Stunning Unused Marginal Example of the Earliest Impression

1848-59 Post Paid 1d orange-vermilion on thick yellowish, earliest impression, extraordinary corner example with sheet margins, deep impression with all shading lines present, position 12 on the sheet, brilliant unused, trace of shallow thinning on reverse at one corner, most desirable with maximum margins and the only unused corner marginal single we can trace (there exists a corner block of four), a key piece of the issue with very few unused known.

Note: The stamp shows part of the lightly inked edge of the plate at foot, as a faint orange line.

Provenance: Dale Lichtenstein 1968 (a mention of crease at that sale is actually part of the inked impression of the plate edge at foot) and Chartwell 2011 (Image)

1848-59 Post Paid 1d orange vermilion, earliest impression, pair in deep shade, positions 2-3 on the plate, margins almost complete (touched in two places), neat "1" numerals of Mahébourg in blue, a rare multiple of the earliest printing (SG £36'000 as singles)

Provenance: Ferrary, Rothschild, Isleham

Expertise: Cert. Brandon (2010) (Image)

1848-59 Post Paid 1d orange-vermilion on thick yellowish, earliest impression, position 2, extremely fine with enormous margins, excellent fresh colour and impression, lightly cancelled by part black grid leaving profile clear, exceptional quality for this (SG £18'000)

Provenance: M. Burrus 1963

Expertise: Cert. BPA (1978) (Image)

1848 Post Paid 1d orange on yellowish, earliest impression, position 12 on the plate, large margins and neatly cancelled by numeral "2" of Flacq, very fine (SG £18'000)

Provenance: Burrus 1968 (where it was on a piece with 2d blue, "superb used") and Kanai 1993 ("exceptional stamp") (Image)

1848-59 Post Paid 1d orange-vermilion on thick yellowish, earliest impression, position 8 on the plate of 12, very fine with brilliant colour and good to large margins, light circular grid leaving most of face clear, exceptional (SG £18'000)

Provenance: Caspary, Amundsen

Expertise: Cert. RPS (1969) (Image)

1848-59 Post Paid 2d indigo-blue on greyish, the very rare "Première Gravure" earliest state with background almost solid, position 9 on the plate, rich deep colour, cancelled by black circular grid, four margins and a fine example of this earliest printing (see Rudge p. 44) (SG £26'000)

Expertise: Cert. A. Diena (1961) (Image)

Beautiful Unused Example of the Earliest Impression

1848-59 Post Paid 2d deep blue on thick greyish, earliest impression, position 1 on the plate, magnificent unused example with large even margins and brilliant colour, exceptional quality and amongst the finest of unused of this issue (SG £65'000)

Provenance: Hind, Caspary, Lilly and Kanai

Expertise: Cert. BPA (1994) (Image)

1848-59 Post Paid 2d deep blue on greyish, earliest impression, position 5 on the plate, large margins and deep bright colour, black circular grid leaves most of profile clear, extremely fine (SG £26'000)

Provenance: M. Burrus 1963

Expertise: Cert. BPA (1978) (Image)

1848-59 Post Paid 2d deep blue on greyish, earliest impression, position 5 on the plate, very fine with large margins and used on 1849 cover to Calcutta (Dutt correspondence - see Kanai lots 28, 30), tied by circular grid in black, despatch cds MAURITIUS POST OFFICE MY 14 1849 on face, sent by the vessel "Princess Royal", with Calcutta Ship Letter on flap for June 7 "Inland Bearing 1anna/ Ship do 2annas/ Total 3annas" charge for Indian delivery, a rare cover (SG from £52'000)

Note: the letter missed the sailing of the "Catherine Orpen", and was held for six days to be sent by the next available vessel, the "Princess Royal"

Expertise: Cert. BPA (1987) (Image)