De La Rue 'ink recipe' extract from the printers' ledger with imperf 'dummy' stamp block of 4 in blue affixed, margins just shaved - at right - to good.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Selection of mint blocks comprising Wmk '10' 10d block of 4, Allegorical 2½d block of 4, ½d green block of 6 with 'G.Pr.O./N.S.W.' Monogram, 'NINEPENCE' on 10d block of 8 with Current Number '5', 5d block of 6 with the Watermark Sideways & block of 4, 1905-10 4d Captain Cook block of 12 with the three Monograms, 'OS' Centennial 1d block of 4 with '1888' Monogram & 'OS' ½d grey postally used block of 6 with 'G.Pr.O./N.S.W.' Monogram, and Postage Dues ½d block of 12, mostly with large-part o.g. with many units unmounted. (10 blocks)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

Two pages of useful oddments with Diadems 2d plate proof in black and reprinted die proofs of the Small & Large Designs, Postal Fiscals 5/- (regummed) & 10/- SG 275b, 5/- Map (no gum), ½d 1d & 2d Imperf Pairs, 'OS' values to 5/- Map (regummed), etc, plus 'SPECIMEN' Overprints on 5/- Coin, 5/- Map & Postage Dues set (no gum), mostly fine to very fine. (41)

Estimate AU$1,000

1850-51 Sydney Views - ONE PENNY: Plate I (No Clouds) 1d carmine SG 2 [7], good even margins, Barred Numeral '45' - rated R - of Binalong, Cat £500.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1850-51 Sydney Views Plate I (No Clouds) Hard Bluish Paper 1d pale red SG 7 horizontal pair [23-24], margins close to large, Barred Numeral '90' of Grafton, Cat £750+.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1850-51 Sydney Views Plate II (Clouds) Hard Yellowish Paper 1d vermilion SG 7 horizontal pair, margins good to large, light BN '35' of Goulburn, Cat £750+. Superb! BPA Certificate (1989).

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$850

1850-51 Sydney Views Plate II (Clouds) Hard Greyish or Bluish Paper 1d gooseberry-red vertical strip of 3 [15/20/25] with the first unit being No Clouds SG 10c, good even margins, some idiot has attempted to remove the cancels which has affected the colour, Cat £1850. A rare multiple. BPA Certificate (2001).

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1850-51 Sydney Views Plate II (Clouds) Hard Bluish Paper 1d dull carmine SG 11 horizontal strip of 3 [11-13], margins just clear - at the base of the first unit - to good, tied to piece by bars cancels & large 'PAID SHIP LETTER/[crown]/DE*16/1851/ SYDNEY', Cat £1125++. A rare multiple paying the 3d shipletter rate. Ex Charles Lathrop Pack & 'Besancon' (II).

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

1850-51 Sydney Views Plate II Early Impressions SG 21-24 group x3, Lower Row Retouches SG 27 [15], Plate III SG 30, Plate IV Laid Paper SG 34 & 35, and Plate V Laid Paper SG 38, all with full margins & very fine to superb, Cat £2400. Ex Guy Hutson. (8)

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

1850-51 Sydney Views THREE PENCE: Yellowish Wove Paper 3d yellow-green SG 39 x3 and Bluish Paper 3d yellow-green SG 42, all Early Impressions with good to large margins, one with very fine BN '64' (with Reversed '4'), Cat £1250. An unusually fine quartet. Ex Michael Haden. Peter Holcombe Opinion (1998) for the first.

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1851-53 Laureates Thick Yellowish Paper 1d carmine with No Leaves to Right of 'SOUTH' SG 44a [7] a huge example from the top of the sheet with margins close to huge & a chunk of the adjoining unit at right, tiny corner repair at L/L otherwise superb, bars cancel of Sydney clear of the variety, Cat £500. A sensational single! Ex Charles Lathrop Pack, Dale-Lichtenstein & 'Besancon' (II).

Grade (A+) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1851-53 Laureates 1d pale vermilion No Leaves to Right of 'SOUTH' SG 47a being the first unit in a block of 4, margins just clear to good except where a little cut-into at upper-right, two very fine strikes of BN '66' of Singleton, Cat £770++. A rare block.

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1851-53 Laureates Plate I Fine Impressions 2d ultramarine SG 52, an enormous marginal example from the base of the sheet, margins good to enormous with virtually complete outer framelines, indistinct BN cancel. Superb!

Grade a+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1851-53 Laureates Coarse Background 6d brown SG 77 marginal example from the base of the sheet [25], margins good to very large with a fragment of the adjoining unit above, light bars cancel of Sydney, Cat £300. A superb example for the connoisseur. Peter Holcombe (1990) & BPA (2012) Certificates.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1854 essays by John Carmichael for proposed 6d & 1/- designs featuring a Crown or Lion & Crown in blue on ungummed unwatermarked paper.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1854 (c.) essay by Perkins Bacon for proposed Queen-on-Throne 2d design progressive die proof with printer's guidelines & some mirroring of the engine-turning at L/L & L/R in deep blue on ungummed paper with Double-Lined Wmk '2' (Reversed). A rare & stunning proof, similar to the Victorian designs that were printed in 1854 but not issued until 1856 (1d) or 1858 (6d).

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$4,000

1854-59 Large Diadems 5d dull green as SG 88 but with the Watermark Inverted & Reversed, margins good to large, unused, Cat £1400. Ex Maurice Burrus & 'Besancon' (II).

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

1854-59 Large Diadems 8d imperforate plate proofs on unwatermarked paper in grey-blue (ungummed) & in yellow (large-part o.g.), margins good to large. A superior 'pair'.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1854-59 Large Diadems 1/- pale red SG 100 marginal block of 8 (2x4) from the top of the sheet, margins close - at L/R - to huge, light unclear BN '71' (?) cancels of Tamworth, Cat £700++. Ex Charles Lathrop Pack & 'Besancon' (III). There are larger multiples of this stamp but none we have seen are this fine.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1867-72 De La Rue Designs die proofs in black on glazed card comprising 4d (light burnishing), 6d, 10d & 1/- x2 (one of the vignette only) all reduced to stamp-size & affixed to small pieces of card. Ex De La Rue Archives.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1867-72 De La Rue Designs 1872 10d die proof in red-violet on glazed card (93x61mm). Gorgeous & superb! Ex De La Rue Archives. [Colour proofs were produced by De La Rue for display at the 1872 South Kensington Exhibition]

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1867-72 De La Rue Designs 1875 1/- die proof in black on glazed card (93x61mm), 'Aug. 13, 1875' & 'BEFORE HARDENING' handstamps, minor rubbing. Ex De La Rue Archives. [Sir Gawaine Baillie's almost identical proof sold for $757]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1856-60 Small Diadems 1d carmine-vermilion SG 107 block of 4, margins just clear to good with fragments of the adjoining units at right, two very fine strikes of Rays '26' of Shoalhaven, Cat £100++. Superb!

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1856-60 Small Diadems 1d carmine-vermilion SG 108 horizontal pair, margins close to good, large-part o.g., Cat £800+.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1856-60 Small Diadems 1d carmine-vermilion SG 108 block of 4, exceptional centring, characteristic rough perfs, Rays '58' cancel of Clarence Town, Cat £100++. Rare & superb multiple.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$250