6d chestnut overprinted 'OS' Plate 3 John Ash Imprint block of 4 ACSC 23(OS)A3z in a block of 8 (4x2) with Pos [3L54] Hairline from Map to Value Tablet ACSC 23(OS)3g, light vertical fold through the gutter, well centred especially the left-hand units, unmounted, Cat $1300+ for a mounted imprint block of 4 and four unmounted singles. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 457, sold for $715. The hairline variety on unit [L54] is usually quite clear and obvious. In this instance, it is difficult to see and appears to have been retouched.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

5/- grey & yellow-orange ACSC 46A (SG 135) block of 24 (6x4) from the top of the left-hand pane with margins on three sides, unmounted, Cat $36,000+ for unmounted singles plus a significant premium for the seven varieties listed below (£4320+ for mounted singles). A magnificent showpiece. The block includes three ACSC-listed Duty Plate varieties and four ACSC-listed Vignette Plate varieties: [L2] Major Break along New South Wales Coast ACSC 46(D)da [L3] Tsunami in the Great Australian Bight ACSC 46(D)e [L6] Broken Coast near Sydney and Elongated Spencer Gulf ACSC 46(D)f [L10] Ewe-Faced Kangaroo - Second State ACSC 46(V)fa [L11] Fencepost (Colour Flaw) at Left of the Grass ACSC 46(V)g [L17] Hunch-Backed Kangaroo ACSC 46(V)h [L23] Notch in Kangaroo's Snout ACSC 46(V)i, possibly retouched Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria Certificate (2013) which lists six of the seven varieties. Provenance: Stuart Hardy, Lot 580, sold for $23,300. 'Chartwell', Lot 605, sold for £10,200.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$20,000

5/- grey & yellow-orange John Ash Imprint block of 4 ACSC 46Aza with Pos [R55] Open-Mouthed Kangaroo ACSC 46(V)vb, light vertical fold through the gutter, quite well centred, three units lightly mounted with a few split/reinforced perforations at right, the lower-left unit is unmounted, Cat $5500+ for a mounted imprint block with variety. Provenance: Lord Cornwallis, Lot 189, sold for £1685. 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3831, sold for SFr2300 (described as both left-hand units being unmounted).

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,000

5/- grey & pale yellow-orange John Ash Imprint block of 4 ACSC 46Aza with Pos [R55] Open-Mouthed Kangaroo ACSC 46(V)vb, light vertical fold through the gutter, a few split/reinforced perforations in the margin, CTO with 'GPO/9DE32/MELBOURNE' cds, no gum, Cat $5500 for mint. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 475, sold for $1252.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,250

10/- grey & aniline pink ACSC 50D (SG 136 shade) marginal block of 24 (6x4) from the top of the left-hand pane, strong aniline fluorescence under ultra-violet light, most units are well centred, very lightly mounted in the top margin where there are a couple of split/reinforced perfs, otherwise unmounted, Cat $72,000+ for unmounted singles in the corresponding non-aniline shade - see below - plus significant premiums for the aniline shade and the five varieties specified below (£10,800+ for mounted singles). Another magnificent showpiece, that is probably the largest surviving multiple. The block includes one ACSC-listed Duty Plate variety and four ACSC-listed Vignette Plate varieties: [L6] Broken Coast near Sydney and Elongated Spencer Gulf ACSC 50(D)f [L10] Ewe-Faced Kangaroo - Second State ACSC 50(V)fa [L11] Fencepost (Colour Flaw) at Left of the Grass ACSC 50(V)g [L17] Hunch-Backed Kangaroo ACSC 50(V)h [L23] Notch in Kangaroo's Snout ACSC 50(V)i Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria Certificate (2013), as the "grey & pink" shade, mentions two of the five varieties. Provenance: Stuart Hardy, Lot 597, sold for $37,280 (described as the normal non-aniline shade). 'Chartwell', Lot 605, sold for £15,600 (described as the normal non-aniline shade). The ACSC does not price the aniline shades unmounted mint; the premium for unmounted non-aniline stamps is about three times the mounted price. Based on this, the extrapolated catalogue price for unmounted singles in the 'grey & aniline pink' shade would be $5000+ each or $120,000+ for this block. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that the aniline shades "are believed to comprise the last printing made in December 1937. Most of this printing was probably withdrawn and destroyed following the issue of the 10/- Robes definitive in November 1938".

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$40,000

10/- grey & pink with Type D 'SPECIMEN' Overprint block of 4 ACSC 50Axg, well centred, unmounted, Cat $1250+ for a mounted block of 4. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 482, sold for $895.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

£1 grey ACSC 54 (SG 137) block of 4, two nibbled perforations at the base, central 'AIR MAIL/ 12MY36/CANBERRA FCT' cds, Cat $1800+ (£1100+) for singles. A very rare and desirable postally used multiple. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 490, sold for $1252.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

£1 grey with Type D 'SPECIMEN' Overprint complete forme of 30 ACSC 54xb form the upper-left position (6x5) including Pos [L28] with Break in Gippsland Coast ACSC 54e, variable centring with many stamps being well centred, three units are very lightly mounted otherwise the block is unmounted, Cat $10,000 for a mounted block of 30. Superb. Provenance: Ray Chapman RDP Arthur Gray, Lot 834, sold for US$6325. Martin West, Lot 255, sold for £3610. 'Chartwell', Lot 609, sold for £2640. The Arthur Gray catalogue stated this block to be ex "Australia Post archives" but comparison with the illustration in the archival sale catalogue shows this to be a different block. [See also Lot 150] The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that only five intact blocks of 30 are recorded.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$5,000

£1 grey John Ash Imprint block of 4 ACSC 54z with Retouched Frame at Base on both [L60] and [R55] ACSC 54i & 54L, light vertical fold through the gutter, the gum a bit aged with a few faint tonespots, unmounted, Cat $17,500+ for a mounted block. Provenance: Julian Sterling Part II, Lot 216, sold for $5490. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that "there are probably not more than a dozen imprint blocks of 4".

Grade B C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$4,000

£2 black & rose-carmine with Type D 'SPECIMEN' Overprint complete forme of 30 ACSC 58xb from the upper-right position [R1-6/25-30] with ten listed varieties as specified below, variable centring with many stamps being well centred, unmounted, Cat $15,000+ for a mounted block of 30, plus a significant premium for the ten varieties listed below. Superb. The block includes seven ACSC-listed Duty Plate varieties and three ACSC-listed Vignette Plate varieties, as follows: [R1] Break in Frame at Base below 'N' of 'POUNDS' ACSC 58(D)o [R3] Broken Coast in the Great Australian Bight ACSC 58(D)p [R4] Colour Spot on Map North of the Bight ACSC 58(D)q, obscured by the Kangaroo [R8] Broken Coast in the Great Australian Bight ACSC 58(D)r, different from on [R3] [R19] Tsunami in the Great Australian Bight ACSC 58(D)s [R24] Colour Spot on Map North of the Bight ACSC 58(D)t, different from on [R4] [R25] Three Horizontal White Lines through the Frame at the Base ACSC 58(D)u [R12] Slice through Kangaroo's Back ACSC 58(V)q [R20] Rat-Faced Kangaroo ACSC 58(V)r [R24] Muzzled Kangaroo ACSC 58(V)s Provenance: Australia Post Archival Sale by Tender Number One (1987), Lot 185, sold for $5000. Ray Chapman RDP Arthur Gray, Lot 838, sold for US$6900. Martin West, Lot 257, sold for £4815. 'Chartwell', Lot 611, sold for £4200. The Arthur Gray catalogue stated "a few stamps at top and bottom faintly hinged". The 'Chartwell' catalogue stated "mostly unmounted". We can detect no evidence of any units having been mounted, which is as one would expect for an item from the Australia Post archives. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that only four intact blocks of 30 are recorded.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$8,000

£2 black & rose-carmine ACSC 58B (SG 138) corner block of 4 from the upper-left of the left-hand pane with 'jubilee' lines, the first unit with a natural paper inclusion below the kangaroo's tail, a couple of very minor natural gum-bends that do not detract at all from the exceptional appearance, mounted in the upper margin only with all the stamps being unmounted, Cat $60,000+ for unmounted singles (£17,000+ for mounted singles). A delightful showpiece. See also Lot 112. Provenance: Postmaster-General's Department Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester by way of gift. Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood by way of gift. George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood by descent. Spink auction of 11.11.2013, Lot 23, sold for £24,890. 'Kangaroo Issues' Spink, Lot 236. Estimate £20,000-£25,000, unsold. Stuart Hardy's similarly centred upper-left corner block of 4 - one unit mounted - sold for $33,785. Presumably because of the survival and subsequent dismemberment of CF Bulley's pane of 60 of the Small Multiple Watermark £2 - see Lot 137 - blocks of that stamp appear more regularly than do blocks of the CofA Watermark Two Pounds. Aside from the few recorded imprint blocks of 4, other CofA £2 blocks are very elusive. The 2013 Spink catalogue stated "from a collection of [then-]current Australian stamps (all in similar blocks of 4) presented in 1934 by the Postmaster-General, Senator AJ McLachlan, to HRH The Duke of Gloucester, who passed it to his [older] sister, Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood". [The Duke of Gloucester was the third son, and fourth child of King George V and Queen Mary. In 1934, he was presented with the blocks of 4 during his visit to Australia for the Centenary of Victoria Celebrations. Between 1945 and 1947 he was Governor-General of Australia, the only Royal to hold that position]

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$30,000

£2 black & rose-carmine John Ash Imprint block of 4 ACSC 58z with Pos [R55] Open-Mouthed Kangaroo ACSC 58(V)vb, quite well centred and with an unusually deep margin, one short perforation at lower-left hardly detracts from the exceptional freshness and appearance, unmounted, Cat $75,000+ for a mounted block with variety. A magnificent block, and an outstanding item with which to end the sale. Provenance: Arthur Gray, Lot 820, sold for US$40,250. Julian Sterling Part II, Lot 216, sold for $54,900. A similar block - three units mounted - sold at the Status International auction of 2.2.2017 for $41,735. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that "at least six imprint blocks of 4 have survived", of which one is in the Australian National Philatelic Collection.

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$50,000

9d violet imprint blocks comprising Plate 3 First State & Second State ACSC 29(3)z & zb, and Plate 4 First State & Second State both with Substituted Die II Cliché [R49] ACSC 29(4)z & zb, a couple of minor bends, all the lower units are unmounted, Cat $2600+ for mounted. Rarely available as a 'set'. (Qty 4 blocks)

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

2/- maroon Redrawn Die left (13) and right (2) pane Imprint blocks of 4 ASCS 41z & zd plus other blocks strips and singles, mainly unmounted, Cat $1500+. (Qty 88)

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

10/- dark grey & 'aniline' pink ACSC 50E, well centred, very lightly mounted, Cat $2750. Brusden White Certificate (2004) as the then ACSC 50C, the dark grey shade (as it is described on the certificate) being added only in the 2004 edition of the ACSC.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

£2 black & rose-carmine ACSC 58 (SG 138) with unlisted variety Broken Coastline at Esperance (above value tablet), neat Sydney cds clear of variety, Cat $900+ (£600+).

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

'SPECIMEN' OVERPRINTS: Type D on 10/- x3, £1 x3 & £2 x2, the 10/- are lightly to very lightly mounted, the others are unmounted, Cat $1380. (Qty 8)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300