Bhopal: 1915 Stamped Paper Revenue 2a Proof Type 30 in violet on unwatermarked wove paper, 195x73mm, a truly splendid example of the engravers art. (Image)

Officials: 1941 Arms set of 7 to 1r opt SERVICE very fine mounted mint (8a is unmounted), a very scarce set seldom offered. (Image)

Collections. The Sacred Cows Specialised Balance Collection . An attractive, specialised collection of duplicates of all the Bundi issues, mostly the lower values, mounted and presented on approximately 106 pages. This collection represents a life-time of collecting and studying, and is ordered by Stanley Gibbons numbers and includes many of the 58 recorded settings on almost all values from ¼ anna to 5 rupee, showing various Official overprint types, with ovpt colours including the common black ovpt, the scarce red ovpt and the very rare green ovpt, plus a small selection of the Coat of Arms and Raja issues. . This offering comprises and amazing array of complete and reconstructed sheets with some tete-beche panes, plus a fine range of shades and cancels on stamps and fragments, some revenue usages present also, paper variation with laid, thin, medium wove and thick wove. Official overprint, plus array of other minor varieties and additional specialties. Many scarcer items with some of the highlights being 10a chocolate, unused composite sheet from setting 13 BA/CD (SG £570), 12a sage-green, unused composite sheet from setting 13 BA/CD (SG £628), 5r scarlet & emerald unused (SG £500), 4a yellow-olive unused (SG 58, £1700). . A truly wonderful collection and a good basis for study and expansion (over 650 stamps including more than 60 complete sheets) (SG £16'200+). (Image)

Bundi Specialized Postal History Collection An attractive, specialized collection of 108 native covers or standard envelopes/postal stationery cards, showing all Bundi issues from the Dagger issue to the Coat of Arms and Raja issues present, however, the strength is in the Sacred Cows. This collection represents a life-time of collecting and studying. This offering comprises an amazing array of usages and postal rates, with a range of registered labels or registered manuscript markings. Rates include 1/4a postcard often on India 9p postcards, 1/2a rate being the standard letter rate within Bundi, 1a rate, 2a rate, 2 1/2a rate, 3a registered rate, 3 1/2a registered rate, 4a registered rate, 4a registered rate with string attached to which a receipt was originally affixed, 8a registered heavy letter rate. Also present are a number of combination usages with India issues. In addition to the postal rates there are many covers franked with rare stamps from better settings. A truly wonderful collection and a excellent basis for study and expansion, many of the covers originated in the Dr. Pierre Couvreur collection (108 covers/cards) (SG £30'300+) (Image)

Bundi Specialized Postal History Collection An attractive, specialized collection of 93 native covers or standard envelopes/postal stationery cards, showing all Bundi issues from the Dagger issue to the Coat of Arms and Raja issues present, however, the strength is in the Sacred Cows. This collection represents a lifetime of collecting and studying. This offering comprises a fine array of usages and postal rates, with a range of registered labels or registered manuscript markings. Rates include 1/4a postcard often on India 9p postcards, 1/2a rate being the standard letter rate within Bundi, 1a rate, 2a rate, 2 1/2a rate, 3a registered rate, 3 1/2a registered rate, 4a registered rate. Also present a number of combination usages with India issues. In addition to the postal rates there are some covers franked with rare stamps from better settings. A truly wonderful collection and an excellent basis for study and expansion (93 covers/cards) (SG £23'900+). (Image)

The Sacred Cows Specialized Collection . An outstanding, extensive, valuable and specialized collection of these popular issues, mounted and presented on approximately 131 pages. This collection represents a life-time of collecting and studying, and is ordered by Stanley Gibbons numbers and includes many of the 58 recorded settings on almost all values from ¼ anna to 5 rupee, plus a few of the rarer seen composite settings. This offering comprises and amazing array of complete and reconstructed sheets with some tete-beche panes, plus a fine range of shades and cancels on stamps and fragments, some revenue usages present also, paper variation with laid, thin, medium wove and thick wove, minor varieties and additional specialties include pre printing paper folds, embossed elephant controls, also some unusual plate varieties such as the “One” of “One anna” raised, last letter in bottom tablet inverted, misplaced value tablet. Many scarcer items with some of the highlights being 4a yellow-olive, two unused single (SG 58, £3400), 4a bright apple-green, unused single (SG 58a, £1700), 12a sage-green composite setting 13 unused sheet of four BA/DC (SG36(1) & SG44(3), £628), 4r emerald and scarlet setting 12 unused reconstructed sheet with margins (SG 48, £2000), 5r scarlet and emerald setting 12 unused reconstructed sheet with margins (SG 49, £2000), 4r yellow green and vermilion setting 57 unused sheet of four BA/DC (SG71, £760), 5r yellow green and vermilion setting 57 unused sheet of four BA/DC (SG72, £1000), plus a small selection of the Coat of Arms and Raja issues. . A truly magnificent collection and a superb basis for study and expansion which would result in an important exhibition collection (over 1000 stamps including more than 100 complete sheets) (SG £35'900+). (Image)

The Sacred Cows Officials Specialized Collection An outstanding, extensive, valuable and specialized collection of these popular issues, mounted and presented on approximately 142 pages. This collection represents a life-time of collecting and studying, and is ordered by Stanley Gibbons numbers and includes many of the 58 recorded settings on almost all values from ¼ anna to 5 rupee, showing all three overprint types, with ovpt colours including the common black ovpt, the scarce red ovpt and the very rare green ovpt, plus a few of the rarely seen composite settings. This offering comprises and amazing array of complete and reconstructed sheets with some tête-bêche panes, plus a fine range of shades and cancels on stamps and fragments, some revenue usages present also, paper variation with laid, thin, medium wove and thick wove. Overprint varieties include double, double both inverted, sideways, missing in pair with normal, printed on reverse, shifted etc., plus array of other minor varieties and additional specialties including preprinting paper fold. Many scarcer items with some of the highlights being 6a pale ultramarine unused with RED ovpt (SG O11aA, £750), 10a olive-sepia unused (SG O13C, £1100), 12a sage green, unused sheet of four BA/CD from setting 13 (SG O14A, £900), 12a grey, unused (SG O31C, £900), 1/2a black unused (SG O51C, £800), 1/2a black unused (SG O51aA, £1200), 1/2a black unused (SG O51aB, £1200), 2a deep green unused (SG O1baC, £450), 2 1/2a chrome-yellow (SG O2C, £500), 1/2a chrome-yellow (SG O2aA, £425), 1/2a chrome-yellow (SG O2aB, £475), 3a chestnut, unused sheet of four from setting 14 CABD with GREEN ovpt (SG O3aA, £2000), 3a chestnut used with RED ovpt (SG O3bA, £650), 6a cobalt unused marginal (SG O4aC, £750), 1r reddish violet (SG O5aA, £750). A few items with certificates. A truly magnificent collection and a superb basis for study and expansion which would result in an important exhibition collection (over 870 stamps including more than 110 complete sheets) (SG £83'600+). (Image)

Forgeries. 1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, a purported proof from the master die, imperforate showing blank tablet, in olive-yellow on thin wove paper, the design and impression is linked it to the known forgeries, a fascinating, unusual and very rare item. (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, philatelic envelope showing three forgeries tied on cover by genuine postmark, unusual and scarce. (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, 1a carmine, rouletted in colour, type C, complete unused sheet of four, unusual and very rare (SG 39a). (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, 1a carmine, rouletted in colour, type C, complete unused sheet of four, unusual and very rare (SG 39a). (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, 2a emerald, rouletted in colour, type C, complete unused sheet of four, unusual and very rare (SG 40). (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, Official 2 1/2a chrome-yellow, rouletted in colour, type A, with genuine O1 small native overprint in black on reverse, re-joined part unused sheet of three, unusual and very rare (SG O2a). Note: The type F1 forgeries are known to have been distributed as new issues supplied by the Bundi post office, apparently through the action of dishonest officials. (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F1 forgery, Official 6a cobalt (SG O4aA) and 4a yellow-green (SG O19bA), rouletted in colour, with genuine O1 small native overprint in red, fine and scarce forgeries with genuine ovpts (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type F2 forgery, Official 4a yellow-green (SG O19B) and 12a sage-green (SG O22B), rouletted in colour, with genuine O1 small English overprint in black, fine and scarce, unlisted by Benns (Image)

1914-41 Sacred Cows: Type 1 forgery, attractive specialized collection of Officials, rouletted in colour, with genuine O1 small English overprint in black, showing all known values, neatly mounted and knowledgeable written up on two album pages, fine and scarce, unlisted by Benns

1894-1941 Forgeries: Attractive and valuable reference collection showing 146 items, four pages of daggar forgeries, six pages of F1 and F2 Sacred Cow forgeries, four pages of non- F1 and F2 forgeries, eight pages of F1 and F2 GENUINE official ovpt. Forgeries, one page of Raja stamp forgeries, a wonderful assembly for study.

Revenues. 1914-41 Sacred Cow Revenue documents: Attractive groups of twenty-five revenue documents neatly and knowledgeably written up, showing singles, multiple and mixed issue usages, the following SG numbers are included SG 27, 28b, 38, 65, 66a, 68, 70, 74, 75, 75a, 78, 79, 81, 82a, 83 etc., a wonderful lot, a scarce lot (25), many items coming from the Congreve collection, a complete listing in pdf is online

1914-41, Sacred Cow Revenue documents: 1914-41 Sacred Cow Revenue documents: Attractive lot of two documents, showing 1a carmine, setting 27 (SG 56), on 1933 document, plus 1a rose, pair (SG 75a) setting 53, on 1938 official 2a green revenue document, a fine pair.

1914-41 Sacred Cow Revenue document: 3r blue and red-brown, 8a reddish orange and 4a apple-green, all on 1941 revenue document which shows Bundi Arms in black at top, unusual and scarce. Provenance: Congreve

1914-44 Revenue documents: Attractive groups of revenue documents with an array of frankings including Officials, Postage Arms issues, revenues, plus a selection of cash coupons, a scarce lot

The Dagger Issues (1894-1898) (SG 1-17). 1894, 1/2a slate-grey on laid paper, unused, close to very large margins and showing four frame lines intact, sharp crisp impression for this extremely rare stamp, cert. BPA (2022) (SG £24'000). (Image)

1894, 1/2a slate-grey on laid paper, used, close to very large margins on three sides and showing four frame lines intact, clear distinct negative seal, an extremely rare stamp used, cert. RPS (1990) (SG £4'000). (Image)

1894, 1/2a slate-grey on laid paper, showing variety "Last two letters of value below the rest", used on cover, touched to almost clear margins, showing practically complete frame lines, neatly tied on native envelope sent within Bundi, clear sharply stuck bs, an extremely rare usage and possibly unique with the variety, cert. RPS (1985) (SG £24'000). Note: Dan Walker states that in over 40 years of collecting he has never seen another SG 1a on cover. (Image)

1894, 1/2a slate-grey on thin wove paper, unused, right sheet marginal block of twelve (4 x 3), roughly cut with a somewhat blurred impression, one with light crease, nevertheless an impressive unused positional multiple (SG £840). (Image)