1861 (Jan 1) cover to Victoria with delightful Three Colour franking of 1c Prussian blue, 10c deep green horizontal pair & 12c black (minor overlapping but all are apparently very fine) just tied at right by manuscript "Plymouth Mass/January 7 1861", 'BOSTON BR PKT' transit backstamp & London cds of JA22/61 in red on the face, part Melbourne arrival backstamp of AP15/61 in red & endorsed on the reverse "No such Number on 8 walk", part 'LC' (= Letter Carrier) datestamp & redirected within the city. A beautiful cover. Ex Dale Forster. 

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1862 (July 8) double-rate cover to New South Wales with very scarce franking of 3c deep pink x2 (one with perf faults) & 30c orange horizontal pair (rounded corner at upper-right) all with bars cancels of 'NEW LONDON/CON' (cds in red alongside), 'BOSTON BR PKT/PAID' backstamp in red, London transit of JL21/62 in red on the face, part-Sydney backstamp of SP11/1862 & 'BRAIDWOOD' arrival of the next day, minor flap faults & light blemishes on the face. Ex Dale Forster. 

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1865 (Mar 11) cover to Victoria with 3c deep pink (very fine) & 30c orange (poorly centred but very fine) tied by superb bars-in-circle cancels of 'DOVER/NH'' (cds alongside), light 'BOSTON BR PKT/PAID' backstamp in red, London transit of MR28/65 & '28' (credit to GB) both in red on the face, very fine Melbourne arrival backstamp of JU-6/65 in blue, very minor blemishes. Ex Dale Forster. Addressed to "Capt John Smith/Barque Island City", an American vessel that had been involved in court action in the States in 1855.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1867 (Mar 1) cover to Victoria "Per Henry Chauncey/Via Panama" with 10c dark green & 12c black (straight-edge at left) tied by New York datestamp, British 'PANAMA/MR19/67' transit on the face & '12' handstamp in red for credit to GB, the reverse with Sydney cds of MY1/1867, Melbourne of MY7/67 in blue & framed Sandhurst arrival of the same day, overall soiling. Ex Dale Forster. By rail from Colon to Panama City, then by New Zealand ship 'Kaikoura' ex Panama 25.3.1867; arrived Auckland 25.4.1867 & Sydney 1.5.1867.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1875 (Nov 30) trans-Pacific cover to New South Wales with 3c green single & strip of 3 with target cancels of 'TURLOCK/CAL' (cds below), assessed as overweight with 'INSUFFICIENTLY/PREPAID' handstamp & superlative strike of the '12' handstamp of San Francisco, Sydney transit of JA7/1876 & Newcastle arrival of the next day, minor blemishes. Ex Dale Forster, who advises that provided one rate was pre-paid, only the additional postage was required with no penalty, NSW retaining the second 12c/6d. Early example of underpaid Treaty mail from San Francisco.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1884 (early June) cover with 'Boone Lodge No 1/IOOF' imprint at upper-left, to Queensland but paid only 5c Garfield, San Francisco backstamp of JUN/11 & rubber 'RETURNED/FOR/POSTAGE' in purple on the face, unusual "fish" 'HELD FOR/POSTAGE' handstamp, extra 2c red-brown & 5c Garfield tied by LOUISVILLE/ JUN/25/1884/KY' duplex, the reverse also with Brisbane transit of AU--/84 & 'GYMPIE' arrival of AU5/84, 'UNCLAIMED' handstamp (on the face) & tiny Brisbane Dead Letter Office cds of SP24/84, returned via Washington DC (on the face) with triangular DLO datestamp & 'LOUISVILLE KY/JAN/4/1886/RECD' (hopefully an error for 1885) arrival, a bit soiled.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$350

1885 (Apr 10) usage of 2c red-brown Envelope with Stockton Ca imprint at upper-left, to South Australia with 10c brown tied by partial Stockton cds, San Francisco transit backstamp of APR/10, Adelaide arrival of MY14/85 on the face & squared-circle 'GAWLER' backstamp of the same day, a couple of very minor imperfections.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

CONFEDERATE STATES: c.1863 cover to "Oaks P Office/Orange County/NC" with an exceptional example of '10 CENTS' Jefferson Davis Scott 11 tied by very fine 'PATTERSON/SEP/14/NC' cds. A superb stamp on a very fine internal North Carolina cover. Philatelic Foundation Certificate (1998).

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000