1849 Folded Letter Franked with 5c Red Brown Franklin Imperforate, mailed Montréal on DEC.14.1849 to Kennedy in New York. Since Canada had not yet printed its own stamps, it was permitted to frank this folded letter with an 1847 5c Franklin imperforate in Montréal, which is tied by a red “10” in circle. There is also a “4½” manuscript rate to pay for the Canadian portion of its voyage. Upon arrival in New York, the clerk crossed-out the ‘PAID” and penned-in “Due 5”. Long detailed letter inside, with two vertical file folds (one through stamp). A very fine example of this scarce usage, ex. Dale-Lichtenstein, Craveri and Daniel Cantor (2011), and illustrated in Boggs The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada on page 73. A great item to start any serious Canada collection (Image)

Est $ 3,000

1851 3d Red Beaver Imperforate on Laid Paper, used with centrally struck target cancel. A visually pleasing stamp with four large and even margins, extremely fine. Accompanied by a 1991 Philatelic Foundation certificate and a 2020 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 1,600

3d Red Beaver Imperforate on Laid Paper on Cover, mailed Bytown UC on JUN.26.1851 to Perth, with a light JUN.28 receiver in red, through Smiths Falls (JUN.27 transit in red). This cover is franked with a 3d red Braver imperforate on Laid paper, with large to huge margins, tied by a blurry target cancel. Cover has overall toning and aging, with creases on back but stamp is unaffected and very fine. (Image)

Unitrade $ 2,500

1851 3d Orange Red Beaver Imperforate on Laid Paper. Canada’s first stamp, engraved by Alfred Jones using a very similar design proposed by (later Sir) Sanford Fleming. This stamp has two certificates of authenticity: a 1985 Greene Foundation certificate stating “...Mint, O.G., genuine...” and a 2015 Greene Foundation Certificate stating “...#1a, unused, on laid paper, orange red shade, genuine in all respects”. The gum was removed after 1985 to preserve the overall freshness and quality of the stamp. For the record there is a tiny faint crease entirely in the lower right margin which was not mentioned in either certificate; this could be literally cut away and there would still be four full large margins. This very fine stamp with fresh colour and full margins is a very rare example of Canada’s first stamp. It once adorned the Lindeman and the “Outaouais” collections, and was sold by us in part one of the latter sale in September 2017 for $75,900 (including buyer's fee). It’s new owner thought it fitting to re-offer it at the same time as part two of this lovely collection here, after a 2½ year ownership. One census of unused mint laid paper three penny beavers puts the number at about 20. Although this might be a little bit low, unfortunately many of these mint and unused are cut into or have faults and some are in institutional collections. It is likely that fewer than a handful of very fine four margin mint number ones are available to private collectors. Rsv. $30,000. (Image)

Unitrade $ 60,000

6d Slate Violet Consort Imperforate on Laid Paper on Folded Cover, mailed Montréal on OCT.16.1851 to Philadelphia. This folded cover (no letter inside) is franked with a very fine and fresh, four margin 6d Consort on laid paper, cancelled with a light target cancel. There are a “CANADA” in arc, a “10” in circle and a “PAID” markings, all in red on front, alongside the red despatch datestamp. A very fine and appealing cross-border cover, with “Juliard” owner’s handstamp on back, also ex. “Carrington” (2002) and Daniel Cantor (2011) collections, and accompanied by a 2011 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 3,000

12d Queen Victoria Plate Proof in Black, on card mounted India paper, well centered and very fine. Accompanied by a 2016 Greene Foundation certificate. A premium example of this very scarce proof. (Image)

Unitrade $ 6,000

12d Queen Victoria Plate Proof in Black, with Vertical SPECIMEN Overprint in Carmine, on India paper, well centered among four large and even margins, very fine. (Image)

Unitrade $ 2,500

12d Queen Victoria Plate Proof in Black, with Diagonal SPECIMEN Overprint in Carmine, on India paper, with large to very large margins, very fine. Accompanied by a 2007 Saskatoon Stamp Centre certificate of authenticity. The diagonal specimen proof is rarely seen in this lovely quality, and several of the recorded examples have small faults. (Image)

Unitrade $ 5,000

1852 3d Red Beaver Imperforate, unused (no gum), with nice colour and crisp impression. A lovely stamp possessing four large to huge margins, very fine. Accompanied by a 1984 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 2,000

3d Red Beaver Imperforates on Overseas Short Paid Cover, mailed Québec City on JUL.17.1858 to London, England, with red JUL.28 receiver on front. This blue cover is franked with two 3d Beaver imperforates, both with four large to huge margins and tied by the Québec datestamp. The rate is shortpaid 1½d, as it should have been 7½d but appears to have gone through undetected. The left stamp has a corner fault, else both very fine and the cover has a tear and some creases, still overall fine. Accompanied by a 1980 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Est $ 1,000

1852 3d Red Beaver Imperforate on Soft Ribbed Paper, used with an APR.19.1858 datestamp. A nice stamp with fresh colour and four large margins, very fine. Accompanied by a 2019 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 800

3d Red Beaver Imperforate on Cover, mailed from Québec City on SEP.3.1855 to "Hon'ble L.J. Papineau / Monte Bello / Petite Nation" with Monte Bello SEP.5 receiver and Montréal SEP.4 transits on back. This lovely blue cover is franked with a 3d Beaver imperforate, apparently from plate position B53 and on thin paper. Louis Joseph Papineau was a very well known politician. Very fine, ex. "Yule" and Daniel Cantor (2011) collections. (Image)

Unitrade $ 300

1852 3d Deep Red Beaver Imperforate on Thick Hard Paper, used with a clear 4-ring #18 cancel from Kingston. This lovely stamp has four large margins, showing part of the next stamp at left and at top, extremely fine. Accompanied by a 2019 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 600

1855 6d Slate Grey Consort Imperforate, mint with full original gum and bright, fresh colour. This stamp has three large to huge margins, bottom margin is irregular, still fine. A very rare mint stamp, especially with full original gum, accompanied by a 2008 Sismondo certificate and a 2011 Greene Foundation certificate. Very few mint 6d Consort retain the overall “bloom” of the stamp offered here, and fewer still retain their original gum 165 years after having been printed. Rsv. $10,000. (Image)

Unitrade $ 30,000

6d Consort Imperforate on Cross-Border Cover, mailed Montréal on APR.1.1856 and addressed to Albany, New York. The cover is franked with a 6d greenish grey Consort imperforate with four large margins, just into outer frameline at lower right, tied by a target cancel in black. Tear on back flap, else very fine and accompanied by a 2005 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 2,000

1855 6d Grey Violet Consort Imperforate on Thick Hard Paper, used with indistinct 4-ring numeral cancel. A lovely stamp with sheet margin at right (showing part of the imprint) plus three other ample margins, showing part of next stamp at top. A fresh and superior quality stamp, extremely fine, and accompanied by a 2019 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 4,000

10d Cartier Plate Proof in Blue with Vertical SPECIMEN Overprint in Carmine, on India paper, this very fine proof shows characteristics of the major re-entry found in position 1, being a light line at the bottom of CANADA. Very fine. (Image)

Est $ 300

10d Blue Cartier Imperforate on Trans Atlantic Folded Cover, mailed Montréal FEB.7.1859 and addressed to Sheffield, England, with FEB.22 receiver on back, through “America / Paid / Dublin” FEB.21 datestamp in blue green. This folded cover is franked with a fine three margined 10d blue Cartier, tied by one of two Montréal datestamps. Horizontal fold, still very fine and visually pleasing. Accompanied by a 2009 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 3,000

1855 10d Dull Blue Cartier Imperforate on Thin Crisp Paper, mint with full original gum, very lightly hinged. A truly lovely stamp with four large and fairly even margins, extremely fine. Accompanied by a 1953 RPSC (London) certificate and a 2007 Greene Foundation certificate. A rare stamp in this condition. Although there are a few other premium mint examples of the 10d Cartier recorded, virtually all of these are on the thicker white paper, rather than the delicate thin crisp paper. One would be hard pressed to find another premium mint original gum example on the thin crisp paper. Rsv. $10,000. (Image)

Unitrade $ 28,000

1857 ½d Rose Queen Victoria Imperforate, mint with full original gum, lightly hinged. This stamp has very large side margins, others well clear to large, with very light toning in spots on front (not apparent on certificate photo), still fine-very fine. Accompanied by a 2004 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 1,050

1857 ½d Rose Queen Victoria Imperforate, used with Hamilton NOV.15.1858 datestamp, with two huge margins (showing part of imprint at top) and two clear to just touching, fine-very fine. Accompanied by a 2019 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 750

1857 7½d Green Queen Victoria Imperforate, mint with full original gum, lightly hinged. A exceptionally fresh stamp which possesses four ample to large margins, bright colour and very fine. Accompanied by a 1968 Philatelic Foundation and a 2016 Greene Foundation certificate. A lovely stamp in all respects and ex. Julian Smith (1986). Rsv. $9,000. (Image)

Unitrade $ 24,000

1857 7½d Green Queen Victoria Imperforate, used with light grid cancel and four well clear to large margins, showing part of next stamp at right, very fine. Accompanied by a 2019 Greene Foundation certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 5,000

7½d Green Queen Victoria Imperforate on Transatlantic Cover, mailed Montréal on AUG.13.1857 and addressed to Wakefield, England with AUG.27 receiver on back. Front shows a red tombstone "PKT LETTER / PAID / LIVERPOOL / AU 26 / A57" and back shows an unusual two line "BY-CANADIAN / PACKET" handstamp also in red. The cover is franked with a large margined (just clear at left top) 7½d green Imperforate, tied by a 4-ring numeral cancel. Overall very fine and accompanied by a 2001 David Brandon (Surrey) certificate. (Image)

Unitrade $ 6,000

1857 6d Reddish Purple Consort Imperforate on Very Thick Soft Paper, mint with large part original gum (rare thus) and three large to very large margins, and just touching outer frameline at bottom right, fine. A very nice example of this rare mint stamp, missing from even the most advanced collections. Accompanied by a 2005 Greene Foundation certificate and a 2007 Philatelic Foundation certificate, the latter stating “light staining below the right 6” which we qualify more as trivial and does not detract from this great rarity. Advanced collectors know how rare the 6d reddish purple on very thick soft paper is in mint condition, with most known examples having various faults. Finding a collectible example with original gum is a true rarity. Rsv. $10,000. (Image)

Unitrade $ 40,000