1850 (Aug) large-part "On Service" entire with 2d grey-lilac SG 6 [7] (margins just touched - at upper-left - to huge), with Butterfly '10' (RRR) & 'ALBERTON/PORT PHILLIP' b/s (both poor), Melbourne arrival b/s of AU19/1850.

Grade B

Estimate AU$350

1859 cover from England with very fine 6d lilac SG 70 tied by 'PLYMOUTH/JU8/59 - 620' duplex, to "Mr Ford/Parish of Connaware/County of Grant/Melbourne..." with Melbourne & Geelong b/s of AU8/59, "turned" & returned to Turnchapel !! with Emblems 2d violet Horizontally Laid Paper SG 70 plus Perf 12 4d dull rose SG 83 tied by BN '2' of Geelong (b/s of SE9/59), superb 'PLYMOUTH/NO11/59' arrival b/s, the flaps opened-out for enhanced display, a bit soiled. A truly extraordinary cover. Ex Rodney Perry & Ken Barelli.

Grade B

Estimate AU$250

1860-63 Classic frankings comprising 1) 1860 to Scotland with Queen-on-Throne 6d x2 pairs unusually with no British entry mark but with 'PRESTONPANS' arrival b/s; 2) mourning cover to England "per Benares" with Queen-on-Throne 6d single & pair plus Beaded Ovals 3d blue, light BN '157' of '____ COLLINGWOOD' (oval b/s with 'EAST' removed); 3) 1861 (June 25) flapless cover to London "per Jeddo" with Woodblocks 6d black SG 102 (a huge marginal example, stained by the "black boy" gum used) being the Earliest Recorded Usage; 4) 1862 to London "Per Northam/Via Marseilles" with Perf 12 1/- & Beaded Ovals 3d blue x3 (one with trimmed perfs, "black boy" gum); and 5) 1863 with Beaded Ovals 4d with Major Cracked Electro [D10], BN '84' & 'WINCHELSEA' crowned-oval b/s. (5)

Grade A-/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1874 Police Department long cover (268x113mm) with 'CHIEF SECRETARY' Frank Stamp in blue, 'STAWELL WEST/JA26/74/VICTORIA' unframed cds and Barred Numeral '152', endorsed "Registered" but apparently not handled as such and so officially registered on arrival in Melbourne with oval 'REGISTERED' h/s struck on face superscribed "Officially" in manuscript, couple of minor blemishes & light folds. Very unusual use of a handstamp generally seen only on outward mail as an expedient where no other appropriate marking was available.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1888-89 mail from Great Britain comprising 1d Postal Cards x2 (one correctly uprated with 1d lilac), cover paid 2½d but taxed 1½d + 4d fine (opening faults), overweight cover from Ireland with 6d Jubilee & '1s/MORE TO PAY'-in-oval h/s of Melbourne, and 5d rate cover to 'HONG-KONG' (b/s) forwarded to Sydney then to Melbourne with '(2d")/MORE TO PAY'-in-oval h/s, two items with remnants of NSW black/yellow 'MORE TO PAY' dockets on the reverse. (5)

Grade B/C

Estimate AU$250

1890 cover with Solicitor's imprint on the flap, to London with rare franking of 1/6d orange tied by 'ENGLISH MAIL TPO/DE16/90 - VICTORIA' duplex cancel on cover to London arrival b/s of 9JA91, minor blemishes. [The rate was 6d ship letter x2 + 6d late fee for posting directly onto the English Mail TPO to Adelaide]

Grade A-

Estimate AU$250

1891 usage of 2d Postal Card to Germany with Melbourne duplex of OC1/91 being the day Victoria joined the Universal Postal Union & from when the foreign postcard rate was reduced to 1½d, 'T'-in-oval h/s applied & then crossed-through when the error was realised. Superb! Ex Hugh Freeman. [An exceptional item for the Victorian postal historian or collector of UPU as a subject]

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1896 cover to USA with fraudulent use of Large Stamp Duty 6d blue with pen cancel erased (but still visible) plus 2d tied 'BOURKE STREET EAST' cds paying 2½d letter rate x2 + 3d registration, San Francisco arrival b/s.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1909 PPC to Breslau (Poland) with ½d Bantam & 1d pink incorrectly routed across USA then with 'TRANSATLANTIC POST OFFICE/MY26/09/ 4' cds and 'MISSENT' cachet alongside. [These markings were used on board the White Star Liner 'Oceanic' carrying mail between New York & Southampton from 1908 to the end of the service in 1914]

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

DEAD LETTER OFFICE: Range of Returned Letter Envelopes inscribed 'Returned Free Letter' Code 'W' (1866; 'Free' barred-out), 'RETURNED PAID LETTER' (1853), 'Returned Paid Letter' Code 'X' (1865, 'Paid' barred-out), 'RETURNED LETTER' Code 'A' (1898), Code 'B' (1894 & 1909, different printings), Code 'C' (1893), Code 'E' (1895), Code 'U' (1879), Code 'W' (1876 & 1878, different printings) & Code 'X' (1879), 'RETURNED LETTER/REGISTERED' Code 'T' (1887), 'RETURNED MORE TO PAY LETTER' Code 'E' (1891, with Postage Due 2d & 4d) and Code 'G' (1898), and 'FOREIGN ENCLOSURE' Code 'R' (1887; not previously seen by us), condition variable. A very scarce, underrated and desirable group. (16)

Estimate AU$800

POSTAL STATIONERY: Small box of mostly Postal Cards & Wrappers with a few better items including two Postal Cards uprated with Postal Card cutouts & registered to Egypt or Germany, etc, condition variable. (100 approx)

Estimate AU$200

POSTAL STATIONERY: WRAPPERS: 1873 '½ ½/HALF' on 1d green Stieg #E3 overprint essay with the Surcharge in Red & in Black, minor blemishes. Very scarce.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$300