1856 (Aug) Envelope from London to Victoria, Australia, franked with 2d blue perf. strip of three tied by London "41" numerals and "1d" accountancy hs, reverse with "Deptford Broadway" s/l despatch, London despatch and Geelong "SHIP LETTER / FREE" arrival ds, carried by clipper "White Star", a fine destination cover. (Image)

1857 (Jan 16) Wrapper to Canada West bearing 2d blue Stars (trimmed perfs at top) along with a pair of 1855-57 6d lilac cancelled by London numerals, paying 8d rate plus 6d registration with ms "Registered" in ink with straight-line "REGISTERED" struck below with number "381" in ink, the reverse with Lombard Street despatch overstruck by St. Catherines arrival, Toronto transit, very fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1857 (Oct 14) Envelope from London to Sydney, Australia, with 1855-57 wmk Emblems 6d tied by London "SE 8" sideways duplex, reverse with "Woolwich W.O" despatch s/l, Sydney and Newtown arrival, minor fixing, fine and attractive. (Image)

1857 (Nov 4) Envelope sent registered to Baden bearing 1855-57 1s green pair tied by "890" numerals of Windsor, paying double 6d rate for postage up to 1/2oz and twice 6d registration per 1/4oz, endorsed "Registered" in and showing London tall type crowned registered hs in red and oval reg'd ds, manuscript 14gr and French "CHARGÉ" in black, Calais transit, reverse with Windsor despatch along with London, "Paris to Strasbourg" and two boxed German ds including part Carlsbad arrival, four marks where the French wax seal have been removed and some trivial soiling, an attractive 2s franked cover, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. Note: After 1st January 1855 the registration fee on a letter to or through France became the same as the postage rate. It is thought that this cover is connected to Windsor Castle and there is a past family link between the House of Windsor and the Weber family. (Image)

1858 (Mar 17) Envelope sent registered from London to Bombay via Southampton bearing 1855-57 6d and 1s (2) paying 2s postage up to 1 1/2 oz and 6d registration fee, "(CROWN) / REGISTERED" handstamp adjacent, backstamped London reg'd oval and Bombay arrival cds, some minor cover faults, a scarce registered usage, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. Note: Registration to India commenced on July 1st 1857, pre-1860 registered mail to India is very seldom seen. (Image)

1858 (Jul 27) Envelope sent registered from Plymouth to Margate, bearing 1d star (defective) and 6d lilac, crown registered handstamp struck in red, London transit and Margate arrival, fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1859 (Dec 15) "Brocklehurst" entire to Macclesfield bearing 1855-57 6d lilac with 2d blue pl.8 tired by London "21" numerals, endorsed "Registered" and "48" with London oval registered ds and Lombard Street cds adjacent, Macclesfield arrival bs, fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1860 (Apr 9) Commercial wrapper to London bearing 1d Star, 2d pl.8 and 1855-57 4d rose-red cancelled by "498" numerals of Manchester with manuscript "Registered at St. Peters" along with Manchester and London registered ovals, an attractive mixed franking, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1860 (May 23) Envelope to Ramsgate bearing 1d Star HA-IA pair, 2d blue pl.8 and 1855-57 4d rose-red with wing margin, tied by London District "W/19" barred ovals, endorsed "Registered" with London registered oval below, arrival bs, fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1860 (Sep 25) "Brocklehurst" entire to Macclesfield bearing 1855-57 4d rose-carmine and 6d lilac tied by London "24" numerals with a very fine strike of the framed "LOMBARD STREET / B / REGISTERED LETTER" hs in red (A&H 1497) below along with London registered oval ds, Macclesfield arrival on reverse, fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1860 (Sep 27) Envelope to London with 1855-57 6d lilac and 1d Star tied by "250" numerals with Devonport despatch below, marked "Registered Letter 39" and the sans-serif small "(Crown) / REGISTERED" in red, London registered oval, fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1860 (Oct 5) Large commercial wrapper sent registered to New York "per Arabia", bearing 1855-57 6d lilac (trimmed wing margin) and 1s green strip of four, all tied by London "24" numerals with scarce "LOMBARD STREET / C / REGISTERED LETTER" framed hs (A & H 1497), small crown registered hs (W & J 1133), London registered oval and New York arrival below, fine and attractive high franking. (Image)

1861 (Feb 5) Cover franked with 1d rose-red JG, tied by a very fine blue Peebles cds sent locally, horizontal filing crease lower part of the envelope not affecting the stamp, a very fine and attractive cover, scarcer cancel in blue. (Image)

1861 (Feb 22) Cover sent to Italy franked with a 1d red OK, tied by a London Inland cancel, with London paid cds in red centrally and destination "PD", endorsed "Calais", with Genova arrival dated 25 Feb, a rare example of a 1d red destination mail franking, some toning to perfs and horizontal filing crease not affecting stamp. (Image)

1861 (Jun 19) Wrapper sent registered to Paris with 1855-57 4d rose-red and 6d lilac (2) tied by London Inland "21" numerals, paying double 4d rate and thus the same for registration making a total of 1s4d, with London registered oval, small crowned registered hs, French "CHARGÉ" hs and Calais transit below, the reverse with Paris arrival and boxed reg'n handstamp with manuscript rate marks, two French wax seals have been removed, fine, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1861 (Aug 10) Envelope from Norwich to Pontefract, bearing 1855-57 6d lilac (trimmed wing margin) and surrounded by the framed "REGISTERED / AT NORWICH" hs with manuscript date insertion, plus 1d Stars on white paper alongside with both tied by Norwich duplex cancels, London registered oval below and reverse with part Pontefract arrival cds, minor cover faults not detracting from the magnificent strike of this rare and important registration marking of which only one other cover has been recorded, ex Martin Willcocks (June 1999), Vivien Sussex (March 2002), "Severn" (DF April 2010, realised €2'000+20%) and Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1862 (Feb 4) Letter sheet sent registered from Norwich to Calcutta bearing strip of three 6d lilac paying 1s6d rate (double 6d letter rate per 1/2oz plus 6d registration), with London reg'd oval ds and crown registered hs adjacent, Calcutta arrival bs, vertical creases in no way detracting from the fine appearance of this scarce cover, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1862 (Mar 5) Envelope from Cardiff, Wales, sent to the "Order of Charity" in Rome, Italy, with 1864-79 2d blue pl.9 and 1862-64 9d bistre lower marginal showing inscription "Ninepence / per Label", tied by "162" duplex cancels, sent via Marseilles with Calais, Marseilles and Civitavecchia transits with Rome arrival, very fine and attractive franking and especially scarce with the marginal inscription. (Image)

1862 (Oct 27) Envelope from London to Victoria, Australia, with 1862-64 9d bistre tied by London "WC 11" duplex with neat "DEFICIENT POSTAGE 3d / FINE 6d / 9d" postage due hs, Melbourne arrival, carried by "Vectis" from Marseilles, "Nubis" from Suez and "Bombay" from Galle, light envelope toning, an attractive underpaid franking. (Image)

1864 (Jan 16) Commercial entire to Philadelphia "per Australasia via Queenstown" sent during the American Civil War, bearing 1862-64 6d lilac (small fault) and 1s green wing margin pair, paying double 1s rate postage (under 1 1/2oz) plus 6d registration, tied by London "14" barred oval obliterators, good strikes of "LOMBARD STREET / C / REGISTERED LETTER" frame hs and "(crown) / REGISTERED" hs adjacent along with London registered oval ds, "48" US accountancy hs in red, a clean cover free from the usual filing creases, ex Alan Holyoake RDP FRPSL. (Image)

1867 (Sep 11) Cover sent to Paris franked with two horizontal pairs of 1d reds, all folded over the edge to the back of the cover, tied by "191" English numeral, London transit in blue on reverse with arrival, fine. (Image)

1868 (Jun 1) Mourning envelope from Brighton to Port Denison, Queensland, Australia, with 1867-80 wmk Spray 6d pl.6 (trimmed wing margin at right) tied by "132" duplex, with "10" hs adjacent, reverse with London despatch, Brisbane transit and indistinct arrival, missing backflap, scarce mail to this part of Australia. (Image)

1868 (Dec 3) Envelope from Dublin, Ireland, to Victoria, Australia, with 1865-73 wmk LG 4d vermilion pl.10 and 1867-80 wmk Spray 1s green strip of three, tied by Irish "186" duplexes, with the cover coming open in transit presumably due to the heavy contents and resealed on arrival in Melbourne with pieces of selvedge and stamped with "RECEIVED OPEN AT / POST OFFICE MELBOURNE / AND REFASTENED" hs in blue with matching arrival cds, cover faults as to be expected, still unusual and full of character, ex Hugh Freeman. (Image)

1845-1895, Group of three covers incl. 1870 (Jan 21) Wrapper from Berkley, Gloucestershire, sent to Norway with 1864-79 1d red pl.130 in strip of four and strip of three, with one stamp overlapping the edge and torn in two on opening, with "4d" accountancy hs below, reverse with London and Christianaland arrival, fine and attractive; plus 1845 1d red (four margined, unusually pale shade) on cover from Liverpool to Manchester and 1895 French PO in Shanghai 5c on cover to Vienna. (Image)

1870 (Feb 19) Soldier's concessionary envelope from London to South Australia, sent by a Sgt Major in the Royal Engineers and counter-signed at lower left, with 1864-79 1d red pl.111 tied by "SW / 30" duplex, Adelaide transit adjacent, Kooringa arrival bs, missing portion of backflap, fine and scarce, cert. BPA (2011). (Image)