SHOE BOX - C10 ACCUMULATION OF COVERS - strength is in London mail (c130 items, inc. 1861 Es (2) with additional 1d red left paying a late fee and 1864 EL to Gt Yarmouth with "TOO-LATE/G.P.O.", plus 1862 front to Buenos Ayres paid in cash apart from C10 1d red paying a late fee) and Liverpool (c45 items) with the remaining c40 items with useful Scottish or provincial covers inc. 1862 E to London with FA-FB plate 55 pair of re-entries tied by 619 numerals of Pickering. Mixed condition, some scarce cancels among the London mail. (c215)Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL (Image)

1854-c57 BLUED PAPER COVERS - good range inc. Sep. 1854 env. to Leeds with C1 DE plate 173 state 2, Feb. 1855 env. to Paisley with C1 (creased) tied by "LOCHWINNOCK" Scots local, and Dec. 1855 EL to Wakefield with C6 (2) tied by London numerals; useful udc interest inc. scarce/rare BRAMHAM, CLIFFORD YORKS., DRONFIELD (2, red or blue), FLAXTON, SWEET GREEN TRO, WEMBWORTHY and WHELDRAKE. Mixed condition. (c137) (Image)

PLATE 178 - TRIO OF 'PLUM' COVERS - Oct. 1854 envs. (3, from the same correspondence) to Weymouth franked with 1d reds in a pleasing shade of deep plum (SG £950 each off-cover; clearly from the same sheet as lettered RI, RK & RK) and tied by D-rated 105 numerals of BRACKNELL (cds on the back, along with DORCHESTER and FARNBOROUGH-STATION plus udc of WINFIELD). Very fine trio.Cross Reference: DORSET, BERKSHIRE (Image)

PLATES 1 TO 20 DIE II - USED RANGE ON STOCK SHEETS - mostly good to fine, all C3/C4/C6 with five being the actual stamps photographed in the Wiggins plating book, includes four pairs and C6 plate 11 (3) on Crimea piece. Good lot. (c110 items) (Image)

PLATES 13, 15, 16, 18 & 21 DIE II - RARE C3 EXAMPLES - MJ plate 13 good used; EH plate 15 fine; PE plate 16, faults inc. two small tears, centred low (shows re-entry marks on base of stamp OE above) 2019 Williams cert, SG £900; FG plate 18, small surface faults, SG £700; and RI plate 21 short perfs along base, SG £600. Total SG £2725. (5) (Image)

PLATE 20 DIE II - VERY SCARCE C3 GROUP OF MULTIPLES - three strips of 3 (one stamp with fault at top) and two pairs (one of which has surface faults); very scarce printings, SG £400 per stamp = £5200. (5 items) (Image)

DIE II SCARCE C8A SELECTION - ten examples plus one on Ipswich piece, mostly unplated and good to fine; scarce SG £375 each. Also two C8 1d reds cancelled with BOTHWELL Scots local cancel. (13) Cross Reference: SCOTS LOCAL CANCELLATIONS (Image)

SCARCE C9 GROUP OF COVERS - inc. Apr. 1857 env. to Chippenham with C9 tied by "BATH" sideways duplex, May 1857 EL used in Edinburgh with C9 in orange-brown tied by Scots local, Aug. 1857 env. (opening faults) to Brighton with C9 (2) tied by London 41 numerals, and 17 Aug. 1857 env. to London with C9 just tied by rare G-rated 331 of "SOWERBY BRIDGE" (cds on the back; the current latest date of the 331 is 27 Apr. 1857). Mixed condition, scarce issue; SG £140 each. (26)Cross Reference: YORKSHIRE (Image)

PLATE 50 - MINT BLOCK OF TWELVE - very fine and fresh, well centred unused og block lettered AB-CE, 8 stamps unmounted & couple of minor gum creases, spectacular and rare piece from this Alphabet IV plate. SG Spec C12(1) £3000++. (Image)