2d silver-grey Die I punctured 'OS' Plate 1 'CA' Monogram single ACSC 7D(1)zb, very lightly mounted, Cat $2000. Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2018) states "genuine in all respects". Provenance: Barry Gribble, Lot 2142, sold for $510. Lord Cornwallis, Lot 328, sold for £253. 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3866, sold for SFr363.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

2d deep grey Die I Plate 2 'CA' Monogram corner strip of 3 ACSC 7A(2)z in a block of 8 (4x2), very well centred, minor ironed-out crease in the lower left margin corner, the lower unit second from left with a small natural paper inclusion, lightly mounted on the two top right units and in the upper left-hand margin, six units including the monogram strip are unmounted, Cat $3570+ for a mounted monogram strip plus two mounted and three unmounted singles. Provenance: Gary Watson auction of 8.9.1986, Lot 577, sold for $250. Lord Cornwallis, Lot 89, sold for £2300. 'Besancon' Part II, Lot 3621, sold for SFr1815.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,500

2½d indigo punctured 'OS' Plate 2 with Missing '1' in '2½d' ACSC 11C(2)j Pos [2L33] (SG 36ba as non-OS; unlisted variety of O44), very well centred, irregular 'fluffy' perfs at the base, indistinct cds cancellation well clear of the variety, Cat $37,500 in footnote 5 (£35,000 for non-OS). BPA Expertising Ltd Certificate (2012). Provenance: The Morgan Collection, Lot 200, sold for £13,000 (offered with a 1956 RPSofV Certificate, subsequently lost). 'Chartwell', Lot 619, sold for £5400. Stuart Hardy's poorly centred non-OS machine-cancelled example sold for $53,590. The famous so-called 'Missing Fraction': this is widely regarded as the most famous variety in the entire Kangaroo & Map series. It occurred only in TS Harrison's printing in indigo. It is an ink-clogging flaw, akin to the 'CNE PENNY' varieties in the KGV Heads 1d reds. However, whereas the KGV variety progressed through several states, that on the 2½d Kangaroo shows little variation and was promptly rectified. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that only three mint and twelve used examples - of which only three are punctured 'OS' - have been recorded. A key factor that contributed to the rarity of this variety is that many of the sheets from Harrison's indigo printing were overprinted 'N.W./PACIFIC/ISLANDS' for use in Occupied New Guinea. If the ACSC is correct that only three examples punctured 'OS' exist, we can account for them all. An example with Perth machine cancellation sold at an auction in Perth on 12.8.2006 for $40,700. The 'Lionheart' example, with Sydney machine cancellation, sold for $15,725. And this is the third.

Grade A- A2 (Image1)

Estimate AU$20,000

2½d deep blue Plate 1 Inserted 'CA' Monogram single ACSC 11B(1)za in a block of 6 (3x2), very well centred, a couple of slightly uneven perfs, two upper units very lightly mounted otherwise unmounted, Cat $1670+ for a mounted monogram single and two mounted and three unmounted singles. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 236, sold for $1075.

Grade A-/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

2½d indigo Plate 2 TS Harrison One-Line Imprint block of 4 ACSC 11C(2)zf, both right-hand units Pos [2R49] & [2R55] with Thick Western Australian Coastline ACSC 11C(2)d, remarkably well centred, the upper-right unit with a couple of faint tonespots, very lightly mounted at the top of the gutter only and otherwise unmounted, Cat $3750+ for a mounted imprint block of 4. Provenance: 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3776, sold for SFr1330. Specialists will enjoy the challenges presented by this block: the Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that unit [2L60] has a retouch to the right of the value tablet, whereas Greg Pope states that in the Harrison printings the retouch is not evident but that there is a small colour flaw close to the top of the 'd' in '2½d'. That strongly suggests that [2L60] was actually substituted. On this block, neither the retouch nor the spot of colour is apparent. Greg Pope also states that the Thick Coastlines on units [R49] and [R55] are the Second State, which is the thickest and most obvious variant. However, while on both right-hand units the coastline is definitely thicker than on unaffected stamps, it is more like State One than State Two. Also interesting is that only one of the two secondary flaws on [2L55] identified by Pope - ie the small spot of colour adjoining the outer frame of the value tablet at 11 o'clock - is present. At pages 99 and 117, Pope illustrates "margin characteristics" in the 'jubilee' lines. There is a distinctive thinning at the base of the left-hand line adjacent to unit [2L60] and a 'bite' out of the base of the right-hand line adjacent to [2R55] that are both present here. However, the vertical white crack or scratch through the horizontal line below the gutter is not evident. Clearly, more research is required.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

3d olive-green Die I Plate 1 Inserted 'JBC' Monogram single ACSC 13K(1)zc in a block of 4, the monogram unit Pos [1R58] with early state of Frame Break above 'ST' of 'AUSTRALIA' ACSC 13(1)f, very well centred, a couple of slightly uneven perfs, very lightly mounted, Cat $1950+ for a mounted monogram single and three mounted singles, plus a premium for the scarcer shade. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 250, sold for $1015, described as "lower units MUH".

Grade A-/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

3d olive-green Die I Plate 2 TS Harrison Two-Line Imprint block of 4 ACSC 13K(2)zf in a block of 8 (4x2), remarkably well centred and very fresh, a few nibbled perfs at the top, very lightly mounted across the gutter at top and in the lower margin otherwise unmounted, Cat $5300+ for a mounted imprint block of 4 and four unmounted singles, plus a premium for the scarcer shade. Provenance: Lord Cornwallis, Lot 104, sold for £3130. 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3778, sold for SFr2660.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,000

3d olive Die IIB Plate 3 TS Harrison Two-Line Imprint pair ACSC 14D(3)za in a strip of 4, well centred and very fresh but with a couple of minor tonespots, vertical fold in the gutter & a light bend affecting the second unit from the left, unmounted, Cat $2200+ for a mounted imprint pair and two unmounted singles. Provenance: Frank Scrivener/Ron Mallin, Jos Gregson Private Treaty Sale No 1 (1993), Lot 135, sold for £200. Lord Cornwallis, Lot 105, sold for £698. 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3779, sold for SFr1450.

Grade A/A- B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

6d ultramarine Die II Plate 1 Inserted 'CA' Monogram single ACSC 19A(1)za, an attractive deep shade, well centred, very lightly mounted, Cat $3000. Superb. Provenance: Private transaction.

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,250

6d dull ultramarine Die II punctured 'OS' Plate 2 'CA' Monogram strip of 3 ACSC 19A(2)z in a block of 8 (4x2) without the side-margin at left, well centred (the monogram unit remarkably so), minor tonespot on the upper-right unit, the upper units lightly to very lightly mounted, all units in the lower row are unmounted, Cat $10,125+ for a mounted monogram strip (at $12,000 x75% for being punctured 'OS'), plus one unmounted and four mounted 'OS' singles. Perfin Club of New Zealand & Australia Certificate (2021). Provenance: 'Lionheart' Australian Rarities, Lot 15, sold for $6990.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$6,000

6d dull grey-blue Die II Plate 2 'T.S. HARRISON' Two-Line Imprint block of 4 with 'jubilee' lines ACSC 19E(2)zi, remarkably well-centred for an imprint piece, almost insignificant aging at the top & a few very minor tonespots that don't detract at all from the beautiful facial appearance, the lower units are unmounted, Cat $32,500+ for mounted. Provenance: Private transaction. A great rarity and a highly important item in the Kangaroo Series. The ACSC states that the 6d Die II Harrison Imprint is the rarest imprint apart from some of the Bicoloured High Values, and that only three blocks of 4 - across both plates - have been recorded. We expect that this is the finest of them. It is certainly of superior quality to Arthur Gray's similar block - described as "very fine & exceedingly choice", but with significant gum toning - that sold for US$25,300. On the subject of relative scarcity - and based on the ACSC's recorded items - both the 1/- Die II and the 2/- brown Harrison imprint blocks are scarcer, with only one of the former known, and only one of each of the one-line & two-line imprints known for the latter.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$22,500

6d pale ultramarine Die IIB Plate 4 TS Harrison Two-Line Imprint pair ACSC 20C(4)za in a strip of 4, light vertical fold through the margin, a little aged with a couple of miniscule tone specks, mounted in the margin only with all the stamps being unmounted, Cat $8,250+ for a mounted imprint pair and two unmounted singles. The Die IIB imprints have no 'jubilee' lines in the margins: compare with Lot 89. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 267, sold for $5485 (mis-identified as Die II ACSC 19(2)zh).

Grade A-/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,500

6d Die II die proof in red-brown on white wove paper as ACSC 21(DP)1 with a significant Colour Flaw in the Indian Ocean off Geraldton and a Partial Offset on the Reverse, minor corner crease at upper-right, the paper (81x104mm) with a few small natural inclusions but the impression is unaffected and superb!, Cat $25,000. Provenance: 'Chartwell', Lot 536, sold for £6240. The smaller Arthur Gray example sold for US$29,900. It was re-offered in The Morgan Collection, where it sold for £19,200. Lord Vestey's example similar to the proof offered here - Ex James Williamson - sold for £22,800. These both appear toalso be Die II. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that three examples have been recorded. The Arthur Gray/Morgan Collection example in chestnut on smaller piece (31x34mm) exhibited a deformity towards the base of the outer frameline at right: that is the example illustrated in the ACSC. The example in James Williamson's collection, described as "chestnut" on paper size 79x99mm appears from the catalogue illustration to have no flaws. We suggest that the example offered here was the first produced, that the die was rejected because of the flaw off the Western Australian coast, and the colour was also not approved. Arthur Gray's example was struck in the accepted colour but was probably also rejected because of the poorly cut right-hand frame. It seems likely that the Williamson/Vestey example, with no obvious flaws, was the final version. The issued stamps were all Die IIB, prompting our suggestion that these three proofs were produced at an earlier time, perhaps in the same period as the High Value proofs - see Lots 52 & 57 - which would make them of far greater significance than has previously been accepted.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$20,000

6d chestnut Plate 3 TS Harrison Two-Line Imprint with 'N' over 'M' block of 4 ACSC 21A(3)zb in a block of 8 (4x2) including Pos [L54] with Hairline from Map to Value Circle ACSC 21A(3)g, well centred, characteristic rough perfs, very fresh with only the upper-left and upper-right units lightly mounted and otherwise unmounted, Cat $1280+ for a mounted imprint block of 4 and two mounted & two unmounted singles. Superb! Provenance: Private transaction.

Grade A+ B2 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

9d pale violet Die II Plate 1 Inserted 'CA' Monogram single ACSC 26B(1)za in a horizontal pair, the non-monogram unit Pos [1L58] with Islands below 'A' of 'POSTAGE' ACSC 26B(1)d, well centred, small blemish in the right-hand margin of the normal unit, very lightly mounted and the monogram unit is superb!, Cat $3250+ for a mounted monogram single and the variety. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 284, sold for $1550.

Grade A+/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

1/- pale blue-green Die II Plate 1 Inserted 'CA' Monogram single ACSC 32A(1)za in a block of 4, well centred, the upper units very lightly mounted, the lower units including the monogram unit are unmounted, Cat $4025+ for a mounted monogram single plus one unmounted and two mounted singles. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 301, sold for $4530.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,000

1/- blue-green Die II Plate 1 Inserted 'JBC' Monogram single ACSC 32A(1)zc in a block of 4, reasonably well centred, the upper units very lightly mounted, the lower units including the monogram unit are unmounted, Cat $4025+ for a mounted monogram single plus one unmounted & two mounted singles. Provenance: Greg Pope, Lot 257, sold for $2690 'Fordwater', Lot 125, sold for £1920. 'Besancon' Part II, Lot 3629, sold for SFr1695.

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,000

1/- pale blue-green Die II Plate 2 TS Harrison One-Line Imprint pair ACSC 32A(2)zh, well centred, lightly mounted across the gutter with small-part hinge remainder, Cat $15,000. Superb. Provenance: Lord Cornwallis, Lot 124, sold for £8670. 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3783, sold for SFr4600. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that this "is a very scarce imprint, and at present only one example in a block of four can be confirmed as existing in private hands". Arthur Gray's imprint block of 4 sold for US$29,900. Stuart Hardy's imprint block of 8 sold for $51,260. It was re-offered at 'Chartwell', where it sold for £19,200. By comparison, the ACSC states of the 6d blue Die II Harrison Two-Line Imprint that this is "perhaps the rarest imprint outside the bicoloured high values. At present, only three blocks of 4 can be confirmed". Neither ACSC footnote gives details of the respective imprint pairs recorded, but, in our experience, the 1/- pairs are scarcer than those of the 6d blue: refer to Lot 91. The Gray and Hardy blocks were both stated to be from Plate 1. This Plate 2 pair has different characteristics at the junction of the marginal 'jubilee' lines.

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$10,000

1/- blue-green Die IIB Plate 3 with the Watermark Sideways AJ Mullett Imprint block of 4 ACSC 33Aaa(3)zb including Pos [3R49] with Break in North-West Coast of Tasmania ACSC 33aa(3)j, jumped perfs creating a quite well centred 'jumbo' pair at the base, one faint tonespot in the gutter, light vertical fold in central gutter, lightly mounted, Cat $2250 in footnote 1. Provenance: Lord Cornwallis, Lot 126, sold for £985. 'Besancon' Part II, Lot 3631, sold for SFr605. NB: most Watermark Sideways imprint blocks are poorly centred.

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

2/- brown horizontal pair Imperforate Three Sides ACSC 37Ab (SG 41a) from the upper-left corner of the right-hand pane, margins large to enormous with part of the adjoining marginal 'jubilee' line at left, some minor and inconsequential black fibres adhering to the reverse, still very fresh and lightly mounted, Cat $125,000 (£110,000). A magnificent showpiece that is arguably the most important item in the 'Artemis' collection. BPA Expertising Ltd Certificate (2012). Provenance: The Morgan Collection, Lot 256, sold for £84,000. 'Chartwell', Lot 546, sold for £60,000. In 1920, one sheet with the top row imperforate on three sides was discovered, in Adelaide. The strip of 12 was presumably bought over the post office counter at the face value of 24/- (= $2.40)! The strip was divided into four pairs, a strip of three and a single (that the Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states was subsequently "lost"). The strip of three was in Colonel Harrie Evans' collection, and sold in 2001 for $88,000 which, at the time, was a world record price for a Commonwealth of Australia item. It was subsequently separated into an unmounted single (the right-hand unit; sold privately) and a pair, which has a tear between the units and into the right-hand stamp. At the sale of Arthur Gray's collection, this defective pair sold for US$74,750. Two of the original pairs are now institutionalised, in the Royal Collection and in the Australian National Philatelic Collection respectively. Another pair was in the Ron Hieronymous collection that was stolen in 1984 and is believed to have been destroyed. There are therefore only the unmounted single and two pairs in private hands, of which this Morgan/'Chartwell' example is by far the superior item. Alec Rosenblum, one of the most prominent and influential pre-WWII Australian philatelists wrote: "This variety is justly regarded as about [sic] the greatest [Australian] Commonwealth rarity". We contend that it is also in the highest echelon of Twentieth Century errors of the entire British Commonwealth.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$125,000

2/- grey-brown punctured 'OS' ACSC 37Hba (SG O49) block of 4 from the right of the sheet with vertical watermark-line at right, well centred, a couple of minor gum-bends that do not detract from the very fine appearance, unmounted, Cat $13,000+ for unmounted singles (£1900++ for mounted singles) plus a premium for the scarcer shade. Perfin Club of New Zealand & Australia Certificate (2015). Provenance: Prestige/Mossgreen sale of 5.3.2015, Lot 1291, sold for $5380. 'Kangaroo Issues' Spink, Lot 178. Estimate £2500-£3000, unsold.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$4,000

2/- brown Plate 1 Inserted 'CA' Monogram single ACSC 37A(1)za, very fine facial appearance but with a small thin behind the first 'A' of 'AUSTRALIA' and another at the base of the margin, and the upper 40% of the stamp with no gum, Cat $15,000. Provenance: 'Goldmine', Lot 325, sold for $20,275 (described as "nice mint" with no reference to any problems). The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue records no CA Monogram strips, only a pair and four singles (one of which is in the Australian National Philatelic Collection, and one of which is postally used). That leaves only the pair and two mint singles in private hands.

Grade B C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$7,500

2/- brown punctured 'OS' Plate 1 Inserted 'JBC' Monogram strip of 3 ACSC 37Aba(1)zb in a block of 12 [1R49-54/55-60], the right-hand margin and a small piece of selvedge at the base removed but with part of the gutter margin at left, very well centred, a few short perforations which hardly detract, multiple largely fine to very fine strikes of the 'LATE FEE/ 1 /8AP18/SPENCER ST VIC' cds that do not intrude on the monogram, Cat $50,000 for a mint punctured 'OS' monogram strip of 3 - see below - but unpriced used. A magnificent and stunningly beautiful showpiece. This is the equal-largest known surviving monogram piece of any denomination between 2/- and £2. Further, we believe it is also the largest surviving postally used punctured 'OS' monogram piece for any denomination. Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria Certificate (2013). Provenance: Stuart Hardy, Lot 350, sold for $34,950. 'Chartwell", Lot 620, sold for £18,000. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states in footnote 8 that only one other JBC Monogram strip of 3 is recorded, in a mint strip of 6 that has been rejoined (and is "therefore technically not a monogram strip of 3"). There are also two mint pairs and three mint singles (one with the watermark inverted). Of the CA Monogram, no strips are recorded, only a pair and four singles (one of which is in the Australian National Philatelic Collection and one of which is postally used). Kevin Nelson's 2/- brown 'JBC' Monogram rejoined mint strip of 6 - referred to in the ACSC footnote - sold for $21,280. His First Watermark 2/- brown 'JBC' Monogram corner strip of 3 in a CTO block of 12 - the equal-largest surviving high value monogram piece - also sold for $21,280. The ACSC prices very few used monograms, and where it does, this is invariably for CTO rather than postally used. We contend that prices for postally used monograms that are known to exist should be provided in the ACSC. In our view, this block is the most important - and the most spectacular - used multiple of the Commonwealth of Australia. Collector interest in used multiples has grown steadily in recent years. This is an item around which an entire collection deserves to be developed.

Grade A B2 (Image1)

Estimate AU$30,000

2/- brown Plate 2 TS Harrison One-Line Imprint pair ACSC 37A(2)zg, remarkably well centred for an imprint piece with only the faintest evidence of having been mounted, Cat $20,000 for a pair. A rarity. Provenance: Lord Cornwallis, Lot 135, sold for £13,245. 'Besancon' Part III, Lot 3788, sold for SFr11,495. The Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue states that the only One-Line Imprint block of 4 is in the Royal Collection. This is the most attractive of the four pairs we have identified. It is much better centred and with a deeper margin than either Arthur Gray's pair that sold for US$14,375 or the 'Chartwell' pair that sold for £7800. Peter O'Rourke's similar but poorly-centred pair sold for $10,135.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$15,000

2/- brown ACSC 37A (SG 41) marginal block of 4 from the base of the sheet with part-TS Harrison Two-Line Imprint, exceptional centring, characteristic 'fluffy' perfs, mounted on the upper units & in the margin, the lower units are unmounted, Cat $5900+ for two mounted and two unmounted singles (£1200+ for four mounted singles). Provenance: 'Goldfarm', Lot 3101, sold for US$2760. 'Kangaroo Issues' Spink, Lot 153, described as "fine mint" with the unmounted units not noted. Estimate £1000-£1800, unsold. Harrison Imprint blocks of the 2/- brown are extremely rare. The ACSC states that the only One-Line Imprint block is in the Royal Collection, and that there is only one Two-Line Imprint block "in private hands" - Ex 'Zed', sold at our auction of 25.1.2003 for $56,000 - but unpriced in the catalogue.

Grade A A2 (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,000