Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 1 d. brown-lake, clear impression, imperforate on thin paper, an unused example of deep colour, large margins all round, fresh and fine with large part og. A very scarce stamp Gi = £ 550. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 1 d. orange-red, clear impression, imperforate on thin paper, position 17 on the right pane of 40 subjects, an unused example of good colour, ample large margins all round, fresh and fine, minor wrinkles as ever on large part og. Cert. BPA (1978) Gi = £ 700.rnrnNote: the BPA certificate classifies this as brown-lake in error. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 6 d. bright ultramarine, clear impression, imperforate on thin paper, in a bright shade, fresh and very fine, large part og. Gi = £ 300. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 6 d. pale ultramarine, clear impression, imperforate on thin paper, fresh and very fine, large part og. Gi = £ 325. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 1 s. deep green, clear impression in a paler shade than that found on the rouletted issue, imperforate on thin paper, good margins all round, slight stain on reverse on large part og. A very scarce stamp. Cert. Robson Lowe (1981) Gi = £ 850.rnrnProvenance: Collection David Crocker, RL, London 5 Nov 1980, lot 1011.rnrn (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 1 d. brick-red (shades), clear impression, rouletted 15½-16 on thin paper, unused examples (3) in differing shades, two from the narrow Setting, one with large break in outer frameline at lower right corner and showing portion of adjoining stamp at left, part or large part og. Gi = £ 540+. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 6 d. bright ultramarine, clear impression, rouletted 15½-16 on thin paper, an unused marginal example in an intermediate shade, position 37 from base of the left pane showing line under 'K' of REPUBLIK in lower right corner, large part og. Cert. BPA (1985) Gi = £ 160. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 6 d. bright and pale ultramarine, clear impression, rouletted 15½-16 on thin paper, an unused example of each shade, the pale shade with natural flaw on 'S' OF ZES in left frame, fresh and fine with large part og. Gi = £ 320. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 6 d. pale ultramarine, clear impression, rouletted 15½-16 on thin paper, a fine used example cancelled by neat strike of circular POTCHEFSTROOM / ZUID AFRIKA datestamp (Dec 30, 1870) in black. Rare thus Gi = £ 170. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by Adolf Otto in Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1870 (May 1): 6 d. green (shades), clear impression, rouletted 15½-16 on thin paper, unused examples (3), one in the deep green shade of superb appearance but with slight thin and large part og., one in slightly duller yellow green shade and another in emerald green with a bluish tinge, largely fine with part or large part og. Gi = £ 800. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 1 d. carmine-red (shades), coarse impression, imperforate, the group of unused examples (3) encompassing dull rose and carmine shades, all with four margins and of good colour, with large part or part og. Minor imperfections as usual but a scarce group Gi = £ 330. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 1 d. carmine-red, coarse impression, imperforate, an unused block of four of excellent appearance, large margins all round, small thin spot between the upper pair, wrinkled large part og. An exceptionally rare multiple Gi = £ 400+.rnrn (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 6 d. dull ultramarine, coarse impression, imperforate, an unused example with large margins all round, right pane position 32 showing crushed 'R' in REPUBLIEK, horizontal crease, large part og. Gi = £ 425. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 6 d. dull ultramarine, coarse impression, imperforate, an unused horizontal pair, left pane positions 2-3, large margins all round, of good colour and large part og. A very scarce multiple. Cert. PFSA (1981) Gi = £ 850+.rnrnProvenance: Ex Warren Colson stock. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 1 d. carmine-red, coarse impression, rouletted 15½-16, an unused example of good colour, fresh and very fine, unused without gum. Cert. BPA (1977) Gi = £ 850. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 1 d. pale rose-red & 1 d. carmine-red, coarse impression, imperforate on thicker hard paper, an unused example of each shade, large margins all round, each with large part yellow streaky og. Scarce so fine Gi = £ 220. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 1-July 4): 1 d. pale rose-red, coarse impression, imperforate on thicker hard paper, an unused block of fifteen (3 x 5), corner marginal from the left hand side of the right pane, positions 1-3/9-12/17-19/25-26/33-35, with broken right fluke in the Anchor on positions 1, 18, 19 and 35; the block ably demonstrating Viljoen's poor grasp of printing, and for that matter, storage as the reverse shows impressions from the sheet below. The block with two closed cuts in margin at right and without gum but showing the streaks left by the yellow gum utilised. A magnificent and extremely rare large multiple, an exhibition piece Gi = £ 1'650+. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 24): 1 s. deep green, coarse impression, on thicker hard paper, an imperforate example with large margins all round, used on May 18, 1870 entire letter at double rate from Pretoria to Colesberg, Cape Colony, cancelled by circular target obliterator in black. PRETORIA / Z.A.R. / ZUID AFRIKA despatch datestamp struck twice on front (May 22) in black, the reverse showing a fine strike of POTCHEFSTROOM / Z.A.R. / ZUID AFRIKA transit cds (May 30) in black. 'Colesberg / Cape Colony' arrival (June11) on obverse in black with '6' (pence) credit to the Orange Free State for transit via Kroonstad and Bloemfontein in red crayon, the Cape Post Office not charging any extra as Colesberg shared the border with the OFS. The cover with minor imperfections to letter sheet of absolutely no significance, this being the earliest recorded usage of a Transvaal stamp on letter (Jorgensen census #1) and one of just three stamped covers mailed from the Transvaal in 1870. An item of great philatelic importance mailed within a few days of the stamp being printed and a cover of great historic significance.rnrnNote: The stamp is in the Viljoen deep green shade, with enormous margins, and has been lifted at one corner for checking and shows traces from the streaky yellow gum, thus the stamp is Gibbons 14 and not 20, as this latter stamp was only delivered on July 4, 1870. The article in the Transvaal Philatelist accompanying the lot (Vol 35, No. 3, whole number 135) of August 2000 written by the late Dr. Alan Drysdall is unusually erroneous, the entire, whilst now weighing under ½ ounce, is either a double rate entire - the first lines of the letter reading: "Enclosed I send a set of bills drawn on London for £200 which please negotiate to my credit at best terms" or registered to the border. The content would of course, have raised the weight (and the value) substantially.rnrnProvenance: Collection E.H.Collins, 18 May 1928.rn Collection Maurice Burrus, Robson Lowe, London, 10 March 1964, lot 522. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July): 1 d. rose-red, coarse impression, roulette 15½ to 16 on medium paper, a used example tied to small piece cancelled by circular target handstamp in black. A scarce stamp Gi = £ 130. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July 4): 1 d. rose-red (shades), blotchy coarse impression, on medium paper, rouletted 15½-16, an unused selection (4) with the rose-red, carmine-red (cert. BPA, 1976) and two crimson shades, these last two from the over-inked plate one of which is a mass of colour, all fresh and fine without gum or part og. Scarce and fine reference Gi = £ 575. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July 4): 1 d. crimson, blotchy coarse impression, on medium paper, rouletted 15½-16, an unused block of four, a vivid over-inked shade, fresh and very fine, large part og. with lower pair unmounted og. Gi = £ 760+. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July 4): 1 d. rose-red, blotchy coarse impression, on medium paper, rouletted 15½-16, an unused irregular block of 34 from the right pane of 40 subjects, missing positions 1-4 and 11-12; with full sheet margins around the remaining multiple, of fresh colour with the typical fading due to the poor printing process, large part yellowish-white original gum with four stamps with carmine colour from the sheet stored below. A splendid and extremely rare multiple that has not been on the philatelic market for at least 40 years Gi = £ 3'740+.rnrnProvenance: Collection C.J.L. Snowden.rn Collection Maria de La Queillerie, Harmers, London, 23 May 1972, lot 214. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July 4): 1 d. pale rose-red, coarse impression, roulette 15½ to 16 on medium paper, the extraordinary complete unused pane of 40 subjects from the left pane, minimal aging from gum not affecting the dramatic appearance, of good colour and with near full smooth thin gum. An exceptional pane of great scarcity, most probably unique Gi = £ 4'400+.rnrnProvenance: Collection Harold Criddle, Robson Lowe, London, 25 Feb 1992, lot 56. (Image 1) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July 4): 6 d. deep ultramarine, blotchy coarse impression, on medium paper, rouletted 15½-16, an unused example from the over-inked plate, a veritable mass of colour from the over-inking, fresh and fine, unused without gum. A scarce stamp Gi = £ 550. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (July 4): 6 d. ultramarine, blotchy coarse impression, on medium paper, rouletted 15½-16, an unused horizontal pair with variety: "tête-bêche", positions 25-26 on the right hand pane of 40 subjects, extremely fresh and fine but for minor corner bend in left sheet margin only, large part og. Exceptionally rare, not mentioned in the Major Harold Criddle article in the 'London Philatelist' (Volume 90, Nov-Dec 1981). However the four pairs Major Criddle mentions are: a block of four from the lower left corner of the pane in the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (ex Worthington), the ex Ferrary and Hind pair and one another pair both being in the J.H.Curle collection donated to the Afrikaner Museum in Johannesburg. Thus this pair is the sole recorded pair in private hands. Listed but unpriced by Stanley Gibbons, an exceptional item for the connoisseur of Southern African and British Colonial philately.rnrnProvenance: Rand Stamp Auctions, 20 Dec 1986, lot 1036.rnrnNote: Illustrated in 'The Tête-Bêche' Varieties of Transvaal by Alan Drysdall and Major Harold Criddle on page 16. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)