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

Fairly basic collection on old album pages, principally Barred Numerals with a few rated RR, RRR ('986', 'MD/38' in blue & 'MD/71') and RRRR (First Type '1622'), then CDS, a few "Belt & Buckles" & TPOs, etc, condition variable but many strikes are fine to very fine. (1500 approx)

Estimate AU$500

Generally fine strikes including 'AIRLY', light 'DINANT', 'HERNE'S OAK' x2, 'HEYTESBURY LOWER', 'MATHIESON'S', 'MIDDLE BRIGHTON PIER S.5/VIC.' on piece, 'PEECHELBA EAST', etc, also some on cover plus quantity of modern on piece arranged A-Z in bags. (100s)

Estimate AU$200

Covers & postal stationery with cds including 1930 'STAUGHTON VALE' & 'ANAKIE' with Inverted Dateline (franked with Revenues & taxed), 1937 'BRIGHTON-WEST/VIC', 1931 'ST ANDREWS', 1931 'GREENDALE' etc, and Registration Envelopes including with 'NUTFIELD' (1961), 'MONT PARK' (1961) & poor 'MOSQUITO CREEK' (1927; the only recorded example; red label with Rat's Tail), etc, condition variable. (15)

Estimate AU$300

Double-Circle Relief Datestamps selection comprising 'BARNAWARTHA' (rated RRRR), 'BRIM' (or 'BRIMBOAL' ?; both unrecorded), 'CARAMUT' (!! = the only recorded example), 'COLBENA[BBIN]' (spelling error; !!), 'DIAMOND CREEK' (RRRR), 'FERN TREE GULLY' (!!) on piece with BN '789', 'FORREST' x2 (RRRRR), 'GAFFNEYS CREEK' (RRR) on Tatts cover, 'GAFNEYS CREEK' (spelling error; !!), 'GT STHRN UP TRAIN' TPO (reconstructed), 'IVANHOE' (!!), '[JUMBU]NNA' (!!), 'JUNG' (RRRRR), '[L]ETHBRIDG[E]' (!!), 'MT EGERTON' (!!), '[NAR] NAR GOON (!!)', 'OMEO' (RRRR), 'OUYEN' x2 (RRR), 'ST KILDA RLY' x3 (RRR, one on PPC reads 'S K IL A Y'), '[STRAT]HCONA' (!!; the only recorded cds for this office), 'TARRAWINGEE' (!!), 'ULTIMA' (!!), poor 'WA[RRION]' (!!) arrival on PPC, 'WATCHE[M]' (RRRR), 'YAN YEA[N STH]' (!!) & 'YINNAR' (RRRRR), plus a selection of unidentifiable strikes one of FE21/04 being the earliest recorded date for these rare & grossly underappreciated datestamps. Ex Max Watson. [The datestamp comprised moveable type within a "collar". The inscriptions were often off-centre &/or oddly spaced and the type often sat below the height of the collar, all these factors adding to the difficulty of identification] (27 + unknowns)

See also Lots 676-683.

Estimate AU$1,000

Box of mostly Melbourne & Geelong material. Should be pickings. Ex Max Watson. (Qty)

Estimate AU$75

Album of PPCs & Postal Cards with some better numeral ties including '418' & 'JORDAN', '934'(2) & 'PINE GROVE', 'M27' & 'CATUMNAL' and 'MCCC/18' & 'KURTING' (all rated R), then '381' & 'SPRING HILL' & '875' & 'WYCHITELLA' (both RR), condition variable. (70 approx)

Estimate AU$300

Gippsland two volume collection with many better including 'RO BUMBERRAH' (rated RRRR), 'CLYDEBANK' (RRR), 'ICY CREEK', 'IGUANA CREEK', 28½mm 'KILMANY SOUTH', 1936 'MAFFRA WEST UPPER', 'MAYFLOWER' (archival strike), 'PERRY BRIDGE', 'PORT ALBERT' Crowned Oval, '29mm 'POWLETT RIVER', 'RYTHDALE', 'TANJIL BREN', 'THE HEART', TOORLOO ARM', 'VERVALE' & 'WOODGLEN' etc, also useful Barred Numerals range including 'MC/C1' (RRR) & large-part 'MCCC' (RRRRR) or 'MCCCC' (RRRR) and a very good array of registration labels including many "Reds" and six sheets of 25 for various offices (no gum). (many 100s)

Estimate AU$2,000

Gippsland two volume collection with many better datestamps including 'CALLIGNEE NORTH' (rated RR), 'CLYDEBANK' (RRR), 'COBAINS' (RRR), 'FLYNN' (RR), 'FOSTER NORTH' (RRR), 'FULHAM' SDL (RRR), 'FULHAM RLY STATION' (RRR), 'GIFFARD' (RRR), 'HEATH HILL', 'JEETHO/VIC-AUST', 'JENSEN'S' (a Danish Settlement), 'JUMBUK', 'KILMANY SOUTH', 'KORRINE', 'LOY YANG', 'MACK'S CREEK', 'MILFORD GRANGE', 'PARADISE BEACH', 'STRADBROKE', 'STRADBROOK', 'STREZLECKI', 'STRZELECKI', 'TARRAVALE', 'THE HEART', 'THORPDALE SOUTH', 'YANNATHAN LOWER', etc, a few covers including with 'MIL PO FOSTER No 1' (RR) & 'TO GLENGARRY' (RR), also ' 2 /MILITARY/JA15/02/ENCAMPMENT' used at Langwarrin, useful registration labels including "Reds". A very good lot but rather untidy so close inspection is recommended. (many 100s)

Estimate AU$2,000

KGV to early-QEII commercial registered covers with provisional labels mostly with manuscript endorsements plus some handstamped or typewritten, cds include 'ARMYTAGE' (rated R), 'AYRFORD___' (RR), 'BARINGHUP WEST' (RR), superb 'BENLOCH' (RR), 'DEEP LEAD' (RR), 'DOCTORS FLAT' (R), 'DOUTTA GALLA' (RR), 'EZARDS MILLS' (RR), 'GRASSDALE' (RR), 'HESKET STATE SCHOOL with Inverted Dateline (RRR), 'HOMEBUSH', 'HOTHAM HILL', 'KEELY RAIL', 'KELVIN VIEW', 'KULWIN', 'LOVAT', 'LYONVILLE', 'PHEASANT CREEK', 'PIRIES', etc, some red labels included, condition rather mixed. Very scarce group. (100+)

Estimate AU$2,000

Post-1912 commercial registered covers with all-different datestamps including 'P O CASTERTON' (rated RRR), "FRASER", 'FLINDERS ST MELB' (RRR), '___ GLENALBYN' SDL ('TO' removed; RR), 1948 'KEILOR EAST', 'MILDURA' with Dotted Arcs, 'PUCKAPUNYAL TOWN', 'PURA PURA', 'RUBICON' (poor; better b/s), 'SEVEN CREEKS', 'WOORNDOO', etc, labels include reds & provisionals, only a few Decimal Period. (100 approx)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

BARRED NUMERALS: '541' & the rare 'PORCUPINE FLAT' cds (LRD of only two recorded strikes) largely very fine strikes on 1893 cover to Maldon. Rated RR.

Grade B A1- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

Craigieburn: double-boxed 'CRAIGIEBURN/24MR(79)' datestamp light but very fine strike in violet on 1d Postal Card (repaired spikehole & minor spotting), very fine BN '547'. Rated RRRR: recorded for three weeks only.

Grade C A1- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

Flinders: unframed 'TELEGRAPH OFFICE/JA3/21/FLINDERS' largely superb strike on KGV 2d orange. Rated RRRRR: only one other recorded.

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$200