1960 (circa) dull red/grey PMGs Department collectors' set with quite a mash-up of KGVI & QEII values to 5/- Arms including War Memorial pair all CTO, plus Arms 10/- to £2 overprinted 'SPECIMEN', unmounted.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

Two stockbooks of mint and used duplicates, noted 1932 5/- Bridge CTO, mint imprint block sets including Macarthur, Victoria Centenary Perf 11½, Jubilee & NSW Sesquintenary, etc, also BCOF sets x3.

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1927 Opening of Parliament House Stamp Design Competition stamp-size photographic reductions of pen-and-ink essays featuring the State Emblems in horizontal (with Parliament House) & vertical (with 'AJ SHEARSBY' h/s on the reverse) formats, also similar reductions for an unadopted 5d Koala design and for the 1932 Fifth Anpex Sydney Harbour Bridge label (both with 'AJ SHEARSBY' h/s on the reverse) plus an example of the 'label' on an invitation to the Exhibition. The essays are unrecorded in the ACSC. [Alfred Shearsby of Yass (NSW) was a talented photographer best known for his images of soldiers leaving for WWI and of the construction of the Burrinjuck Dam. He also prepared a number of scarce hand-painted & printed FDCs in the 1930s-50s]

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1927 Opening of Parliament House skilfully rendered original artwork of Parliament House superimposed on an Outline Map of Australia with Magpie, Kookaburra & Golden Wattle, in pencil & watercolour (shades of grey & black) on artboard (290x215mm) BW #132ES(10), Cat $5000. Submitted by H Perry. Illustrated in the ACSC and by Geoff Kellow at page 18. Ex Arthur Gray (I): sold at our auction of 30.10.2015 for $2297. This is one of the most attractive of all the essays for this issue. We note that several childish or amateurish efforts are priced in the ACSC at up to $3000 each. Considering that the essays are all unique, our view is that the more artistic ones should be worth a considerable premium over unskilled ones.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$4,000

1928 International Philatelic Exhibition Kookaburra M/S from the lower-right corner of the sheet of 15, well centred, tied to the reverse of a plain cover to South Yarra by the Exhibition cds of 30OC28 in both red & murky blue, small piece of the flap missing. A rare albeit philatelic franking.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1929 Centenary of Western Australia 1½d Swan Imperforate at the Base ACSC #138b [Pos 75] with the left-hand portion of the John Ash Imprint well centred, characteristic rough perfs, unmounted, Cat $17,500+, for mounted. One of the most desirable errors of the KGV Period Commemoratives, and almost certainly the only unmounted example. Ex Hugh Morgan: sold in 2012 for £14,400.  In previous editions of the KGV Catalogue, it was stated that two pairs and two singles - all from the same sheet - exist. Two other singles have now been identified. Julian Sterling's non-imprint single - a little oxidised - sold at our auction of 30.11.2019 for $11,980 and again at our 'Artemis' sale of 1.12.2021 for $12,580. Arthur Gray's superb horizontal pair with the right-hand portion of the imprint sold at our auction of 30.10.2015 for $36,240. 

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$15,000

1932 Large Lyrebird 1/-  Chambon 'essay' in deep red & in deep bright blue BW #145PP(1)A & B upper-left corner blocks of 9, exceptional centring,  Cat $20,025++ for mounted singles. Superb. [Marginal blocks of 6 sold at our auction of 25.3.2021 for $5030] 

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$6,500

1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge 5/- green ACSC 148 (SG 143), fresh colour, lightly mounted, Cat $550 (£425).

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1936 Submarine Cable 2d red ACSC 169 (SG 159) quantity off-paper in box, a few other issues also, possible postmark interest, (Vendor states 5000+). (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1936 Submarine Cable 2d red in bundles, stated by our vendor to be unchecked by him for varieties or postmarks. (Qty 10,000+) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1938-49 Robes Thick Paper £1 dull blue with Worm Flaw caused by a piece of thread on the plate, unmounted.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1938-57 Definitives Koala 4d green Perf 15x14 Strong Misplaced Offset  ACSC 198c (SG 188var) marginal block of 4 from the right of the sheet, a couple of light gum bends on the lower units, unmounted, Cat $1100+.

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1941 Surcharges on Definitives '2½d' on 2d red with Surcharge Misplaced Horizontally ACSC 222cc (SG 200 variety) tied by 'CAMPERDOWN/17JA42/VIC' cds to Ballot Paper, Mr R Soutar, Returning Officer, Telegraph Branch, Melbourne C1 return-addressed envelope, a couple of minor aging marks on stamp perfs, light central fold & minor edge faults not affecting the stamp, Cat $375 for used. The surcharge is misplaced 3mm to the left, with the original '2d' denomination clearly visible. A scarce error; unpriced on cover.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1938-57 Definitives Queen Elizabeth 1½d green with the Watermark Inverted ACSC 226 unlisted variety (SG 204w), light corner cancel, Cat £12,000. Believed to be only the second recorded example. The other example known is stated to be inferior, and was sold in the past few years by Stanley Gibbons for £10,000+. Subsequently the variety received its SG listing, but remains unlisted in the Australian Comonwealth Specialist Catalogue. An outstanding (if diminutive) KGVI rarity.  

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$15,000

1938-57 Definitives 1/- Lyrebird idiosyncratic gutter block of 28 (2x10 + two extra units at each corner) from Sheet C including listed varieties on Units L2/7 & R9/1 ACSC 209h & i, surprisingly well centred, mounted in upper & lower margins only with all the stamps being unmounted, Cat $300+.

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1938-57 Definitives 2/- Aboriginal Art marginal vertical pair from the top of the sheet, both affected by different Pre-Printing Paper Folds, gum-side blemishes.

Grade B C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1948-56 Coat of Arms 10/- to £2 lower-left No Imprint corner singles with 'SPECIMEN' Overprint, very lightly mounted in the margins only otherwise unmounted, Cat $275+ (£170+). Marginal examples are elusive & a matching set from the no imprint position may be unique.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$175

1963-65 Navigators 7/6d to £2 with 'SPECIMEN' Overprint, the £2 with the rare Central Overprint ACSC 409x, unmounted, Cat $1350 (£475+). [A better centred example of #409x, offered on its own, sold at our online auction Number 5 for $1255]

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1964-65 Birds Chambon Perf 13½x14 stamp-size essay for a 5d Brush Turkey design on gummed unwatermarked paper, unmounted, grossly undercatalogued at $500. [This was a trial printing in London to test the Chambon press. One sheet of 60 came onto the market only in 2015. Similar examples sold at our auctions of 5.8.2021 & 2.12.2021 for $2155 & $2395 respectively]

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1964-65 Birds Chambon Perf 13½x14 stamp-size essay for a 5d Brush Turkey design on gummed unwatermarked paper, marginal block of four from the right of the sheet, unmounted, grossly undercatalogued at $2000+, for singles. [This was a trial printing in London to test the Chambon press. One sheet of 60 came onto the market only in 2015. Singles sold at our auctions of 5.8.2021 & 2.12.2021 for $2155 & $2395 respectively]

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$6,000