1852 Scinde Dawk ½a. scarlet, used on and tied by diamond of black dots to a small piece of a thin paper letter. Lower part cracked and almost separated, a short portion of frame missing at left and a weak vert. crease from top, but still good appearance, sharp embossing and attractive. R.P.S.L. 1985 certificate. (SG £25,000) (Image)

1852 Scinde Dawk ½a. blue, used and cancelled with black diamond of dots, cut square with white margins around, sharp embossing, a weak diag. crease (through E of SCINDE and A of Dawk) and somewhat soiled/toned, but nevertheless A GOOD EXAPMLE OF THIS SCARCE STAMP. Signed and cert. Heddergott BPP. (SG £9500) (Image)

1854 Lithographed 4a. blue & pale red, horizontal pair from 1st printing, sheet pos. 3+4, used with fine strikes of diamond of dots and top half of British "PACKET LETTER/MR 2/..." d/s in double oval, cut square with wide margins including wavy lines between and below. The right hand stamp with a little thin, minor traces of toning/aging, but still A MOST ATTRACTIVE PAIR FROM THE FIRST PRINTING. (Image)

1854 Lithographed 4a. blue & red HORIZONTAL PAIR from 2nd printing, Pos. 5+6, used on folded 1855 cover from Calcutta to CANTON, China 'via Galle' (endorsed) and Hong Kong, each impression cancelled by diamond of dots, manuscript "1/-" (ship rate 1s. = 8a.) and red boxed "PAID" alongside, backstamped red "CALCUTTA G.P.O./..." double-ring d/s (cover dated inside "24th Feb. 1855") and black Hong Kong 26.4.55 transit cds. A fine pair with fresh colours, good margins (touched/slightly cut right and bottom framelines only) on a slightly toned/stained but still fine cover. A SCARCE AND MOST ATTRACTIVE COVER TO CHINA BEARING A SCARCE PAIR OF THE 4A. LITHOGRAPHED. BPA 2016 certificate. (Image)

1854-55 Lithographed 4a. blue & red, 3rd printing with Head Die IIIa and Frame Die I, sheet pos. 6 of wide setting, used and cancelled by diamond of dots, cut square with almost complete outer framelines (except a part cut at left and touched at top), a short corner crease at top left and slightly cut bottom left corner, otherwise A FINE AND FRESH EXAMPLE OF THIS SCARCE STAMP. Signed G. Bühler. (SG £3250) (Image)

1854-55 Lithographed 4a. blue & red, vertical pair from 5th printing, medium setting, sheet pos. 12+18, used from Sattara with fine strikes of "93" numeral plus "Stamped" in m/s and "BOMBAY/MA 23/1858" c.d.s., cut square with complete to wide margins around. Very small imperfections (thin between stamps at the very right edge, minor traces of usage), still A MOST ATTRACTIVE PAIR FROM THE FIFTH PRINTING with several special details including retouches (nose and frame of top stamp), and others. (Image)

1853/1922: Lion & Palm 1922 reprint on thin white wove paper, complete sheet (155 x 109mm) in black showing three se-tenant type pairs (Die I + II, Spence 36 and 37), with usual slight smudging of ink, faint soiling, still fine. EXTREMELY RARE WITH ONLY 4 PRINTS OF EACH COLOUR. Ex Koh-i-Nor collection. (Image)

1853/1922: Lion & Palm 1922 reprint on stout white card, complete sheet (174 x 125mm) in orange-brown showing three se-tenant type pairs (Die I + II, Spence 51/66), with light soiling, still fine. EXTREMELY RARE WITH ONLY 4 PRINTS OF EACH COLOUR. (Image)

1854/1894: Lithographic 1894 transfer of the 1854 Half Anna die used for the issued stamps, complete pane of 96 (12 rows of 8) of the Half Anna in brownish red on thin yellowish unwatermarked paper, with "SPECIMEN" on reverse of each row (Spence 129), trivial soiling and folded through center, but A VERY SCARCE SHEET. (M) (Image)

1854/1916: One Anna in design of the issued stamps as new 1916 lithograhic impression taken just prior to the defacement of the stone in black on white wove paper (Spence 59), complete pane of 14 (two rows of 7), with faint impression of the 4a. sheet (head only - defaced) on reverse, fine. AN EXTREMELY RARE PANE OF WHICH ONLY 5 ARE KNOWN, FOUR OF WHICH ARE IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS, UNIQUE IN PRIVATE HANDS. Ex Wilmot Corfield. (M) (Image)

1890 One Anna essay of Queen with gothic Crown design in black on yellowish wove paper (Spence 7), plate (110 x 115mm) with the row of 3 including a tete-beche pair, FINE AND RARE. (Image)

1854 Essay of Half Anna and One Anna with crosses in upper corners, three complete panes of eight se-tenant vertical pairs (or two rows of 8 of each value) in blue, red and black on lightly yellowish wove paper (Spence 89-91, 41-43) all with traces of light foxing in places, but A RARE TRIO each with pencil annotations on reverse wich indicates they are ex Eugene Klein collection. (M) (Image)

1854/1916: Essay with crosses in upper corner from a 1916 new impression taken from the 1894 stone, complete pane of the Half Anna (3 rows of 8) and One Anna (2 rows of 8) lithographic transfers in black on white wove paper (Spence 113 and 59), of which it is believed that only 5 copies were made just previous to the defacement of the stone, and this being THE ONLY ONE IN PRIVATE HANDS, trivial tone spots and adhesions on reverse. A WONDERFUL RARITY. Ex Wilmot Corfield. (M) (Image)

1890/1916: Lithographed 1916 reprinted of Half Anna (Spence 75) and One Anna (Spence 34) in complete sheet (236 x 275mm) from the 1890 stones, with horizontal strips of six of each value in black, with remnants of adhesive tape on reverse, but still A FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE SHEET FROM WHICH ONLY 5 KNOWN - THIS BEING THE ONLY ONE IN PRIVATE HANDS. Ex Wilmot Corfield. (M) (Image)

1890/1916: Lithographed 1916 reprinted sheet (250 x 182mm) from the 1890 stones on 'Perkins Bacon & Co. Ltd/London' watermarked paper, with seven impressions of the Half Anna, a single One Anna and Eight Annas "Head" and "Frame" only, the last two inverted and partly superimposed, all in black taken from their respective 1890 stones of imitation (Spence 74, 75, 33, 6 and 7 resp.). A VERY RARE SHEET. (M) (Image)

1854/1890: Two Annas in both the square (D1) and octogonal (D2) designs along with Four Annas complete design (Head Die III worn) and Head only all in lake on white parchment paper (Spence 6-7, 8, 50c), with surround of lake wavy lines and rosettes around the Four Annas impression, light soiling, but still fine. AN EXTREMELY RARE ESSAY SHEET. (M) (Image)

1854/1890 Lithographic transfer of the Two Annas octagonal design in a row of four (spaces 23mm apart) above four rows of eight One Anna all in vermilion on sheet of yellowish wove paper with "Specimen" printed on the reverse of each impression (Spence 21 and 50 resp.), with m/s "Given to me by Sir Sidney Burrard, Surveyor General" in pencil on reverse, vertical crease at far right and light bend at left, a few small nicks at edges, still fine. AN ATTRACTIVE AND RARE SHEET. (M) (Image)

1854/1916 Recess printing in black from the defaced copper plate: Two Annas in both the square and octagonal designs along with Four Annas complete design and Head only all in black on sheet (Spence 2a-3a, 6a, 50b), with surround of black wavy lines and rosettes around the Four Annas impression, each impression defaced with black line, FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE. (M) (Image)

1854/1890's: Reprint of 4a. blue & red, Head Die III, Frame Die II, on yellowish paper with Wmk "Coat-of-Arms" sideways, of unknown date, but related to Spence 4 and 33 (1891). A very rare reprint with huge margins around. BPA 2012 cert. (Image)

1854/1894: Four Annas as 1894 lithographic reprints of frames and heads separately, with complete sheet of 24 of frames in black on yellowish wove paper (Spence 42) and complete sheet of 24 heads in black on similar paper (Spence 43) both with narrow strips of adhesive tape on reverse, but still A FINE AND VERY RARE PAIR, two BPA certificates (one for the heads mistakenly as Spence 48 on white wove paper). (M) (Image)

1854/1894: Four Annas as 1894 reprint by lithographic transfer using the essay head, in Brown-red and dark blue on thin yellowish almost pelure paper watermarked "J. WHATMAN 1874" (Spence 69), complete sheet of 12 (three rows of 4) with outer frames of wavy lines and rosettes, with the words "FACSIMILE COPY, 1894" at the foot, folded vertically at left and right clear of the design with hinge remains on these folds. Ex E.A. Smythies. (M) (Image)

1854/1916: Four Annas reprint as new impression taken from the stone just previous to the defacement, HEADS only in black (with black wavy lines and rosettes between images) on white wove paper, complete sheet of 12 (three rows of 4) whith each row defaced by black horizontal 143mm line (Spence 76 var.), one tone spot in right hand margin, horizontal fold at top and minor creasing in lower margin. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND UNIQUE SHEET IN PRIVATE HANDS. Ex Wilmot Corfield. (RL 13/12/95, lot 41). (M) (Image)

1854 Photolithographed essay of 8a. pale blue & orange-red on yellowish wove paper (Spence 3), sheet of six (180 x 94mm), a few tiny ink specks and minor creasing. A RARE ESSAY SHEET. (Image)

1854/1916: Eight Annas octagonal essay as 1916 impression from the stone used for the 1890 printings, complete sheet with FRAME only and HEAD only both in black in horizontal rows of six (Spence 6-7), minor creasing. UNIQUE IN PRIVATE HANDS. RPS certificate. Ex Wilmot Corfield. (M) (Image)

1857 (October 23) cover from Calcutta to Genova, Sardinia send per P&O Steamer Bentinck via Trieste. The cover is franked with a spectacular combination between 1854 imperforated 2 Annas green (very fine with four wide margins) and De la Rue 1855 pair of 4 Annas black on blue glazed paper and 1856 1 Anna brown all tied by Calcutta numeral and blue "FORWARDED BY HILLANDERS...Co CALCUTTA" handstamp. The 11 Annas paid the postage until Alexandria, Egypt from there on it was sent postage due. Alexandria-Triest 9 Kreuzer, Triest-Genova 9 Kreuzer. These 18 Kreuzer of Austrian credit are documented by the "D.A.a.L" handstamp with a 18 alongside. A final 1 Lire postage due (which also included the Sardinian inland postage) was paid by the receiver. In the book of the Jochen Heddergott Grand Prix collection (page 184) a similar 1855 cover to Genova is illustrated. IN THIS FRANKING COMBINATION POSSIBLY UNIQUE. Very Fine. Signed A. Diena, certifi (Image)