1850 (Mar 11) Incoming stampless envelope from UK to Scarborough (near Toronto) with manuscript "Registered Letter" in red ink and "6" in red crayon, Darlington despatch cds in blue and a "1/2" rate mark in red ink marked in Canada with a large manuscript "M" in ink (money letter) and straight-line "MONEY LETTER" in red, the reverse with undated St. Johns Chapel village postmark and part Toronto transit, one side flap missing and some soiling, one of the earliest known Canadian Money Letters, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. Note: Prior to January 1858 there was no reciprocal arrangement for the exchange of registered letters between U.K. and British North America, letters could only be registered in the U.K. as far as the port of departure. Arrangement in North America were left to the discretion of the Colonial Office and in Canada they were handled as Money Letters. (Image)

1851 (Apr 15) Entire letter on blue paper marked "Money" to Vittoria, bearing London despatch cds, "MONEY LETTER" hs, "PAID" hs, ms 35 1/2 and 6 rate marks, reverse bearing Brantford, Simcoa and Vittoria arrival cds, a very early cover and an interesting forerunner to the registered post in Canada, ex Warren S. Wilkinson (2007) and Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1857 Envelope to England franked by 10d blue Cartier, with large to huge margins, neatly tied by target cancel to cover from Quebec, with double ring cds and "8d Stg." rate hs adjacent, red London bs; rarely seen this fine. (Image)

1857 (Aug 1) Envelope sent registered to India from Quebec by Allan Lines Packet North American via Liverpool, London and Bombay with 1d local registration fee paid by the sender indicated by the red "REGISTERED" s/l handstamp, ms reg'n "No. 31" along with "PAID 6d. Stg." and ms 1/2 in (8d Sterling postage and 6d Sterling registration fee). As the combined postage had been prepaid to destination the letter then went from Quebec to Agra without any further charge for registration (an example of free registration), received in London Aug 13 from Liverpool in a closed bag and the red "(CROWN)/REGISTERED" hs applied, sent in a closed bag to Southampton for Bombay on the S.S. Columbo arriving in Alexandria Sep 3, thence from Suez on the P&O S.S. Pekin arriving Bombay Sep 19 with arrival cds, a rare registered cover from Canada to India, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. Note: The letter is addressed to an army doctor attached to the 3rd Europeans regiment at the fort in Agra, which was one of the few places that held out during the 1857 Sepoy Indian Mutiny. The state of the Indian Postal Service during the Mutiny and what was done to this letter upon arriving in Bombay is not known. (Image)

1858 (Sep 16) Stampless envelope to the Crown Lands Department in Toronto with manuscript "3" overstruck by a fine strike of the "FREE" hs with "REGISTERED" alongside (indicating that 1d was paid for registration, charged even if the postage was free), Bristol despatch cds below and various changes to the registration number, the reverse with Aylmer in red, part City of Ottawa cds (part removed along with the wax seal) and Toronto arrival, a rare example of a registered free cover, ex Harold Lussey, Warren S. Wilkinson (2007) and Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1872 (Feb 23) Envelope to Clinton, Ontario, bearing Small Queen 3c dull red and pair of 1c orange on stout paper, tied by London Ontario "6" duplex with straight-line "REGISTERED" and faint "TOO-LATE" hs, reverse with arrival cds, paying 3c postage (under 1/2oz) plus 2c registration, an attractive franking on a clean cover posted after the closure of the mail, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1942-48 War Effort set of 14 to $1 in imperforate pairs, very fine o.g., a rare and most attractive set (only 150 existed of the 5c, 100 of the 1c to 4c and 8c, 75 of 10c and 50 each of the 13c to $1). (Image)

1903-38 Cover lot of cards and envelopes, one front, 38 examples in total, all with Switzerland postage due applied, originating from Canada, includes a 1903 postcard endorsed "Printed Matter" sent to Neuchatel, franked with Queen Victoria 1c green (late use) tied by Montreal cancel and taxed 5c, with a Helvetia 10c postage due tied to front, a 1918 large illustrated postcard of the Quebec Bridge, sent to Le Locle, franked with George V 1c, 2c and 3c, 8c tax mark, with 30c and 5c Helvetia postage dues tied by Le Locle cds, also an envelope franked with 3c George V 1938 tied by Vancouver mark, sent to Barbados, with forwarded label from the Marine Hotel tied by GPO Barbados cds, and postage due of 15c applied in Switzerland and tied to front, fine condition, many interesting items, some scarce examples. (Image)

1887 2c orange-vermilion imperforate, cancelled by black barred circle, uncatalogued and rare as such, described as a remainder by the cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1887-96 group of five imperforate stamps, four cancelled and one with original gum, uncatalogued and rare as such, some small faults, described as remainders by the certs Brandon (1998) for each stamp. (Image)

1890 3c deep slate on red tinted paper in unused top marginal block of 49 with British American Bank Note Co. Ottowa imprint at top, recovered from a shipment shipwrecked en route from Ottawa to Newfoundland and hence with minor imperfections and without gum as usual, unpriced as such in Unitrade, cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1890 3c deep slate on red tinted paper in unused lower marginal block of 20 with British American Bank Note Co. Ottowa imprint at at foot, recovered from a shipment shipwrecked en route from Ottawa to Newfoundland and hence with without gum as usual, unpriced as such in Unitrade, cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1896 1/2c orange-vermilion imperforate with original gum, very fine, uncatalogued and rare as such, described as a remainder by the cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1896 1c green imperforate, cancelled by black barred circle, uncatalogued and rare as such, described as a remainder by the cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1897 1c green, selection of eleven mint and mint n.h. singles showing red Specimen ovpts and ABN security punches, plus 1897-1918 1c carmine with similar ovpts, a scarce assembly (12) (Image)

1897 1c on 3c grey-purple with misplaced surcharge (type 36), mint with original gum, very fine, cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1897 1c on 3c grey-purple with misplaced surcharge downwards (type 36), mint with original gum, very fine, cert. Brandon (1998). (Image)

1924-29 Two covers from Newfoundland to Switzerland, with postage dues applied on arrival, one a 1924 commercial envelope franked with 2c and 3c, sent to Basle, with a pair of Helvetia 15c postage dues tied neatly to front by cds, and 1929 printed envelope franked with pair of 2c carmine, SS Caribou issues, tied by St Johns slogan cancel, with violet tax mark and a 20c Swiss postage due stamp tied by Berne cds, fine examples and not common. (Image)

1870 (Apr 8) Envelope from St. Eleanors to Charlottetown franked at the 2d internal rate by 1862-69 4d black bisected diagonally, tied by red 10-bar oval (and by black 8-bar oval on arrival) with legible red despatch cds alongside, type P8 arrival backstamp, small faults (the bisect with some trimmed perfs and minor creasing) though a spectacular cover with the red cancels and very rare thus (S.G. £2'000+). (Image)