1823: Cover from Colombo to London endorsed "Single Sheet" and "via Madras", struck with superb "Crown / COLOMBO / POST PAID" framed handstamp (June 14) in black (a rare marking). Oval MADRAS / GPO / SHIP LETTER transit in black (June 23) and framed INDIA LETTER / PORTSMOUTH in red on front with London cds of receipt (Dec 3) on reverse where charged 1 s. due to pay. Central file fold but a scarce and fine cover.rnProvenance: Collection R.G.Traill, Jan 1990. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1838: Cover from Jaffna to the Wesleyan Missionary Society in London endorsed 'via Bombay', struck on despatch with JAFFNA and POST PAID handstamps in red. Reverse with London arrival cds (Nov 12) in black and obverse with manuscript '2/6' to pay at lower left. A few minor imperfections but a scarce cover. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1857: 6 d. purple-brown on blued paper, two examples with large to touched margins, tied to small piece by oval barred obliterators in black; the piece with manuscript 'Paid' above. Scarce. Cert. BPA (2017) Gi = £ 900. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1857: 6 d. purple-brown on blued paper, three large margins and grazed at top, used with 1 d. blue single and horizontal pair, margins large to touched, on attractive 1860 cover endorsed 'via Marseilles' to Bromley Common, Kent tied by barred oval obliterators in black. Reverse with manuscript docketing of sending (Jan 18) and faint despatch datestamp in black and London cds (Feb 28) in red. A charming usage. Cert. RPSL (1955). (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 1 d. turquoise-blue, wmk. star, an attractive horizontal strip of five, generally large margins all round and imperceptibly touched in places, of good colour and lightly cancelled in black. Trivial vertical bend between first and second stamps but a scarce multiple Gi = £ 200+. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1857/59: 1 d. blue on bluish, a used example with good to touched margins, used on 1862 printed entire letter written from Melbourne, Victoria (Jan 28) to Port Louis, Mauritius with, on reverse, framed FORWARDED / BY / VANDERSPAR & Co. cachet applied in Colombo or Galle. GALLE / POST NOT PAID datestamp alongside the adhesive and charged '10d.' in red crayon on arrival. Reverse with 'Mauritius' cds (April 24) of receipt. An unusual and attractive entire. Cert. RPSL (2002). (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1859 (April 23): 4 d. dull rose, wmk. Star on white wove paper used with 1859 6 d. purple-brown on 1860 cover from Colombo to Kingston, Surrey endorsed 'via Marseilles'. The 4 d. with enormous margins for this stamp, of fresh vivid colour, the 6 d. overlapped but with large margins all round, cancelled by bold strike of bars obliterator in black. Reverse with COLOMBO / POST PAID cds in red (Jan 16) and London arrival cds (Feb 18) in black. An exceptional and most attractive cover: if not the most famous, probably the finest of all the known 4 d. covers. Delightful. Signed W.E.Lea. Cert. BPA (1958).rnProvenance: Collection Alfred H. Caspary, Feb 1958; Collection Dr. Chin Chang Cheung, May 1961; Collection Donald C. Grey, June 1962; Collection Lars Amundsen, Dec 1967. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 5 d. chestnut, an unused horizontal pair, marginal from right of sheet, large to huge margins on three sides and a trifle trimmed at top, of bright fresh colour with PO of POSTAGE in sheet marginal watermark; large part og. Believed to be the largest known multiple, a most attractive pair Gi = £ 3'200+.rnProvenance: Collection Baron de Worms, June 1938; Collection Charles Williams, Nov 1947; Collection G.P.Bailey, May 1962; Collection R.C.Agabeg, May 1982.rn. (Image 1) (Image)

1857/59: 6 d. purple-brown on white paper, a fine used example with large margins all round and portion of adjoining stamp at left, used on attractive 11860 cover to London endorsed 'via Southampton', tied by crisp strike of oval barred obliterator in black. Reverse with COLOMBO / POST PAID datestamp in red (Jan 8) and London arrival cds (Feb 24) in red. A fresh and very fine cover. Cert. RPSL (2016). (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 6 d. purple-brown, single example used with 6 d. brown (2) and 1 d. blue (3), all overlapped on small 1861 envelope from Kandy to London endorsed '1/9 Via Marseilles', the adhesives all tied by oval barred obliterator handstamps in black. Reverse with KANDY / STEAMER LETTER datestamp in black (July 16) and obverse with 'London / Paid' cds in red (Aug 15). The stamps lifted for checking and replaced and the envelope slightly rubbed at left; however an extraordinary usage of two shades of the 6 d. adhesive on cover. Cert. BPA (1986). (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 8 d. brown, a used example with clear to fine margins all round and portion of adjoining stamp at right, used on small 1860 envelope from Jaffna to Cauterets, France endorsed 'France - via Suez, Marseilles' tied by over-inked oval barred obliterator in black. Reverse with JAFFNA / POST PAID datestamp in red, with date inverted, alongside three French transits and arrival (Sept 29). Obverse with Marseille entry marking in red alongside framed PD in red. The stamp lifted and replaced, the envelope a trifle soiled but very rare - a unique franking. Cert. RPSL (2000). (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 9 d. purple-brown, used example with ample to large margins all round in a vibrant shade, tied to 1859 entire letter from Kandy to London endorsed 'via Marseilles' by barred oval obliterator in black. The stamp exceptional for a usage on letter with slight surface rub at lower right, reverse with KANDY / POST PAID cds in red (May 24) and London arrival cds (July 5) in red. The entire with some splattering from the Kandy red ink pad but an early usage of this rare stamp on letter. Cert. RPSL (2007).rnProvenance: Collection Lawrence Shenfield, March 1975. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 10 d. dull vermilion, a horizontal pair with ample margins on three sides and touched at right, used on double rate 1862 cover to New York, USA cancelled by oval barred obliterator in black. Private STAMPED in red at left and faint '1/7' credit marking in red manuscript. 'London / Paid' cds of transit in red (Aug 15) and circular "5 / N. YORK BR. PKT" in black (Aug 27) applied on arrival. Soiled but a rare Transatlantic usage. (Image 1) (Image)

1857/59: 1 s. slate-violet, two examples, margins good to touched used on 1860 quadruple rate final page of entire letter from Colombo to London endorsed 'via Marseilles', tied by oval barred obliterators in black. Reverse with COLOMBO / POST PAID datestamp in red (June 26) and obverse with 'London / Paid' arrival cds (Aug 6) in red. Closed tear in face panel away from the adhesives but a scarce franking. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1857/59: 1 d. turquoise-blue, 2 d. yellowish green and 1 s. slate-violet (6 examples) all used on the spectacular 1860 wrapper to Bordeaux, France endorsed "Via Suez" and 'Papiers de procêdures', the stamps generally very fine with large margins, grazed in places and tied by barred oval obliterator handstamps in black, over original manuscript charge of 6/1d. Circular POSS. ANG. V. SUEZ / MARSEILLE datestamp in red. Reverse with GALLE STEAMER LETTER in red, 'Cette A Paris' TPO (Dec 26) and Bordeaux on arrival (Dec 27). The addressee's name re-written and a few imperfections commensurate to the original enclosure and the journey, the cover was taxed on arrival at 8 fr. 10 centimes to pay upon receipt. A splendid 6/3d. rate - the highest recorded first issue franking.rnProvenance: Collection Angus Galbraith, May 1988; via Stanley Gibbons; Collection Joseph Hackmey, Feb 2009. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1857/59: 1 s. 9 d. green, wmk. Large Star, imperforate, an unused example with ample to large margins all round, of good colour on slightly toned paper, part og. Signed Grobe, Pfenninger Gi = £ 800. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1857/59: 1 s. 9 d. green, a fine appearing example with ample to just grazed margins, in an excellent rich shade, used on 1859 cover to London endorsed 'Per Overland Mail via Marseilles' tied by barred obliterator in black. Reverse with COLOMBO / POST PAID datestamp (Nov 15) in red and obverse with 'London / Paid' arrival cds (Dec 15). Ironed bends in cover but a most attractive and extremely rare single franking. Cert. BPA (2000).rnProvenance: Collection Obrê Sanders, Nov 1999. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1857/59: 2 s. dull blue, wmk. Large Star, imperforate, an unused example with sheet marginal watermark at base, of excellent colour with margins on three sides and showing portion of adjoining stamp at left, just shaved at right and with thin and pinhole, fresh and fine with small part og. Despite imperfections, a very rare stamp unused and most attractive Gi = £ 6'500. (Image 1) (Image)

1857: ½ d. reddish lilac on blued glazed paper, a fine used horizontal pair with large margins all round, cancelled by barred obliterator handstamps in black. Traces of pinholes, possibly natural, an attractive pair and a scarce multiple. Cert. Bühler (1984) Gi = £ 1'300+.rnProvenance: Collection R.C.Agabeg, Harmers, 20 May 1982, lot 2043. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1858: ½ d. dull mauve, imperforate on glazed paper, an unused block of nine (3 x 3), marginal from top of sheet, with large margins all round. Tear in margin affects the first two stamps and the block with some typical surface scratches and three horizontal bends, nevertheless an attractive and very scarce multiple with large part og. Gi = £ 1'620+. (Image 1) (Image)

1861. Cancelled Stamps for Rowland Hill's nephew Ormond Hill.rnOn 18 April 1861 Ormond Hill, the nephew of Rowland Hill, wrote to Joshua Butters Bacon the head of Perkins Bacon and Co.:rn“My dear Sir, Two or three of my friends who are collectors of Postage Stamps have asked me to procure for them specimens of new or uncommon stamps whenever I have it in my power. It occurs to me that perhaps you may be able to give me a few ...”rnHe added on 24 April:rn“... I should be glad to have six stamps of each kind ...”rnOn 15 August J. Upham (for J.B. Bacon) sent the stamps to Pearson Hill with the following letter:rn“Dear Sir, I beg now to send you as promised ... an envelope addressed to Ormond Hill Esq. containing 6 obliterated impressions of each of the stamps named in the list and request you will take two of each for Rowland Hill Esq. and yourself and then seal the package and forward it together with a letter which you will also find addressed to him, to Mr. Ormond Hill.”rnIt turned out that the supply of the Crown Agents‘ property was given without authority.rnOrmond Hill was not asked to return the „specimens“, and in fact, all were treated as private property. Nevertheless, the case destroyed Perkins Bacon as future printers for the Crown Agents.rnFrom Peter Jaffe in "Cancelled by Perkins Bacon“, published for Spink & Son Ltd by James Bendon Ltd. (1998).rnrn1861/64: 5 d. chestnut, perf. 14-15½, perfs. trimmed at left, struck with large part CANCELLED in black. Position 5 on the Jaffe re-plating of the donated blocks of six - two examples (pos. 3 and 6) have yet to be found. Rare. Cert. RPSL (2016) Gi = £ 8'000. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1861/64: 5 d. chestnut, clean-cut perf. 14 to 15½, a used horizontal pair on 1864 cover from Deltota to Weymouth, UK endorsed 'via Marseilles' tied erroneously by barred obliterator in red and by further strikes of the obliterator in black, DELTOTA / PAID cds at left in red (Nov 28). 'London / Paid' cds of receipt (Christmas Day). Reverse with COLOMBO / PAID cds (Nov 29) in red and Weymouth cds (Dec 26) in black. An attractive cover.rnProvenance: Collection Maurice Burrus, April 1963; Collection Obrê Sanders, Nov 1999. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1861/64: 9 d. deep brown, rough perf. 14 to 15½, an unused block of four of fresh colour and superb large part og. Scarce and very fine. Cert. RPSL (2016) Gi = £ 600+. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)

1861/64: 1 s. slate-violet used with 1863/66 1 d. deep blue, wmk. CC, on 1868 cover from Kandy to Leamington, UK endorsed 'By French Steamer', tied by barred oval obliterators in black. KANDY / PAID despatch cds at left (April 1) in red and 'London / Paid' transit cds (April 27) in red. Reverse with Leamington arrival cds in black of same day. Small imperfections but a scarce and attractive cover. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image)

1861/64: 10 d. dull vermilion, perf. 12½ by DLR, a horizontal strip of four used on 1866 quadruple rate cover from Colombo to Linlithgow, Scotland endorsed 'via Marseilles', tied by oval barred obliterators in black. COLOMBO cds in black on front (Oct 16). Reverse with Linlithgow arrival cds (Nov 12) in black. One slight file fold but a most attractive and extremely rare cover. Cert. BPA (2000).rnProvenance: Collection Obrê Sanders, Nov 1999. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image 3) (Image)