1851 1d red brown Queen Victoria Imperforate, used with sharp and face-free oval grid cancel, four clear to large margins, quite fresh and very fine. Accompanied by a 1996 David Brandon and a 2009 Greene Foundation certificate. A very nice stamp. (Image)

Unitrade $ 700

Collection of Seven 3d blue Covers and Folded Letters, all dated between 1851 and 1857 with town postmarks such as Annapolis, Kentville, St Peters CB, Canning, Bridgetown, Lower Horton, Pictou, Halifax, Pugwash, etc. We note one addressed to Charlottetown PEI (and received there on back), and one to St John NB, rest are domestic NS. The postmarks are overall nicer than usual. A good lot to study the shade varieties proportional to the dates, as there are bright blue, pale blue and other various blue shades, and the majority of the stamps are 4 margin (a few are 3 margin or close). A few faults, mostly on backs and a few have tears, still overall fine or better and rarely offered in this quantity. All are scanned online. (Image)

Unitrade $ 2,800

1851 6d yellow green Heraldic Imperforate, used with light oval barred cancel, three large margins plus one that is close but clear, very fine. (Image)

Unitrade $ 1,200

1860 6d dark green Heraldic Diagonal Bisect on Folded Letter to PEI, mailed from Digby NS on APR.11.1860 (backstamp), through Halifax (APR.13 oval backstamp) and addressed to Muddy Creek, St Eleanors, both located in Lot 17, (APR.20 Prince Edward Island backstamp). The letter inside is dated March 30, 1860. Franked with a bisected dark green 6d, tied on all sides, paying the proper inter-Colonial 3d rate. Accompanied by a 2017 Greene Foundation certificate. From the Louis Sidney Crosby collection (see introduction to the Prince Edward Island section of this sale). A very fine cover. Unlisted in The Pence Covers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick 1851-1860 by Arfken and Firby (2004) and as such likely the only known use of a Nova Scotia bisect on a cover to Prince Edward Island. (Image)

Unitrade $ 7,000

1857 1sh reddish violet Heraldic Imperforate, mint with part original gum, three full to large margins, fourth cut into design, fine appearance. Accompanied by a 2016 Greene Foundation certificate stating "gum toned and badly disturbed, thinned, reddish violet shade which is faded and stained on front from disintegrating gum on reverse". Despite these faults, still a rare stamp missing from most collections. (Image)

Unitrade $ 32,000

1860 1c Queen Victoria Die Proof in Black, on India paper, very fine and scarce. (Image)

Est $ 350

1860 1c black Queen Victoria, mint never hinged complete sheet of 100, with full intact selvedge all around, showing ten printer's imprints. A lovely sheet, deprived of the usual perforation separations, with only a few light blemishes on some of the bottom and top stamps (likely natural to the printing process), still one of the nicest sheets we've handled. The catalogue value includes a premium of 6x for only six of the ten plate blocks of four (as per footnote in Unitrade), because of their placement. Very fine. (Image)

Unitrade $ 8,800