1840 Whiting treasury essays: a very fine sheetlet comprising three essays printed by the congreve process of interlocking plates in black and red (types 10, 12 and 18) and four embossed essays in blue and white or plain colourless relief and very rare and attractive group of treasury competition essays and one of very few sheets left intact. Rare. (Image)

1840s Charles Whiting essay reprint, showing "No. 1" printed at top, two circular designs with "No." and a central oval with "1d" in the centre, fine. (Image)

1840 (May 31) Wrapper from Dover to London with 1840 1d black pl.1a LA, good to very large margins, tied by neat red MC, top backflap with clear Dover MY 31 1840 cds and London JU 1 arrival which opens nicely to display, some toning around the edge of the stamp caused by the gum, very fine example of this Sunday May Date, cert. Brandon (2007) (SG from £5'000). (Image)

1840 1d Grey-Black pl.1a LA with part sheet margin showing complete "the Labels ABOVE" marginal inscription at left, neatly tied to entire by a red MC, sent from London to Shaftsbury with a London dispatch cds on reverse for NO 20 1840, very fine and attractive. (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.1b IA with fine to good margins, neat red MC, small corner crease at top left otherwise fine (Image)

1840 1d black pl.1b SG, good to large margins, neatly cancelled by a blue Maltese cross though not guaranteed and "sold as is"; fine. (Image)

1840 1d Black pl.6 AC, fine to large margins, black MC, very fine. (Image)

1841 (Nov 29) Envelope from Manchester to Dartford bearing on reverse four complete wafer seals printed in black on blue, green (2) and pink paper, one advertising ''THREE HUNDRED Beautiful Adhesive HINT WAFERS FOR CHRISTIANS'', two tied by Manchester and London cds with Dartford arrival adjacent, franked with 1840 1d greyish-black pl.6 OA with clear to good margins except just shaved at foot of ''O'' square, with tied by black Maltese Cross, very scarce. (Image)

1841 1d Red-Brown pl.10 IE/JF mint block of four with good even margins, only tiny trace of hinge on one stamp, JF showing "J" flaw variety, very fine and amazingly fresh multiple (SG Spec. £12'500). (Image)

1840 1d. black selection of 9 unplated examples all with good to large margins, 5 with red cross, three with black cross including one with the distinctive Manchester cross; one example of unused appearance. Generally good to fine. (Image)

1840 2d blue pl.1 AD and pl.1 HD, with AD in deep full blue showing fine to good margins, red MC, very; and HD in pale blue just shaved at top left, small fault at top, but showing a stunning crisp red MC. (Image)

1840 2d pale blue pl.1 FD-FE pair, good to large margins, the stamps quite faded from being cleaned with forged cancellations added, sold as is. (Image)

1841 (Apr 25) Entire letter from Thurso via Falmouth to Captain Henderson, the master of H.M.S. Gorgon in the Mediterranean, bearing 1840 2d blue pl.1 LG-LL strip of six paying the 1s prepaid letter rate up to ½oz. the strip neatly tied by good strikes of the black Maltese cross. A spectacular overseas destination and one of the most famous covers of this classic issue, cert. Oliva (1962) and E. Diena (1984). (Image)

1840 2d blue pl.2 GF-GL in two strips of three and a single making up the original strip of seven tied to piece, large balanced margins all round, each neatly cancelled by 1844 Irish type "232" (Galway, Ireland) cancellations in black, vertical creases on GG and GK in no way detracting from the fine appearance of this very rare multiple, cert. Brandon (2005). (Image)

1840 (May 6) 1d Mulready letter sheet dated used on the first day of use, neatly cancelled by a good strike of the red Maltese cross, the reverse showing the clear d.s. in red which opens perfectly for display, some internal reinforcing though not detracting from the fine appearance, rare (S.G. from £18'000). (Image)

1840 (Jul 3) 1d Mulready lettersheet, forme 1 stereo A1, with "Economical Life" advertisement inside, sent from London to Portsmouth and neatly cancelled by a crisp London "8" Maltese Cross, addressed to a Lieut. Bunce serving on HMS "Tyne", however the ship had sailed and the letter was forwarded free of charge to Cork to catch up with the ship, backstamped with London, Portsmouth, Dublin and Cork date stamps for JY. 3-7 1840, a most unusual and rare usage (SG Spec. MA32ac). (Image)

1840 (Nov 23) 1d Mulready lettersheet, forme 3, stereo A69, sent from London to Oxford cancelled only by a red "Vigo-Lane" receiving office s/l hs contrary to regulations, reverse with London and Oxford cds, fine and most unusual, ex "Mayflower", cert. BPA (1994). (Image)

1841 1d. red, DF, Pl. 125, large part original gum on Lavender Tinted Paper, good to large margins; scarce. (Image)

1841 1d red LC, very good to very large margins, tied to 1843 (Oct 28) wrapper by crisp London "1" in Maltese Cross with "TOO-LATE / GPO" cds adjacent, with despatch cds and Derby arrival cds on reverse, missing sideflaps, a superb strike of this scarce cancel. (Image)

Alexandria: 1841 1d Red pl.31 TK, just touched at top left, tied to 1843 (Dec 2) wrapper from Alexandria to Dumbarton (Scotland) by distinctive Alexandria Maltese Cross with faint "ALEXANDRIA" s/l hs adjacent, reverse with two Dumbarton ds, no sideflaps, fine and very rare example of this MC, cert. RPS (2010), ex Pickering, illustrated in R&J vol.2 p.184. (Image)

Arundel: 1841 1d Red CF, just touched at top, on 1844 (Feb 18) lettersheet from Littlehampton to London tied by black Arundel distinctive Maltese Cross with void centre with Littlehampton UDC adjacent, reverse with Arundel and London cds, very fine and rare with only three recorded by R&J, illustrated in R&J vol.1 p.39, cert. BPA (1965). (Image)

Birmingham: 1841 1d Red pl.33 TJ, fine to good margins, on 1843 (Dec 2) lettersheet from Birmingham to Sheffield tied by black Birmingham distinctive ("squat") Maltese Cross, reverse with despatch and arrival cds, very fine, cert. BPA (2002, signed Mike Jackson). (Image)

Catterick: 1841 1d Red pl.8, state II, HE (no "O" flaw), good margins, tied to 1841 (Jul 19) wrapper from Catterick to Leeds (Yorkshire) by distinctive Catterick Maltese Cross, reverse with despatch and obverse with arrival ds, no sideflaps otherwise very fine and scarce MC, listed in R&J vol.1 p.62, ex Stillwell and Pickering, cert. Brandon (2001). (Image)

Coleshill: 1841 1d Red EF, three margins, on 1844 (Mar 12) small envelope from Coleshill to Warwick tied by black distinctive Coleshill Maltese Cross, reverse with despatch and arrival ds, wax seal removed, fine and very rare, one of only three covers recorded by R&J, illustrated vol.1 p.79. (Image)

Corstorphine: 1841 1d Red pl.11 RJ, fine to good margins, on 1841 (Jul 1) entire from Corstorphine to Dingwall (Scotland), tied by Corstorphine distinctive Maltese Cross, reverse with Corstorphine straightline hs, Edinburgh cds and front with arrival cds, stamp with small corner crease, very fine and very rare, see R&J vol.3 p.320 which lists one example with similar features. (Image)