Ceylon: Reprints of the 1857 Humphries Head die proofs, a group on card or thick paper, comprising in brown (2) with cleared value tablet, coloured value tablet, in black (3) with cleared value tablet, coloured value tablet and ornate design in value tablet, in deep green (4) with head, value tablet and corner ornaments cleared, corners and value tablet completely cleared, value tablet cleared, value tablet cleared and diagonal line through design, in blue (2) with cleared value tablet, coloured value tablet, in vermilion (4) with cleared value tablet (2), coloured value tablet, horizontal striped value tablet, in deep purple with horizontal striped value tablet and in rose (5) with cleared value tablet (2), and strip of three showing with head, value tablet and corner ornaments cleared, with value tablet cleared and with diagonal line through design, and with corners and value tablet completely cleared printed se-tenant, fine. (21) (Image1)

Ceylon: 1857-59 1d. deep turquoise-blue on blued paper, tied by barred oval used on local 1861 cover to Pusilawa, with Colombo Post Paid datestamp in red on the reverse. R.P.S. certificate (2007). S.G. 2b. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1857-59 2d. green, horizontal strip of three, good margins showing portion of adjoining at left, part original gum, tiny scissor cut between first and second stamp at foot, fine appearance. S.G. 3. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1857-59 Imperforate plate proofs in black, on wove paper, 6d. block of four with close to ample margins, 10d. with good to large margins and 1s.9d. with good to large margins, plus undenominated die proof in red-brown on card (44 x 48mm) struck through with manuscript mark, a fine and interesting group. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1857 to 1872 group of imprimaturs comprising 1857-64 1/2d. lilac pair, 1863-66 1d. deep blue, a superb left marginal example, 1866-68 3d. rose pair, 1872-80 32c., 48c., 96c., also 4c. colour trial in deep lilac affixed to thin card, a fine and attractive group. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1871 2c., 8c., 19c., 36c., 48c. die proofs dated between Aug. 25 and Sept. 6, 1877 32c. and 64c. die proofs dated Apr. 13 and Apr. 18 respectively, all in black on glazed card and endorsed “BEFORE HARDENING”, some slight discolouration, otherwise mainly fine. (8) (Image1)

Ceylon: 1872 (ca.) original ink recipe pieces (5 double sided, plus photocopied piece) (approx. 204 x 160mm) used for a variety of Revenue stamps and the 32c. and 64c. values, headed “Fugitive Inks” and with recipe numbers 801 to 808 and 817 to 830, each bearing a block of four De La Rue Queen Victoria dummy stamps in the appropriate colour, unique. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1872 2c. to 96c. (without 1877 64c.) nine stamp-size proofs in black on glazed card affixed to three sunken archive cards. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1872-80 2c., 4c., 8c., 16c., 24c., 36c., 48c., 96c., imperforate on ungummed paper, all in marginal blocks of four overprinted “CANCELLED”, fine. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1872-80 watermark Crown CC perf. 121/2 x 14 2r.50c., unused (without gum), with horizontal bend but of good appearance, plus stamp sized proof in black on white card affixed to backing paper. S.G. 138. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1882 (Oct.) 20c. on 64c. red-brown, two rejoined mint marginal blocks of 30 forming the upper five rows of the sheet displaying the overprint setting, a few creases, perf. separation and reinforcement, otherwise a relatively fresh multiple. S.G. 143. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1885 5c. on 32c. slate, 20c. on 32c. slate, 30c. on 36c. blue, 56c. on 96c. drab, all in blocks of four, mainly fine with large part original gum. S.G. cat. £612.

Ceylon: 1885 25c. on 32c. slate in a fresh mint marginal block of 48, of diagonal crease effecting nine units, otherwise fine with near complete gum. S.G. 167, cat. £1,440 as singles. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1885 28c. on 48c. rose, fresh mint block of ten (2 x 5), slight gum disturbance, otherwise fine with deep colour. S.G. 168, cat. £400 as singles. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1885 30c. on 36c. blue, a fresh marginal mint block of 24, creases effecting four units, otherwise fine with near complete original gum. S.G. 169, cat. £648 as singles. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1885 (Jan.-Mar.) Watermark Crown CC, perf. 14 30c. on 36c. blue, an unused marginal block of 58, forming a near complete left hand pane (two units removed at lower left), with “2” in upper selvedge, vertical crease just effecting wing margin column, perf. splitting between fifth and sixth rows, otherwise fine with large part original gum. S.G. 169, cat. £1,566 as singles. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1885 Watermark Crown CA perf. 14 5c. on 8c. orange-yellow, variety surcharge double, a fine used example of this rare variety. R.P.S. certificate (2015). S.G. 179a, £3,750. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1885 5c. on 24c. green, a dangerous ‘used’ Sperati forgery, with genuine perfs. postmark and surcharge. The notorious ‘stamp that never was’, but long accepted as genuine (S.G. 181) and regarded as the greatest of Ceylon rarities, until finally exposed in the 1980s. A rare forgery. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1886 Key Plate, master die proof with blank value tablet, in black on glazed card (92 x 60mm) dated “26 NOV 85”, and struck “BEFORE/HARDENING”, plus 12c. value die proof in black on glazed card (92 x 60mm) dated “12 JUL 99”, fine. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1890 5c. on 15c. olive-green, variety “REVENUE” omitted in vertical pair with normal, mint with large part original gum, a few pencil notes on gum. S.G. 233e, cat. £225+. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1890 5c. on 15c. olive-green, variety entire surcharge inverted and inverted “s” in “Cents”, mint with large part original gum, a few pencil notes on gum. Rare. R.P.S. certificate (1930). S.G. 233g, cat. £2,250. Ex De Worms, Bailey. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1890 5c. on 15c. olive-green, variety “REVENUE” omitted and inverted “s” in “Cents”, mint with large part original gum, a few pencil notes on gum. Rare. R.P.S. certificate (1968). S.G. 233h, cat. £1,800. Ex De Worms, Bailey. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1892 3c. on 4c. rosy mauve, a complete unused left hand pane of 60, with plate number “3” in upper selvedge, a few creases and areas of toning on reverse, an attractive multiple. S.G. 241.

Ceylon: 1892 3c. on 28c. slate variety surcharge double in a mint block of four, trivial gum wrinkle, otherwise fine with large part original gum. R.P.S. certificate (1997). S.G. 243a, cat. £680+. Photo. (Image1)

Ceylon: 1899-1900 stamp-size die proofs the first bearing 6c. and 75c. duties and the second bearing 12c. duty in black on glazed card each annotated “Ceylon Postage” in ms. above, affixed to two pieces (54 x 58mm and 52 x 55mm respectively) ex De La Rue day book, the 6c. and 75c. piece endorsed and dated “Feb 22/60 leads from/each die” and “Mar 23rd” (in red), the 12c. piece “July 15/60 leads” and (in red) “Sep 5th 99”, a unique pair. Photo. (Image1)