1896 (Oct 12) Treasurer's Office Port Moresby BNG OHMS long envelope (214x103mm) to 'The Manager/Union Bank of Australia/Brisbane" with Void Background 1d orange strip of 4 tied by three largely fine to poor strikes of 'B.N.G.' (8-bars) cancel and largely very fine strike of 'PORT MORESBY/12OC96/ BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds alongside, 'COOKTOWN/OC 18/96/QUEENSLAND' transit & Brisbane 'OC27' arrival backstamps, slightly trimmed at left & a few minor aging marks. The Queensland intra-colonial letter rate was 2d per ½oz x2. A very early official cover.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1897 (March 11) small cover from Egypt to "The Colonial Treasurer/Port Moresby/British New Guinea" with Sphinx & Pyramids 1p blue tied by 'CAIRE' cds, via Queensland with Brisbane 'AP24' & Cooktown 'AP29' transits and almost complete 'PORT MORESBY/10MY97/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' arrival b/s, largely very fine 'BRITISH [Crown] NEW GUINEA/10-MAY-97/TREASURER' oval d/s in blue on face, a few blemishes, cleaned & repaired closed tear at top. A remarkable origin/destination item, all the more attractive with the scarce official receiving handstamp.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1898 (Aug 19) British New Guinea Government Gazette 'OHMS' newspaper wrapper front with John Geo Allen Government Printer imprint at lower-left, to "Chas M Woodford Esq/Resident Commissioner/ Tulagi/British Solomon Islands" with rare solo franking of Void Background ½d green tied by indistinct 'B.N.G.' (8-bars) cancel with a very fine strike of 'PORT MORESBY/19AU98/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds endorsed "½" alongside on face, two small adhesion marks at lower edges. The rate was ½d per 2oz Queensland 'inter-colonial' newspapers (the Solomon Islands at this time falling under New South Wales postal administation). Ex 'Sepik' & John Darnell: sold for $2640 (1998) & $2185 (2004) respectively.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

1898 (circa) British New Guinea Government Gazette 'OHMS' newspaper wrapper front with John Geo Allen Government Printer imprint at lower-left, to "Chas M Woodford Esq/Resident Commissioner/Tulagi/British Solomon Islands" with Void Background 1d orange solo tied by very fine strike of 'B.N.G.' (8-bars) cancel, re-backed corner fault at lower-right not affecting stamp or marking. The Queensland inter-colonial newspaper rate was ½d per 2oz x2. Roger Lee's & Tim Rybak's similar items with small-part datestamp sold for $672 (2002) & $719 (2008) respectively.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1898 (Sept 26) envelope with 'Burns Philp & Company/Port Moresby' imprint on back flap to Thursday Island with Queensland Void Background ½d green strip of 4 tied by three under-inked strikes of PORT MORESBY/ BRITISH NEW GUINEA' unframed cds with a largely very fine strike alongside, 'COOKTOWN/OC 7/98' unframed cds transit and 'THURSDAY ISLAND/OC14/89/QUEENSLAND' unframed cds arrival backstamps, a few folds, tape repairs on reverse and truncated at base. The indirect route via North Queensland was perhaps necessitated by the shipping timetable; compare Lot 1380 sent to England directly via Thursday Island, which would have saved considerable time in this instance. RPSL Certificate (1973).

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1898 (Dec 6) Government Secretary's Office Port Moresby BNG 'OHMS' long envelope (225x102mm) to "Mr PE Seagren/Furniture Warehouse/Cooktown" with scarce solo franking of Lined Background 4d yellow-orange tied by largely fine strike of 8-Bar 'BNG' cancel with very fine strike of 'PORT MORESBY/6DE98/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds alongside, light but discernible 'THURSDAY ISLAND/DE 16/98/QUEENSLAND' transit & 'COOKTOWN/DE 19/98/QUEENSLAND' arrival backstamps, very light vertical fold clear of the stamp & markings

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1899 (May 31) envelope with 'VATORATA' imprint on back flap to England with Queensland Void Background ½d green & 2d blue tied by largely very fine strike of 'B.N.G' cancel (8-bars) and similar 'PORT MORESBY/ BRITISH NEW GUINEA' unframed cds alongside, 'THURSDAY ISLAND/JU 10/99/QUEENSLAND' unframed cds transit and London 'JY24' arrival backstamps, a couple of minor blemishes. Written by Rev James Chalmers whilst at the London Missionery Society's Vatorata Training School south of Port Moresby. Rev Chalmers was murdered by tribesmen while on expedition in 1901. The 2½d foreign rate applied for mail to Great Britain until 1905.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1899 large piece with largely very fine strike of the rare 'TAMATA/DE 3/99/B.N.G' unframed cds (Lee #48; rated F; earliest recorded date; day & month wheels inverted) alongside Queensland Widow's Weeds ½d green strip of 3 tied by 'B.N.G' cancel (9-bars) of Samarai applied in transit, a couple of minor scissor-cut repairs one of which just intrudes on the 'G' of 'B.N.G.'. Roger Lee states that very few of the Widow's Weeds ½d stamps are known used in British New Guinea, and that the address is in the distinctive handwriting of Anglican Missionary Rev Copland King to his home 'St Johns' in Camden (NSW). Tamata PO -.12.1899; closed mid-1905. [Gold Mining]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1900 (March 9) usage of Queensland Scenic Postal Card 1½d black 'Cane-field and Selector's Home' view with largely very fine stike of 'SAMARAI/B.N.G' unframed cds (Lee #24; fleorons) alongside very fine 'B.N.G' cancel (9-bars) to England with lengthy personal message headed "Dogura BNG" and signed "HN" written by Rev Henry Newton including " ... I have had my first taste of fever ...", 'COOKTOWN/MR16/00/QUEENSLAND' unframed cds & Brisbane transit backstamps and Bristol 'AP29/00' cds arrival on face, light central vertical fold & minor edge faults.  Roger Lee states that this is one of only three Queensland Scenic Postal Cards known used from British New Guinea, and that it was probably carried there by Rev Newton on his first arrival in late-1899. Dogura Mission was established in 1891 near the village of Wedau, some 60kms NW of Samarai. Rev Newton was appointed Bishop of Carpentaria in 1915 and Bishop of New Guinea in 1922, retiring in 1937 whereupon he settled at Dogura. The 1½d foreign postcard rate applied for mail to Great Britain until 1905.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

1900 (June 6) cover to England addressed in the handwriting of Rev Henry Newton at Dogura Mission with Queensland Four Figures 2½d violet/blue solo tied by largely very fine 9-Bars  'B.N.G' cancel and very fine strike of 'SAMARAI/B.N.G' unframed cds with fleurons alongside, 'COOKTOWN/JE23/00/QUEENSLAND' unframed cds & Brisbane transits and London 'AU 6/00' arrival backstamps, a few mostly minor blemishes.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1900 (Sept 10) commercial cover to Ireland with Queensland Four Figures 1d orange x3 tied by two very fine strikes of the rare 10-Bar 'B.N.G' cancel (Lee #49; rated F) with a light but obvious strike of the rare 'TAMATA/SP 10/99/BNG' unframed cds (Lee #48; rated F; year error) alongside on face and another very fine strike on the reverse all in violet, a further two stamps added in transit tied by largely very fine 9-Bar BNG cancel of Samarai (Lee #25) with light but clear 'SAMARAI/14SEP[ ]0/B.N.G.' b/s (Lee #24), also Cooktown & Brisbane transits and 'ARMAGH/NO?1/00' arrival backstamp, a few mostly minor blemishes. Ex Roger Lee, via another vendor; sold at our auction of 9.11.2002 for $23,520 more than 20 years ago. BPA Certificate (1971). Tamata PO -.12.1899; closed mid-1905. [Gold Mining]  This is the only cover known with the Tamata 'B.N.G.' canceller used in the Queensland stamps period. Illustrated and described by Roger Lee at p15 & p25 as "one of the most interesting of all Papuan covers ... which must have weighed over ½oz was therefore underpaid 2d and at Samarai the two 1d stamps on the left were added ...". 

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$10,000

1901 (May 23) to "Tattersall/co Geo Adams/Hobart" with Queensland Void Background 1d orange x9 (one on the face, eight including a block of 6 on the back) tied by six fair to very fine strikes of 9-Bar 'B.N.G' cancels, large-part '[S]AMARAI/B.N.G' unframed cds (Lee #24; fleurons) & largely very fine strike of 'REGISTERED/SAMARAI B.N.G.' handstamp (Lee #26; rated D), Cooktown & Brisbane transits and 'REGISTERED/JU14/01/HOBART' arrival backstamp, closed central spike hole affecting one unit in the block of 6, minor edge faults, opened-out for display. This item pre-dates the Australian government's crack-down on sweepstakes ticket sales through the mail that in turn led to Tatts using under-cover 'accommodation' addresses to circumvent the restrictions.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,000