BRADFORD 18th/19th CENTURY GROUP; Small range with Jan. 1780 large EL to Yorks. ex London rated '2/-', endorsed 'Missent to' above a "BRADFORD/Y" h.s. and re-rated '4/-', Dec. 1788 EL to Ludlow rated '10'(d) with "BRADFORD/Y" and circular "POST/PAID" h.s. on front, Sep. 1800 EL to Ludlow with s/l "BRADFORD Y" h.s. on front and other related & later marks. (11 covers) Cross Reference: MISSENT MAIL, REDIRECTED AND TURNED MAIL (Image)

EARLY LETTER TO LONDON AT 3d RATE WITH FINE LONDON "DE/2" BISHOP MARK; Attractive 29 Nov. 1667 EL (folds neatly to show internal dated heading alongside address-panel; ex the John Moore correspondence) from "Hemsworth" (small village on the SE fringe of Sheffield) to London charged "3[d]" on the front with a mainly very fine "DE/2" London arrival Bishop Mark on the top flap. Exhibition Quality. [Ex Frank Thompson, Cavendish, March 2012.]Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, EARLY LETTERS (Image)

EARLY LETTER TO LONDON AT 3d RATE WITH FINE LONDON "IA/26" BISHOP MARK; Attractive 22 Jan. 1668 EL (folds neatly to show internal dated heading alongside address-panel; ex the John Moore correspondence) from "Hemsworth" (small village on the SE fringe of Sheffield) to London charged "3[d]" on the front with a mainly very fine "IA/26" London arrival Bishop Mark on the top flap. [Ex Frank Thompson, Cavendish, March 2012.]Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, EARLY LETTERS (Image)

EARLY LETTERS TO LONDON AT 3d RATE WITH LONDON BISHOP MARKS; 4 Aug. 1668 EL (folds to show internal dated heading above address-panel) & 18 May 1672 EL (folds to display dated internal heading alongside address; both ex the John Moore correspondence) from "Sheafield" (sic) or ex "Hasselborow" (the Hall now demolished and under a housing estate near Norton) both to London and each charged "3[d]" on the front with faint or mainly fine "AV/7" or "MA/20" London arrival Bishop Marks. (2 covers)Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, EARLY LETTERS (Image)

EARLY LETTERS TO LONDON AT 3d RATE WITH LONDON BISHOP MARKS; 1678/83 trio of ELs (all folded to show internal dated headings beside address-panels; 1678 pair ex the John Moore correspondence, the other ex Clayton correspondence) from "Sheffeild" (2) or ex "Sheafeild" to London and each charged "3[d]" on the front with faint or mainly fine (2) "OC/4", "NO/30" or "AV/2" London arrival Bishop Marks. (3 covers)Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, EARLY LETTERS (Image)

VERY EARLY "SHEF/FEILD" (SPELLING ERROR) ON CANCELLED "1N" RATE FREE COVER TO M.P., ETC.; 29 Jan. 1721 EL from "Sheffield" to London charged the triple rate "1N" on the front but with the rate cancelled (and initialled?) as the addressee was an M.P.; having a mainly fine rare 2nd-Type "SHEF/FEILD" (YO2602; only a handful recorded and only for 1719-26) on the top flap beside a fine "2/FE" seriffed London arrival Bishop Mark; plus 12-16 Mar. 1690 'London Gazette' (toned) with PO Notice of change of route for Sheffield mails, and partly printed small 1703 Conscription Notice for armed men to be provided for military service ref. lands in "Brightside Bierley". (3 items)Cross Reference: EARLY LETTERS, LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, FREE MAIL, NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES (Image)

THE 18th CENTURY NAMESTAMPS COLLECTION, PART 1, INCL. "SHEF/FEILD", 1st-TYPE MILEAGES, ETC.; 1721-1799 covers with mainly fine to very fine strikes of the full range of 18th century Sheffield namestamps incl. nearly fine rare 1721 "SHEF/FEILD" ("1N4 1oz" rate to London), 1738/88 2-lines (4; latter a very early local town letter), 1763 newspaper cutting ref. mail robbery, large one-line types (4; 1765-81 - one to Ireland), 1785/90 pair with rare 2-line "160 SHEF/FIELD" or Horseshoe "SHEFFIELD/163" 1st-Type Mileages, rare 1788 red convex type, 1793/5 pair with black or red Horseshoes , etc. Excellent lot with hardly any duplication. (17 covers + 1 cutting) (Image)

THE 18th CENTURY NAMESTAMPS COLLECTION, PART 2, INCL. EARLY NAMESTAMPS, 1st-TYPE MILEAGE, ETC.; 1734-1800 covers with mainly fine to very fine strikes of the full range of 18th century Sheffield namestamps incl. mainly very fine 1734/47 "SHEF/FIELD" pair ("In all 7" rate via London or 6d to Edinr.), later 2-lines (inc. 1/- rate to Ireland with Dublin Bishop Mark), large one-line types (3; c.1765-82), fine 1790 rare purple Horseshoe "SHEFFIELD/163" 1st-Type Mileage, rare 1788 convex pair (one in rare purple), c.1795 red Horseshoe, red 1799 small 1-line pair, etc. Excellent lot. (21 covers + 2 PPCs) (Image)

STAMPLESS OVERSEAS MAIL - TO OR FROM EUROPE, AMERICA, AUSTRALIA OR CUBA; 1792-1863 covers to/from Sheffield incl. fine 1782 EL to Brussels with v. fine large "SHEFFIELD" on the front along with fine red London "POST/PAID" in circle, 1833 large part E prepaid 1/- with fine scarce crowned oval "GENERAL POST OFFICE/SYDNEY" d.s., 1840 E with scarce red "INDIA LETTER/PENZANCE" and red oval "POST PAID SHIP LR/[Crown]/SYDNEY", 1839-63 group (5) from/to USA (inc. large red oval 1839 "GILPINS EXCHANGE/...N-YORK" FAC and 1845/7 Lpool Ship Letter cds's, etc.), 1830/32 pair prepaid to Holland/Paris, 1859 ex Santiago de Cuba with Havana FAC, and 1843/7 prepaid pair to Spain or Paris. Difficult lot to assemble for one P.O. (16 covers)Cross Reference: OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, CUBA, TRANSATLANTIC MAIL, NEW SOUTH WALES (Image)

SHEFFIELD EPHEMERA COLLECTION INC. RARE HAIR POWDER TAX STAMP ON RECEIPT, MILEAGE MAPS, ETC.; 1643- 1952 miscellany inc. fine small 1643 Jenner "Book of Maps" Derbyshire mileage chart/map showing "Sheafeld", rare red Stamp Office cert. for "Hair Powder Annual Duty" with albino embossed 1 guinea "HAIR POWDER DUTY" Tax Stamp, c.1830 pair of street Ballads ref. "the Sheffield Apprentice" etc., and much later PPCs (12), newspaper cuttings, photos, article, etc. (27 items)Cross Reference: EPHEMERA, REVENUES, DERBYSHIRE (Image)

TONTINE & OTHER SHEFFIELD COACHING INNS - EPHEMERA INC. PICTORIAL BILLHEADS & 1836 P.O. MAIL-TIMES CARD; 1785-1836 group inc. rare 1785 "TONTINE NEW INN" opening card (with m/s meal invoice on reverse), 1832 matching Tontine billhead with "POST ROADS" map printed on reverse, 1788-1823 group of Inn pictorial billheads - 1788/1812 Tontine quartet with different printed landlord names, 1804/12 Angle Inn pair, 1814/26 Tontine trio with different landlord names and 1821 Commercial Inn parcel receipt. Plus 1839 pair of ELs posted from Barnsley to Sheffield with partly printed details of Turnpike meetings, and fine rare June 1836 printed card from "JOSEPH WREAKS, POSTMASTER" giving times of "DELIVERY of LETTERS & DEPARTURES of the MAILS" on one side and a NOTICE" ref. mail closing times etc on the other. Rare and attractive group. (15 items)Cross Reference: EPHEMERA, COACHING (Image)

THE 19th CENTURY MILEAGES (UNDATED OR DATED) COLLECTION; 1801-39 covers with the full range of mileage marks inc. 1801/5 pair with red London 'Crowns' for rate changes, many red boxed/lined/cds types to 1818, black boxed "TOO/LATE" (1823), a very wide range of rates (from local 1d to "2/6"), and some later black cds's (a few with mileages removed), paid mail, etc. (43 covers) (Image)

SHEFFIELD PENNY POSTS COLLECTION INC. RARE TINY BOXED RED TYPES, ETC.; 1821-40 covers inc. 1821 local EL with black "SHEFFIELD/Penny Post", 1823 same mark with boxed "TOO LATE" to London, rare 1823 prepaid m/s "P1" local E (cds only), fair scarce 1827 boxed "Sheffield/Py. Post", unpaid 1830s m/s 1/2 covers, curious large part 1830 E to Dorchester with v. fine (though over-written) tiny red boxed "SHEFFIELD/PENNY POST" on the front but also with Birmingham cds (Missent?), 1 Mar. 1837 free front from Pembroke to "F.W. Karstadt" (the PO Surveyor for Sheffield and area) with very fine rare tiny red boxed "SHEFFIELD" which may have indicated exceptional (for a PO Surveyor only pretty much) free transit through the 1d Post (YK2666; “seen on free fronts only"), Apr./Oct. 1840 pair of covers ex Dronfield with mainly fine or mainly very fine strikes of the same tiny SHEFFIELD/PENNY POST boxed mark (one prepaid 4d - due to enclosed coins?), and some local unpaid 1d rates. Scarce group. (13 covers + 1 front) (Image)

PRESTAMP BALANCE - INC. RARE RED "HOOD*HILL" PAIR, INSTRUCTIONAL MARKINGS, ETC.; 1834/36 E/EL pair with mainly v. fine or exceptionally fine rare red "HOOD*HILL" marks (? the P.O. at a farm on the outskirts of Sheffield?; YO1390 - only a handful recorded, all 1834-7), 1835/41 pair via/ex Sheffield (former with "GLASGOW/PENNY POST" etc.) both endorsed "Mischarged on" in red on the front (rare thus), 1822/36 trio with fine boxed "TOO LATE" in black or red (1830/6), 1833 Returned Letter wrapper, etc. Intriguing and rare group. (9 covers)Cross Reference: POSTAGE DUE MARKS, SCOTLAND, LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL (Image)

THE RAREST MARK OF SHEFFIELD - THE TINY RED BOXED "SHEFFIELD/TWO-PENNY/POST" MARK; c.1833 small piece with a very fine strike of this famous mark, plus two other pieces (one with 24 June 1833 matching cds) with similarly clear strikes of the matching tiny "SHEFFIELD/PENNYPOST" mark. Only one other example of this very rare "SHEFFIELD/TWO-PENNY/POST" mark has been recorded - also on a piece (photo included; that piece also showed a matching 19 June 1833 Sheffield cds). The other piece was sold in the 16 July 1999 Postage Stamps auction in London for £350 + 15% BP, and until the discovery of this piece we are not aware of any other example having been found. Important Local Posts Exhibition Item. (3 pieces + photographs etc.) (Image)

POSTAL REFORMS/UNIFORM 4d POSTAGE PERIOD - LAST-DAY MILEAGE RATES COVER + 4d-POST COVERS; Very fine 4 Dec. 1839 EL (Last Day of Mileage-based postal rates) from London to Sheffield with red "C+" d.s. (Charing Cross) and "19[d]" charge (the next day it would have cost only 4d - and could have had an enclosure!); plus rare 4 Jan. 1840 EL (fine merchants' engraved pictorial heading inside) sent unpaid from Sheffield to Lille charged "10", "18" and then "25" (incl. the old mileage-based 10d rate to London!), 7 Dec. 1839 red m/s "P4" ex Ilchester to Sheffield, and black 7 Jan. 1840 Sheffield m/s "4". (4 covers)Cross Reference: UNIFORM 4d POSTAGE PERIOD, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, POSTAL REFORMS (Image)

THE MYSTERIOUS 'NO DATESTAMP' 1d BLACK COVER INCORRECTLY DATED 6 FEB. 1840 AT THE TIME; The famous E (see GB Journal Vol. 30, No.5, Nov./Dec. 1992 article by Gilbert Wheat; pcopy included) probably from London (no datestamps back or front) to Sheffield with fine 4m 1d Black (HF; Plate 2) tied by a fine red MX. The only date on the letter (there are no contents) is the recipient's manuscript "London 2nd Mo[nth]. 6th 1840, Richd. Smith" endorsement on the front. This was the Quaker's way of dating things; "2nd Month" meant February; presumably this was an error of year and/or month as there were no 1d Blacks available in February 1840! So it was in fact a 1d Black cover sent on 6 February 1841. At one time it was thought that this letter was actually sent on 6 May 1840, but this was clearly not the case. [A previous 'bad' RPS certificate was disproved by police forensic scientists in 1990/1; included is the 'good' BPA certificate of 12 Feb. 1991.] Plus matching 21 Apr. 1841 1d Red E from the same correspondence similarly but accurately dated and with London and Sheffield backstamps and having a Plate 9 1d Red (3m) cancelled by a fine black MX. (2 covers) Cross Reference: 1840 1d BLACKS (Image)

UNIFORM 1d POSTAGE PERIOD MAIL - INCL. UNIQUE(?) DISTINCTIVE "1 PAID" MARK, 2d/4d RATES, ETC.; 1840-51 collection of covers sent unpaid or cash-paid inc. the remarkable 26 Mar. 1840 EL to London with partly very fine Distinctive red Handstruck "1 PAID" mark (YK2668; the only recorded example) on the front slightly overstruck by the Sheffield c.d.s. and both just affected by light fold (ex Cavendish 8 Sept. 2010, lot 1019), 18 Jan. 1840 EL (interesting contents ref. unrest due to Chartist Riots etc.) with manuscript "P1", 14/18/21/24 Jan. 1840 quartet with m/s "1" (red; 2) or "2" (black; 2) rates, many other 1d-paid rates, a 4d prepaid rate and an 1843 ingoing OHMS cover. Jan. 1840 covers are hard to find. (23 COVERS) Cross Reference: UNIFORM 1d POSTAGE PERIOD (Image)

1d BLACK COVER WITH DIFFERENT SHEFFIELD C.D.S.'s OF CONSECUTIVE DATES - AS 'TOO LATE' USAGE; 19-20 Dec. 1840 EL (filing note across the address)from Sheffield to Chester with a very fine 1d Black (DG, Plate 1b - excellent margins all round) tied by a red Maltese Cross; unusually there are fine strikes in red of the two different sized "SHEFFIELD" double-arc cds's on each flap with different dates; this indicated that the letter had been posted too late for despatch on 19 Dec. and so it was sent off on 20 Dec. Rare thus.Cross Reference: 1840 1d BLACKS, LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL (Image)

QUAKER-DATED 1d BLACK COVER FROM LEEDS TO SHEFFIELD; 1 May 1841 EL from Leeds to Sheffield with 4m 1d Black (OB; Plate 7) tied by a blurred black MX. The date inside the letter is "5 mo. 1 1841" and there is the recipient's manuscript "Leeds 5th Mo[nth]. 1st 1841" endorsement on the front. This was the Quaker's way of dating things; it matches the very fine "LEEDS" cds of 1 May 1841 on the top flap; in this case (see previous lot) there is also a red "SHEFFIELD" arrival cds of 2 May (Sheffield was very inconsistent in date stamping incoming mail; see Wheat article referred to in previous lot).Cross Reference: 1840 1d BLACKS (Image)

1d BLACK COVER WITH TINY RED BOXED "SHEFFIELD/PENNY-POST" (ex NORTON - THEN IN DERBYS.); 14 Mar. 1841 EL from "Norton" (then still in Derbyshire) to Sheffield with a 4m 1d Black (MC; plate 9) tied by a fair black MX with fine red "SHEFFIELD" cds across the join on the reverse.Cross Reference: DERBYSHIRE (Image)

SHEFFIELD 1d BLACK COVER WITH DIFFERENT C.D.S.'s OF CONSECUTIVE DATES ('TOO LATE' USAGE); 19 Dec. 1840 E (some dusting and central crease - clear of marks and stamp) to Leeds with 4m 1d Black (KI; Plate 2 - one corner slightly over edge) tied by unclear red MX with two matching "SHEFFIELD" cds's (different sizes) for 19 & 20 Dec. 1840 on the lower flap. The letter was Too Late for despatch on 19 Dec. and so sent off on 20 Dec. Unusual thus.Cross Reference: LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL, 1840 1d BLACKS (Image)

SHEFFIELD 1d BLACK COVER (C.D.S.'s OF CONSECUTIVE DATES ('TOO LATE' USAGE) + 1d MULREADY; 15 Feb. 1841 E (one side-flap removed) to Doncaster with 3m 1d Black (CE; Plate 6) tied by unclear red MX with two matching "SHEFFIELD" cds's (different sizes) for 15 & 16 Feb. 1840 on the flaps; the letter was Too Late for despatch on 15 Feb. and so sent off on 16 Feb., and this is a late usage of the red MX. Plus fine 18 July 1840 usage of the Mulready 1d letter-sheet (stereo A27) with orange-red MX matching the mainly fine "SHEFFIELD" cds across the join on the reverse. (2 covers)Cross Reference: LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL, 1840 1d BLACKS, MULREADY STATIONERY & PROPAGANDA COVERS (Image)

IMPERF. 1d REDS PERIOD - "700" NUMERALS EARLY SKELETONS, ETC.; 1841-53 covers inc. 21-23 Aug. 1844 trio (one with 1d cash paid, the others with 1d Reds) having very fine rare 1st-Type "SHEFFIELD/+" Skeleton d.s., and a good range of 1841 1d Red frankings with a few 1d Pinks all with Sheffield "700" Numerals of varying sizes/types incl. one with 4 1d Reds. Plus small 1841-5 group of 8 cash-paid covers. (37 covers + 2 pieces)Cross Reference: 1841 1d REDS (Image)

THE EARLY TOWN SUB-OFFICE MARKS - THE SERIF 2-LINE & SANSERIF 1-LINE TYPES; 1841-57 covers incl. serif 2-line "..../SHEFFIELD" types for DUKE ST., GIBRALTER [sic] ST. (red), GLOSSOP RD. (red; creased & stamp may not belong), SOUTH ST. & THE WICKER; plus single-line sanserif ARUNDEL-ST (1851/7 pair in different sizes, both blue), GLOSSOP RD (overstruck), PENISTONE ST (blue; slightly overstruck), PORTMAHON & UPPER ALLEN ST. Also 1851 sanserif blue 2-line SOUTH-ST/SHEFFIELD. Almost all good strikes and all different. Good lot. (12 covers) (Image)