1841 “Turned Cover” to and from Norwich and Scotow with Plate 6 “Penny Black” Franking, 1840 1d intense black, plate 6, EJ, large margins, tied by red Maltese Cross to pre-printed addressed entire with printed Church Diocese questionaire inside dispatched from 'NORWICH JA 4 1841', handstamped "Too Late" on reverse, "To the Minister of Belangh with Scottow, Norf.". Later the filled out printed questionaire with pre-printed addressee for return "To The Lord Bishop of Norwich", was turned, the already pre-franked 1840 1d intense black, plate 6, HE, large margins, cancelled by red Maltese Cross and dispatched from SCOTTOW (undated handstamp on reverse) to Norwich with arrival datestamp 'FE 4 1841' on reverse. A very unusual turned pre-printed Church Diocese questionaire form signed "Edwd Norwich" (Edward Stanley 1779-1849, Bishop of Norwich between 1837 and 1849) to check whether the incumbent (residing) Vicar John Lubbock (1800-1857) uses the Church property in Scottow and Belangh, which he does in both villages he acts as Vicar for. The two 1840, 1d. blacks from plate 6 were presumadly affixed by the sender and may originate from the same Post Office sheet.; 2014Karl Louis BPP cert. states: "Very few such questionaires with preprinted addressee 'To The Lord Bishop 01 Norwich' are known, but only one other such questionaire preserved as a complete 'turned entire' showing both pre-printed addressees 'To the Minister of ... ' and 'To The Lord Bishop of ... ' is recorded by me to date. " (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

CV. Starting Price 1,000

2, 1840 2d Blue, Plate 2, pair, IA-IB, lovely color, ample to wide margins including sliver of adjacent stamp at the right, lightly cancelled, Very Fine and choice (SG £2,000) (Image 2) (Image)

CV. Starting Price 900

1865 Cover Manchester to Alexandria, Egypt via Trieste, 1862/64 4d vermilion hairlines, 1865 6d lilac pl. 5 (both with faults; Scott 34c, 45; SG 82, 97) tied by black «498» obliterators with a red «MANCHESTER / PAID 15 MY 65» cds at left, red circular framed «PD» denoting full payment, blue «AUS ENGLAND PER AACHEN / FRANCO 17/5» transit cancel, ms. «Via Trieste», from Trieste (May 19) mailed in error via Kerkyra (Corfu, May 10 Julian calendar) to Alexandria and not directly sent and thus taxed on arrival with «110» lepta (ms., the amount due for the Corfu-Alexandria leg of the journey) being paid by Greek 10L orange on blued (3) and 80L carmine (Scott 19, 22) all tied by «ALEXANDRIA / (TURKEY)» May 21 (Julian calendar) cancels, light cover crease across top affects one of the Greek 10L and the 80L, a most attractive and rare «well-travelled» cover; signed Calves and Tseriotis plus the latter»s 2007 certificate (Image 2) (Image)

CV. Starting Price 9,000

Royal Household Mail, 1870 Mourning Cover Addressed in Hand of Queen Victoria, 1841 2d blue, plate 4, MA, mainly large margins (just cut into at bottom left), centrally cancelled by small "POR/S.C" in star (Portsmouth Sorting Carriage) used on mourning envelope from Osborne House (crest on flap) addressed in Queen Victorias' own handwriting to "Miss Murray MacGregor, Hampton Court, Kingston on Thames" with arrival datestamp "DE 30 1870"; a very late use of the 1841/53 2d imperf and despite a single off-cover (ex Grant collection 2003) that proves that the late use of the 2d imperfs on (Royal?) Mail from the Isle of Wight or Portsmouth, an unique usage of the "POR/S.C" handstamp cancelling the 2d imperf on cover; possibly the most important philatelic cover from Queen Victoria in private hand; 2016 K Louis BPP certificate
Queen Victoria and Miss Murray MacGregor had earlier become friends through their literary interests, the lady helping to correct the Queens "Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands".
It is believed that mail from Queen Victoria or her immediate circle of family and friends received special consideration to avoid postal delay when visiting at her Royal Residence Osborne house on the the Isle of Wight.
The Murray MacGregor family were given residence at Hampton Court Palace by Queen Victoria in 1851, when Sir John Atholl Bannatyne Murray MacGregor, then Lieutenant-Governor of the Virgin Islands died at Tortola in the West Indies.
Provenance and reference: A.G. Brewer collection (1976), Gibbons Stamp Monthly magazine, May 1976, Heinz Reck collection (1980s), Spink auction (Dec 1998) "Symphony in Blue" collection (1999 - 2016). (Image 2) (Image)

CV. Starting Price 1,500