton-Alexandria), 'Nubia' (Suez-Aden) and 'Nepaul' (Aden-Mauritius). A wonderful example of this rare maritime cancellation and a fine destination item. (Image)

1862 Overseas mail. Very fine entire from Cardiff to Milan, Italy, bearing a 3d Bright carmine rose Pl.2 (SG76) vertical pair neatly cancelled by Cardiff "162" duplexes dated JU.6.1862 with a red circular "PD" handstamp at lower right. Backstamped by a Bute Docks cds for June 6th, a London transit cds for the 7th and a Milan receiver for the 9th. (Image)

1863 Overseas mail. Very fine cover to Copenhagen bearing a 9d straw Pl.2 (SG 87), beautifully tied by a crisp Newcastle on Tyne "545" duplex for JY.10.1863, backstamped at London, Hamburg and Copenhagen for JY.11-14.1863. A very scarce and attractive franking. (Image)

1863 Overseas mail. Very fine entire from London to Melbourne, Australia bearing a 3d Bright carmine-rose Pl.2 (SG76) and a 6d Lilac Pl.3 (SG 84) neatly tied by London City "3" numerals. Backstamped by a London dispatch datestamp for AP.27.1863 and a Melbourne arrival (Image)

1863 Transatlantic mail (Allen Line). Very fine double rate entire from Glasgow to Montreal, Canada prepaid by a 1s Green Pl.2 tied by a Glasgow "159" duplex for MY.28.1863, Montreal C.E. receiving cds on reverse for JU.12.1863. Endorsed "Per Canadian Str via Moville" and carried by the Allan Line steamer "Nova Scotian". A very clean and attractive cover. (Image)

1864 double-rate entire to Malta bearing 1/- deep green tied by fine Liverpool duplex of OC 17 64, London transit and Malta arrival (OC 22) on reverse. Ironed filing crease, a clean and attractive cover. SG 89 (Image)

1864 stampless wrapper from Breslau, Prussia to London, with wide variety of transit and other markings including: Breslau despatch cds for 29/7/64, company cachet mark in blue, scarce circular Prussia/ Registered Crown mark in red, P.D boxed mark in magenta, with London arrival for 1 AU, backstamped by Prussia crown mark also in magenta, very fine and most attractive. Ex. SGA Nissen sale, 30/3/1978 Lot 53, the front cover item.  (Image)

1867 GB Used abroad. Very fine double rate cover from St. Thomas, DWI to Paris, prepaid by a horizontal strip of four 6d Lilac Pl.6 (Wmk. Emblems) tied by St. Thomas "C51" type 4 numerals with a Calais transit cds below for MY.27.1867. St. Thomas dispatch cds on reverse for MY.12.1867. Scarce franking, carried from St. Thomas to Southampton by RMSP steamer "Douro". (Image)

1871 Overseas mail. Very fine mourning cover to Allygurh, India via Southampton, prepaid by 9d Straw Pl.4, neatly cancelled by a Tunbridge-Wells "820" duplex for FE.15.1871. London, Sea Post Office and Allygurh/Delivery datestamps on reverse for Feb. 16th, Mar. 4th & 20th respectively. An attractive cover. (Image)

1873 Overseas mail. Very attractive yellow-buff envelope to 'The Curator of Interstates or Vacant Estates, Grenada, British West Indies' prepaid by a 3d Rose Pl.10, neatly cancelled by a London 'WC/35' duplex for JY.11.1873. Endorsed 'By Private Ship' and deemed underpaid by an 'Insufficiently/Prepaid' handstamp at lower left. Numerous manuscript charge marks, although it is doubtful this was ever delivered or paid for as the cover is endorsed at left 'No such Officer in Grenada'. Grenada arrival cds on reverse for SP.2.1873. A very attractive and unusual destination item. (Image)

1881 Overseas mail. Very fine triple rate mourning entire from London to Singapore, prepaid at the 1s3d rate by two 6d grey Pl.17 (Wmk. Spray) and a 3d rose Pl.20 (Wmk. Crown) all tied by Paddington W. "P/22" duplexes for JA.6.1881. Endorsed "Overland Mail" and routed via Brindisi, Alexandria, Suez, Aden, Galle, Penang and Singapore. Indistinct, lightly struck Singapore receiving cds on reverse. Ex. A.J. Lowe (1990) when described as possibly the earliest known usage of the 3d value. (Image)

1883 Overseas mail. Very fine single rate cover to Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope prepaid by a 6d on 6d Lilac Pl.18 lettered SJ showing the "Sloping dots" variety. Neatly tied by a crisp Birmingham squared circle for MY.24.1883 clear of variety, with a Dartmouth receiving cds for the 25th and a Cape Town arrival cds on reverse for JU.13.1883. Lovely quality and a difficult variety to find on cover. (Image)

1884 Overseas mail. Very fine single rate mourning cover from Sidmouth to Newcastle, Natal, prepaid by a 6d Dull green, neatly tied by a superb Sidmouth squared circle for MY.8.1884. Endorsed at lower left "Via Dartmouth" per Union Castle line steamer "Grantully Castle". G.P.O./Natal and Newcastle/Natal receiving cds's on reverse for June 5th and 9th respectively. Lovely quality. (Image)

1885 Maritime mail. Very fine envelope bearing a horizontal strip of four 1d Lilac (SG 172, Die II) paying the single 4d rate, tied by "F.B." (Foreign Branch) handstamps upon arrival in London. Addressed to Ringwood, Hampshire and backstamped accordingly for JU.27.1885. Written by Naval Cadet Edward Baird serving aboard HMS "Triumph" in the Pacific, the ships log records being stationed at Coquimbo, Chile during May & June 1885. The Mail Steamer "Ayacucho" picked up the ships mail bag on June 12th and transferred it to PSNCo "Patagonia" at Valparaiso, Chile then via the Strait of Magellan to Pauillac (Bordeaux) France and onto England. A very attractive maritime mailing. (Image)

1886 Overseas mail. Fine cover to Lifu, Loyalty Islands, prepaid by two 21/2d lilac (4d rate overpaid by 1d) cancelled by Walsall "834" duplexes for FE.27.1886. Backstamped in Sydney and Noumea for AP.13 & 21.1886 respectively. A rare destination item, Lifu is the principal island of the Loyalty Islands archipeligo sitting just to the east of the French territory of New Caledonia, N.E. of Australia. (Image)

1900 Overseas Mail. Very fine Bray postcard bearing two ½d blue-green (SG213) tied by South Norwood skeleton datestamps for DE.30.1900. Addressed "To one of the Privates of the Welsh Regiment, near the above. China Field Force, China", the "above" being an Ogdens photographic cigarette card of the Taku Forts, China which is pinned to the postcard. The card was received by Pt. G. Barber of the Lincoln Regt. Taku Telegraph Sec. and returned to Bray as instructed "for his postal collection".The notorious W.R. Bray would regularly test the regulations (and no doubt patience) of the Post Office by sending such items with peculiar stipulations and delivery instructions. Most unusual. (Image)

1929 Registered/Air mail. Very fine cover to Lima, Peru bearing a ½d, 5d, 1s block cypher and a bottom marginal 2s6d pale brown (Bradbury printing) each neatly cancelled by a Dorking cds for OC.10.1929. Backstamped with Callao and Lima cds's for NO.1+2.1929. Cover endorsed “England-S. America 1st/Per Aquitania & USA-Peru Airmail.“, the 3s11½d rate paying 3s6d airmail plus 5½d registration. Most attractive. (Image)

ILLUSTRATED ENVELOPES: 1852 Pictorial envelope designed by J. Valentine of Dundee in the cause of Peace addressed to Ilminster franked with 1841 1d red, four even margins, and cancelled by indistinct numeral in oval of bars and ‘Missent to/London’ in black at left; the reverse with Bridport dispatch (23.4) in blue and London transit (24.4) in red; minor imperfections otherwise a good example of this scarce envelope used (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1854 printed bank letter to Bolton franked with 1d red, two good margins, tied by scarce green 1844-Type numeral cancellation for Warrington ‘847’, the reverse with despatch (13.2) and Bolton (14.2) arrival cds's both in green. A collectable example of this rare coloured postmark. SG Spec B1xc (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1856 (17 May) large part registered envelope to Barton-on-Humber franked with 1854-57 2d, strip of five (three removed) and 1847-54 Embossed 6d, all cancelled by Nottingham ‘583’ barred numeral, the obverse with dispatch and Barton-on-Humber (18.5) arrival and re-used for the return 1856 (20 May) registered franked with 1847-54 6d and 1855-57 4d, pair, all cancelled with Barton-on-Humber ‘51’ barred numeral and dispatch and two Nottingham (20.5) arrival cds; some faults as to be expected otherwise a most unusual item   (Image)