1942 $2 Violet and Magenta and $4 Red and Ultramarine Charles Vyner Issues of 1934 Overprinted with 3 Kanji Characters, each in a full sheet of 100, with complete selvedge and "Bradbury-Wilkinson & Co. Engravers, New Maden, Surrey, England" imprint. Fresh colour, well centered and never hinged and only a little perf separation on one sheet. The gum and parts of the selvedge has moderate browning due to original climate and tissue protection, and the $4 sheet still has about one third of the tissue still adhering. Listed in the 2000 (6th edition) of Barefoot as #s 107 (£20 each stamp for used) and 109 (£25 each stamp for used). Each of these two sheets here are very likely unique.

The two lots offered here (see also lot #590) were delivered to North Borneo during the Japanese Occupation and have stayed with one family since that time. The three large overprint characters were primarily intended as censor seals or control stamps, formerly listed as "revenues", and the Barefoot values given is for used only. See scans online of the fronts and backs of each sheet to show the fresh colour, well centered stamps, but also the browning of the gum mentioned in our description. (Image)

Barefoot £ 4,500