1865 American Bank Note Co. Original Order for the Cents Issue, the letter is handwritten on a printed letterhead page "American Bank Note Company / New York" dated Dec 4th 1865. It reads: "Sir, We beg to advise that we have this day sent to the Post Office Department of Ottawa a sealed box containing the following postage stamps - viz - 3000 sheets One Cent stamps / 1000 sheets Two Cent stamps / 3000 sheets Five Cent stamps / 2000 sheets Ten Cent stamps / 2000 sheets Twelve + a half stamps. Very respectfully / xxxx / Secy / Wm White Esq. / Secretary / Ottawa, Canada". There is a note added overtop the letter indicating that the order was received on December 8, 1865 and that the following quantities were actually received: " 300000 One Cent, 100000 2 Cent, 299900 5 Cent, 200000 10 Cent, 200100 12½c". There is also a filing note on back, and the letter has broken apart along two horizontal folds, long ago repaired with tape on back, still a rare and desirable item for the Cents Issue collector.

Geoffrey Whitworth (1966) and Senator Calder both list the following quantities ordered on September 25, 1865: 1c - 2,000 sheets, 2c - 2,000 sheets, 5c - 3,000 sheets, 10c - 3,000 sheets. 12½c - 3,000 sheets, it is interesting to see the discrepancies between the quantities ordered, the quantities said to be sent and the quantities actually received, including the fact that the 50 sheets of the 17c value were not mailed in this package. (Image)

Estimate $ 2,000

10c Consort Plate Proof in Brownish Purple, a block of 12 from top of sheet, on card-mounted India paper, very fine. Large multiples of early proofs are getting tougher to find. Rsv. $1,200. (Image)

Unitrade $ 3,300

12½c Queen Victoria Plate Proof in Yellow Green, an upper left corner block of 20, on card-mounted India paper, showing the full imprint at top and left, very fine and quite attractive. Rsv. $2,500. (Image)

Unitrade $ 8,750

Two Outstanding Used 12½c Queen Victoria Issues, 18a (blue green) is perforated 11¾ and is from position 10. It possesses four large and even margins, all well clear of the outer frameline, a tiny corner crease at UL does not detract from the jumbo example. The second stamp is green (18ii) and is perforated 11.9 x 12 and is from position 24, with a very light cancel and four large to huge margins (showing part of the next stamp at left). Two choice stamps. (Image)

Estimate $ 200

Lovely Group of Six Different Used Cents Issues, with #14 (very fine with huge margins and bright colour), 15 (very fine), 17 (very fine), 17b (very fine, with Simcoe datestamp), 18 (very fine) and 19 (fine-very fine). A choice group, with fresh colours and much better centering than usual. (Image)

Unitrade $ 1,070

Small Collection of Mostly Used First Cents Issues, with 12 used values from the 1c to the 17c (the latter x3), plus a mint hinged 2c. A few stamps have small faults, else overall fine. (Image)

Estimate $ 150