1927 Pflum hand-illustrated cover to United States with rare albeit philatelic combination franking of Huts 1d & 2d tied by 'RABAUL' cds, plus United States 8c green & 16c indigo Airs tied by San Francisco duplex. [Prepayment of the US internal airmail fee of 8c per zone was permitted from 1924. Pflum pre-serviced his covers with the stamps of both countries & examples from Australia & Papua are known with the American stamps cancelled at the point of posting]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$350

1928 (June 28) Wau-Lae ACSC #P12a endorsed "By Air" franked with Huts 3d with typed 'AIR MAIL' & pre-cancelled with 'EDIE CREEK' cds, tied by 'GUINEA AIRWAYS LTD/WAU' h/s & signed in pencil by the co-pilot "AS Cross", faint vertical fold, Cat $2000. A key rarity: only 2 covers flown. Ex Alan Grey. [Carried by horse/mule Edie Creek- Wau and onwards per Junkers J34. Tom Frommer's example sold at our auction of 4.4.2017 for $3360] Interestingly, it is clear that the stamp was cancelled before being affixed. We're also confident that this cover, being addressed to the Health Department at Salamaua, is a commercial item!

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1933 (Jan 21) Bena Bena-Wau-Lae-Salamaua #P54 endorsed "Per Aerial Mail/ex Upper Purari River/..." signed by the pilot "Ray Parer", Undated Airs 1d pair & 3d cancelled in transit at Wau, Salamaua transit & Madang arrival b/s, Cat $1750. Only 8 covers flown. [Bena Bena Aerodrome had just been constructed & there were no postal facilities]

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1933 (Jan 26) Bena Bena-Wau-Lae-Salamaua #P55 endorsed "Per Aerial Mail/ex Bena Bena Drome/..." signed "HE Woodman/Asst Warden", Undated Airs 1d pair & 2d cancelled in transit at Lae, Salamaua arrival b/s, Cat $1500. Only 10 covers flown.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$450

1934 (Apr 12) First Land Plane Solo Flight to Australia #P69a dated "19/3/34" with Undated Birds 3d & Airs ½d - perf faults - tied by typewritten 'FROM LAE PER WIDGEON VH-UGI/PILOT ("SMarshall")', 'CONCORD WEST/16AP34/ =NSW=' arrival b/s, minor blemishes, Cat $300++. [The typewritten cancellation is most unusual. The plane departed Wau 19.3.1934 but mechanical problems delayed the flight from Port Moresby until 12.4.1934. The AAMC states that about 100 covers were carried but most of these are from Papua. Only 3 or 4 were carried from New Guinea]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$450

Selection with DNG 5mm Setting '5d.' on 50pf, 'GRI/3d' on 'Rabaul/(Deutsch Neuguinea)' label, and on Marshalls with '2d.' on 20pf two blocks of 4 (some perf separation), '3d.' on 30pf & forged '5d.' on 50pf, etc, a few perf problems but generally fine to very fine, Cat £1500+. (Qty 24)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1914-15 6mm Spacing '8d.' on 80pf black & carmine/rose SG 11 [Stg 8A], well centred, unused, Cat £1000++. Peter Holcombe Opinion (1995) states "...very rare. I have recorded only 3 copies [sic] of the 8d on 80pf from Setting A". [This is the stamp illustrated by Robert Gibbs at page 42]

Grade A- B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1914-15 High Values with 3½-4mm Spacing '1s.' on 1mk red SG 12 upper-left corner block of 4 [Stg 4; Pos 1-2], some minor perf reinforcing, large-part o.g. with light gum toning & a few problems in the margins that don't affect the very fine facial appearance, Cat £14,000+ for four singles. Peter Holcombe Certificate (1991) states "Blocks of the high values are extremely scarce".

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$6,500

1914-15 High Values with 3½-4mm Spacing '2s.' on 2mk blue with Large 's' in '2s' SG 13a [Stg 1; Pos 4], one short perf at the base, Cat £12,000. Peter Holcombe Certificate (1998).

Grade A- C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$5,000

1914-15 High Values with 3½-4mm Spacing '2s.' on 2mk blue SG 13 [Stg 1; Pos 3] tied to local philatelic cover by oval Rabaul d/s of JAN 20 1915, central vertical fold well clear of the stamp, Cat £4000+. Robert Gibbs Certificate (2002) states "A very scarce cover".

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$4,000

1914-15 High Values with 3½-4mm Spacing '3s.' on 3mk purple-black SG 14 [Stg 7], well centred & very fresh, Cat £5500. Peter Holcombe Certificate (1995) states "Very rare. Positions from Setting 7 are unknown because horizontal multiples are unrecorded".

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$4,000

1914-15 High Values with 3½-4mm Spacing '5s.' on 5mk carmine & black SG 15 [Stg 7], fresh colours & exceptional centring for these high denominations, lightly mounted, Buhler and Bothe guarantee handstamps, Cat £14,000. Georg Buhler (1969) & Hans Bothe (1971) Certificates. [An outstanding and highly desirable example of this iconic stamp] We note that this stamp was acquired as [Stg 1, Pos 3] but we consider that to be an error. Robert Gibbs at page 51 describes the Seventh Setting as "The type appears to be newer, the stops are more evenly sized and shaped, and the inking is smooth and even", which appear to us to be the characteristics of this stamp.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$8,000

1914-15 5mm Spacing '1d.' on 5pf green With No Stops in 'G R I' but Normal Spacing SG 17ga, well centred, tied to small piece by 'STEPHANSORT' frozen cds in blue, Cat £11,000. Ex the Marquess of Bute. BPA Certificate (2017) mentions an utterly inconsequential "surface blamish at lower-right" that is obscured by the postmark. [Robert Gibbs at page 76 states that only two used examples have been recorded & that the only known unused stamp is in the Royal Collection]

Grade A- B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$6,000

1914-15 5mm Spacing '2d.' on 20pf ultramarine with Double Overprint One Inverted SG 19i horizontal pair [Stg 2; Pos 5-6 and inverted Pos 9-10] tied to piece by oval Rabaul d/s of JAN 6 1915 in violet, excellent centring, the piece with a horizontal crease well clear of the stamps, Cat £12,000+. Peter Holcombe Certificate (1991) states "A most unusual combination...[the inverted surcharges should be] Pos 6 & 5..." [NB: Robert Gibbs records only unused examples x15 & none used]

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$7,500

1914 Overprints on Marshall Islands High Values with 3½-4mm Spacing '5s.' on 5mk carmine & black SG 62 [Stg 3 Pos 1], fresh colours & well centred, lightly mounted, Peter Holcombe guarantee initials in pencil, Cat £14,000. Ex 'Besancon' II (May 2018): sold for SFr9075. BPA Certificate (2017). [A very fine and highly desirable example of this rare stamp]

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$8,000

Balance of a very fine collection in Lighthouse stockbook with slipcase, including 1915-16 KGV 1d Die II, Kangaroos First Wmk to £1 including 2½d forme of 30, 3d greenish olive & 6d with the Watermark Inverted, Second Wmk set & Third Wmk to £1 including 3d Die II & 2/- on registered Blatter cover, 1918 Surcharges, Fifth Setting KGV 1d Die II and Kangaroos to 10/- including 3d Die II, 6d grey-blue block of 4 (lower units unmounted), 9d unmounted block of 10 (2x5) & 10/-, also abc strips to 2/- (with the Watermark Inverted) plus complete formes of 30 of ½d & 2½d, etc, a few condition issues but generally very fine, STC £3000 approximately. (Qty 180+) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

Stockcard with KGV ½d green varieties x9, Kangaroo 6d type b on registered cover front, and two other defective covers. (Qty 9 + 3 covers) (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

1915-16 Overprints on KGV annotated selection of mostly ACSC-listed varieties including 1d red SG 67 Dies I-II-II strip & 'NY' of 'PENNY' Joined, 4d orange with Line through 'FOURPENCE' etc, two 1d abc strips & ½d forme of 30, condition a bit variable but most are fine to very fine. Scarce material. (Qty 87)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1915-16 Overprints on KGV ½d green SG 65 x2 and Large Multiple Wmk ½d green SG 102 x4 all-different complete formes of 30 all with ACSC-listed varieties, a few minor blemishes/tonespots but generally very fine. An unusual opportunity! (Qty 6 blocks) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1915-16 Overprints on KGV ½d green SG 65 with Major Cracked Electro through Left Value Tablet to Kangaroo's Paws ACSC #63(3)q, unmounted, ACSC Cat $5500+ for a mounted stamp without overprint. A very rare variety.

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1915-16 Overprints on KGV ½d emerald SG 65 Electro 1 complete forme of 30 from the base of the left-hand pane [1L31-60] with ACSC-listed varieties #63(1)f i & j, some perf reinforcing, Cat £90++.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1915-16 Overprints on KGV ½d emerald SG 65 Electro 2 Third Setting with Types acccbc at the Base complete forme of 30 from the base of the left-hand pane [2L31-60] with numerous BSAP-listed varieties, minor blemishes, most units unmounted, Cat £90++. [David Banwell's and Barry Gribble's similar formes sold for $670 and $490 respectively]

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1915-16 Overprints on KGV ½d emerald SG 65 with Clubbed Fraction Bar ACSC #63(3)r being the fifth unit in a block of 6 (3x2), the upper units with minor faults, the lower units - including the variety - are very fine & unmounted, ACSC Cat $3000+ for the variety (mounted). The illustration is above Lot 1967.

Grade B/A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1915-16 Overprints on KGV 4d chrome-yellow SG 70b type c, exceptional colour, unmounted, Cat £250+ (mounted). Scott Starling Certificate (2017). [In our opinion, this is a much underrated stamp. Most examples offered are wrongly identified or are colour changelings. The genuine shade is a very scarce stamp & this is one of the finest we have seen. It is superior to Barry Gribble's mounted example that sold at the Prestige auction of 25.3.2011 for $512] The illustration is above Lot 1967.​

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1915-22 Overprints on Kangaroos annotated selection of mostly ACSC-listed varieties on values to 2/- (Inverted Watermark) including abc strips of the 3d x2 & 1/-, condition a bit variable but most are fine to very fine. Another scarce group. (Qty 34)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$750