1838 cross-written entire headed "Adelaide SA/October 31 1838" and signed "Robt Leake" to his brother in Van Diemens Land with a largely very fine strike of the undated double-circle 'POST OFFICE/[lion & crown]/ADELAIDE' h/s, very fine boxed 'SHIPLETTER/3DE3/1838' d/s of Hobart where rated "11" (4d inwards shipletter + 7d for delivery between 75 & 90 miles), light vertical fold. Ex Michael Blake: sold at the Prestige auction of 23.9.2011 for $4370. A very fine and very early postmarked letter from the Colony, which was founded only two years earlier. [Postal operations began on 10/4/1837. Very few pre-1840 letters survive in private hands. The sole postage rate was 1d regardless of destination or distance carried & this was paid to the ship's captain]

Robert Rowland Leake was one of two sons of John Leake who settled in South Australia. Robert writes to his brother Edward - transcript included - "I have moved my flock to Coromandle village it is eight miles from Holdfast...you will want a weeks provisions...on first landing...walloughby (= wallaby) rugs...are excellent things in leaky huts...we have 22,000 sheep 2000 head of cattle and 200 horses in the Colony..."

Grade A-

Estimate AU$2,000

1859 cover to Scotland "p Salsette/via Marseilles" with rare franking of Adelaide Printings 6d slate-blue SG 10 two singles (the first with margins just clear to large, the other with margins at places; Cat £400+ on cover) tied by dumb cancels unusually in blue, 'PAID/AU17/1859/=ADELAIDE- S.A.=' cds in blue & 'U M/EDINBURGH/OC9/59' arrival b/s. A very scarce double-rate franking. Ex Michael Blake. RPSofV Certificate (2014).

Grade A

Estimate AU$750

1876 triple-rate cover to Oxfordshire "Via Brindisi" with scarce three-colour franking of 9d red-purple SG 77 & 1/- deep red-brown SG 82 plus De La Rue Perf 10 2d brick-red SG 159 irregular strip of 3 tied to by GPO cds of JA1/76, very fine 'BANBURY/FE14/76' arrival b/s, ironed-out light horizontal fold well clear of the stamps, minor blemishes.

Grade B

Estimate AU$200

1889 1d violet Postal Card to Holland with lengthy personal message and Bantam ½d block of 4 added tied 'SHIP MAIL ROOM/OC26/89/SA' duplex cancels, taxed with inverted 'T' in triangle cachet, 'HAARLEM/29/NOV/89' arrival cds on face but no evidence that postage due was collected. [Apparently an attempt to pay the 3d Treaty postcard rate, but this applied only to the United Kingdom; there was no other postcard rate available until after the Australian Colonies joined the UPU in October 1891, so this item should have been paid at the full 6d ship letter rate]

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1907 OHMS wrapper with printed 'Book Parcel Only' to Brisbane with scarce franking of 1d & Thick 'POSTAGE' 4d both punctured 'SA' tied by Adelaide cds, minor defects. A rare & very unusual item. [NB: the 4d has been cut from another article & affixed with the backing paper to this wrapper]

Grade B

Estimate AU$200

1907 oversize cover (248x160mm) with Francis Snow imprint at the top to Germany with exceptional franking of Thick 'POSTAGE' 3d x3 6d x2 & 2/6d violet tied by the scarce 'ENG MAIL TPO/8AU1907/S AUSTRALIA' cds, superb 'HALBERSTADT/8.9.07' arrival b/s, a few faults including repairs with archival tape along central fold. An impressive exhibit. [This is the largest number of "Long Toms" we have seen on a single cover & the only franking of the 2/6d known to us. The ACSC (2004) gives values on cover for the 3d ($150) & 6d ($400) but not for any denomination above 8d. Les Molnar's 1915 cover with the TPO cds - stated to be the later of only two recorded covers - sold at our auction of 3.4.2017 for $1380]

Grade C (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1910 (Mar 18) OHMS with 'Officer Supervising Rifle Clubs/Military Staff Office' imprint at L/L, very scarce franking of Thick 'POSTAGE' punctured 'OS' 3d & 4d tied by 'REGD ADELAIDE' cds, 'THEBARTON' squared-circle arrival b/s. [The rate was 1d per ounce x4 + 3d registration]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Selection of Postal Cards with a good range of printings & shades, 1d+1d Reply Cards x3 (two with the halves reversed) & another with the original PO band, scenic types 'WOOL CARTING' & '.../PRIZE MERINO RAM', 1d with Underlined 'OHMS' Above Heading for Board of Advice (unused) etc, also 1884 1d to Melbourne with very fine 'DEFICIENT POSTAGE/FINE' & '3' Handstamps (faults), mostly fine to very fine used or unused. (38)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Unused selection of Postal Cards x4, Reply Cards x3 & Wrappers x8, five with various 'SPECIMEN' Overprints, also 1912 SA Taxation Department cover with 1d punctured 'SA' & the enclosure, and 1889 & 1890 Dalhousie Springs Station cheques with 1d or 2d used as revenues. (19 items)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

WRAPPERS: 1898 QV 1d green on buff HG #E4 with 5-line printed heading 'CIRCULAR & CARTNOTE ONLY/ From/LUXMOORE, RJ COOMBS & CO LTD/WOOL, SKIN AND GRAIN BROKERS/ADELAIDE' in black, used.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

Perkins Bacon selection with Second Roulettes unused 1d x3 & 2d all with small faults, Perf 10 1d unused x2, Large Holes 1/- mint x5, then used printings perfs & shades of 1d x38 with Rouletted x15 including a pair & one that may be SG 13 and Perf 11½-12½xRouletted x4, 1/- x18 including a strip of 4 with faked cancels, and 2/- x26 including compound perfs x6, generally fine to very fine. (98)

Estimate AU$500

Accumulation in stockbook from Perkins Bacon types including a few imperfs & roulettes, Long Types to 2/6d, then quantity of later issues with some multiples and a few mint, noted Colour Trials 2d orange block of 8 and 2d yellow-orange cross-gutter block of 8 plus a few Reprints, also some officials including 4d violet 'OS' overprint inverted and 2½d blue 'OS' inverted & misplaced so that only 'O' showing (neither expertised & offered 'as is'), plenty of postmark interest with a few numerals and lots of squared circles, apparently unchecked for perf & wmk varieties, condition mixed but many fine.

Estimate AU$300

1856-58 Adelaide Printings 1d yellow-green SG 6, margins just shaved - at lower-right - to huge with a fragment of the adjoining unit below, neat void cancel of the GPO, Cat £650. An unusually fine example of this scarce stamp.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1860-69 Second Roulettes shades between SG 19 & 31 comprising 1d x6, 2d pale vermilion, 4d x2 and 6d x3 including violet-ultramarine, a few with part- to large-part o.g., Cat £2300+. (12)

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1860-69 Second Roulettes 4d finished die proof in black on India paper affixed to a small piece of card (44x47mm), a couple of trivial blemishes. Ex John Griffiths and Michale Blake: sold at the Prestige auction of 7.2.2014 for $3450. RPSofL Certificate (1972).

Grade A-

Estimate AU$2,000

1867-70 Perf 11½-12½xRoulettes 1d grey-green SG 52, unused, Cat £475.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1876-1904 Narrow Crown/SA Perf 10 1d blue-green SG 167 block of 12 (3x4), the upper row creased, six other units with full unmounted o.g.; also 1d yellow-green SG 167a block of 6 (2x3), full unmounted o.g.; Cat £720++ (mounted). (2 blocks)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1876-1904 Narrow Crown/SA 1d SG 176a L/R corner block of 48 (6x8) with Plate Number '2', SG 179a corner example with Sheet Number '2½d 120998' (an error for '012998'), then Crown/A 1d U/R corner pairs with Sheet Numbers '1d 148126' '1d 148850', '1d '151404' & '1d 153112', all unmounted, Cat £400++ as mounted singles. (57)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1893-99 De La Rue Perf 13 ½d pale brown SG 191 lower-right corner block of 30 (10x3) with Plate Number '1' and Sheet Number '½d 020951' in blue, some minor perf reinforcing but most units with full unmounted o.g., Cat £165++ for mounted singles.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1902-04 Thin 'POSTAGE' Perf 11½-12½ 1/- brown with 'POSTAGE' & 'ONE SHILLING' in Brown-Red ACSC #S30A (SG 275c), well centred, 'MOUNT GAMBIER' squared-circle, Cat $2000 (£1100). Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2009). [The ACSC states this was probably the first printing & "Postally used is scarcer than mint"]

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1902-04 Thin 'POSTAGE' 5/- 10/- £1 SG 277-9 all CTO with Adelaide cds ACSC #S32-34x Cat $950 (£415). (3)

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

DEPARTMENTAL OVERPRINTS: 'I.S.' of Inspector of Sheep in Black on Rouletted DLR 2d (faults) & Perf 11½-12½xRouletted 6d (small tear at top). Rare duo.

Grade C/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

DEPARTMENTAL OVERPRINTS: 'P.' for Police in Blue on De La Rue Rouletted 2d block of 4, 'PORT MACDONNELL/OC5/69/SA' cds. A very scarce multiple.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$300