Post Office Notices - Australia & New Zealand. 1871-72 Post Office Notices announcing the despatch of mails from London to New Zealand via San Francisco (3), mails to Australia via Southampton or Brindisi (2), or the despatch of both New Zealand and Australia mails, each notice 28x42cm, all differing printing dates, fine. Also the Daily Packet List for September 1849 detailing the departure and arrival of packets at London, Southampton, Falmouth, Liverpool or Dover, and private ships carrying mail. (7).

1803-80 Entire letters and covers including 1803 letter from Lord Minto regarding troop movements, 1843 letter with 1d red pair each tied by No. "8" in Maltese Cross, 1856 letter to Sydney "P. Morning Light" bearing 6d embossed (cut square, just touched two sides), 1858 cover to Germany bearing 2d (2) + 4d, 1860 cover to India bearing 1d + 2d + 6d, 1876 cover to USA bearing 1870 ½d vertical strip of five, etc. (12).

1840 (May 28) 1d Mulready lettersheet used from London to Devon, and a cover (June 27) posted within London bearing a 1d black (RE plate 5, three margins, just touched at upper right) both with fine red Maltese Crosses. (2).

1853 Entire letter from Leeds to Poste Restante at Florence franked by a 1d red (faults) cancelled "447", redirected to Rome and then to Geneva, various rates and handstamps, a large "Poste Sarde" label applied to the front in transit at Chamberey showing a charge of 2.5 Lire due up to that point. An unusual item with a scarce early postage due label. Photo on Page 260. (Image1)

1846-1911 Covers and cards (34), also a few fronts, pieces and a packet of revenue stamps, including 1846 cover to France with 1d red cancelled by "158" numeral of Cambridge and French entry datestamp, charged 8c; also London missent marks, machines, Liverpool sloper cancel on ½d postcard, etc. (34+).

Cancellations. 1851 1d Pink postal stationery envelope cancelled by "SILSOE" undated circle with a further superb strike on the reverse, the stamp then further cancelled in transit by the "20" numeral of Ampthill, very unusual.

1841 1d Reds, selected cancellations on stamps (15), pieces (3) and a cover, the stamps including boxed "No. 1" of Littlehampton (4) or blue boxed "PYP / No. 15" of Handsworth with a Maltese Cross, inspectors mark with a numeral in green, town datestamps of Lyme, Wincanton or Dorchester (3), and "Hithe / Penny Post" with a Maltese Cross; pieces include "Poulton / Penny Post" with a Maltese Cross or boxed "Mottram / P.P" with a Maltese Cross; also a cover from Lancaster with a numeral cancel apparently in red but with R.P.S Certificate stating "mixed ink obliteration cannot be certified as red". An interesting group, some faults, eight with four margins. (19). Photo on Page 232. (Image1)

Cancellations on 1854-61 perforated line engraved issues including 1d with Pearson Hill "Opera Glass" machine (trimmed perfs at base), Liverpool "466" experimental numeral with six pins around the number (unknown on cover), 1862 International Exhibition duplex (on piece), "RLB" Returned Letter Branch obliterator (on 1d pair), 2d with "LIVERPOOL" triple arc experimental dotted datestamp, etc. Also piece from a form with 1868 "R.P.O" c.d.s. (9). Photo on Page 242. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image1)

Scotland. 1855-73 Covers bearing 1d reds, cancels include Edinburgh duplex in blue (2), "Calton / Glasgow" datestamp, Milngavie and Coate Bridge double arc datestamps, Peebles single arc datestamps (3) or c.d.s, etc. (12).

Experimental Handstamps. c.1856 Piece bearing 1855-57 Large Crown perf 14 1d red tied by dotted "2" within three circles, an exceptionally rare experimental cancel probably used in London (Foreign Branch?), not recorded on cover. Photo on Page 268. (Image1)

Liverpool. 1855-57 Large Crown perf 14 1d cancelled by "466" numeral with pins above or at the sides of the numeral, an exceptionally fine strike of this rare experimental cancel, which is not recorded on cover. Photo on Page 268. (Image1)

Liverpool. 1856 (Mar 25) Entire to London backstamped straight line "LIME-ST", the Small Crown perf 14 1d red (small faults) tied by the Liverpool experimental datestamp code "T1", the town name and three arcs at the base entirely composed of dots. An unusually fine strike of this rare experimental cancel, only recorded for a few day at the end of March 1856. Ex Maximus Collection, with R.P.S Certificate (1972). Photo on Page 266. (Image1)

Salisbury. c.1859 Piece bearing Large Crown perf 14 1d red tied by superb "683/E" triple ring experimental cancel with four central pins. With R.P.S Certificate (1981). Photo on Page 268. (Image1)

Salisbury. 1871 (Mar 31) Piece from a registered cover to France bearing two 1870 3d rose plate 6 stamps each cancelled superb "683/E" triple ring experimental handstamp with the central pins removed, French "CHARGE" handstamp tying one stamp, with a Salisbury c.d.s. A very scarce use of this cancel on surface printed stamps, torn from what would have been an exceptional cover. Photo on Page 268. (Image1)

Salisbury. 1871 (Dec 21) Long registered cover to London bearing 1d red plate 145 block of six each cancelled by the "683/E" triple ring experimental handstamp with central pins removed, Salisbury and red Registered W.C.D.O datestamps, vertical fold at left, otherwise fine and remarkable use of this cancel on a registered cover. Photo on Page 270. (Image1)

Truro. 1870 6d Mauve plate 9 pair each cancelled by circular "TRURO" handstamp with a central crown, possibly a telegraphic cancel, not recorded on cover. Photo on Page 268. (Image1)

Machine Cancellations. French Machine - Liverpool. 1857 (Nov 12) Cover to Hawes with a 1d red tied by the experimental French stamping machine duplex of Liverpool, the datestamp portion with a distinctive single arc at base and large code "F", endorsed "above ½oz" and charged 2d. This self inking machine was trialed in Liverpool and Manchester in November 1857, the Liverpool cancel only recorded for November 11th-12th. A rare machine cancel, with articles on the machine; there was no example in the extensive Michael Goodman collection of machine cancels. Photo on Page 270. (Image1)

Pearson Hill. 1858 (Jan 14) Entire letter franked 1d to Lutterworth, cancelled by the second London Pearson Hill trial machine with "A" at the top and "LONDON" at the base, code "A", offset impression on the reverse, light file folds, otherwise very fine. Photo on Page 270. (Image1)

Pearson Hill. 1858 (Mar 12) Cover to Glasgow with a 1d red (corner fault) tied by the third London Pearson Hill trial machine consisting of twin circular datestamps with code "CB". A fine example of this rare machine, which was only trialed for about ten days in early March. Photo on Page 270. (Image1)

Pearson Hill. 1858 (Mar 30) Large Crown perf 14 1d red with Pearson Hill "Opera Glass" fourth type London trial machine cancel, code B, a few short perf tips and minor discolouration at right, a scarce cancel. Photo on Page 268. (Image1)

Charles Rideout. 1858-66 Entires and covers with London Rideout machine duplexs comprising 1858-59 first trial period machine number "1" code "HS" with eight lines above central diamond or with seven lines above the diamond (on 1d pink envelope); and machine number "2" code "CR" machines used in the first trial period in 1859 and again in the second trial period in 1866. (4).

Creswell. 1857-69 Covers with Cresswell manually operated stamping machine duplex cancels, with distinctive small circular datestamps, comprising London "71" duplex (with a second example on large piece), Exeter "285", or the unusual Rugby "659" duplex on a 1d pink envelope. (4).

Pearson Hill Parallel Motion Machines. 1859-63 Entire letter and covers with parallel motion machine duplexs of London, numeral "3" with 17 narrow bars or nine wide bars, "4" in eleven narrow bars, or "2" in nine wide bars. (4).

Azemar Postcard machine trial. 1871 (Jan 5) ½d Violet postcard from London to Jersey, cancelled by the experimental machine "89" cancel within a vertical oval of broken bars with boxed "JG / LONDON / 5 JA 71" alongside. This machine was briefly trialed in January 1871 on postcards. A couple of minor tone spots, otherwise very fine and extremely scarce. Photo on Page 272. (Image1)

Vaile's Machine. 1878 G.B ½d Brown postcard cancelled by Vaile's trial machine with circular Auckland, New Zealand, date dies for SE 2 74 separated by a grid of diamonds. This machine was invented by Robert Vaile of Auckland, New Zealand, who visited England in 1878, when he gave a demonstration of his machine to officers at the General Post Office, stamping a number of dummy letters and cards. This demonstration occurred on March 20th, but these items of test mail were datestamped September 2nd 1874; three such items, together with drawings of alternative machine formats, still exist in Post Office archives with a negative report about the machine. An exceptional rarity, with an article on this machine, rejected by the British Post Office on the grounds that the machine produced a continuous impression which would not be acceptable to the public. Photo included on Back Cover. (Image1)