1971 5f. on 50f. multicoloured, complete mint sheet of twenty-five (5x5), a couple of minor imperfections and small tear in margin only otherwise fine unmounted og. Scarce. SG 80 (Image)

Telegraphic usages. 1880 Indian Telegraph form receipt, to Quetta, bearing three 1r top halves (pair and single) with full, clear KANDAHAR 2-1-80 straight-line cancel. Light crease affects the single. Boxed red PASSED. Small faults and a repair at top left; rare ? ? Manuscript note on reverse, presumably a transcript of the message; 'To Inspector Post Offices Quetta. Am prepared to work money orders as soon as necessary forms are supplied. Public anxious' (Image)

Telegraphic usages. 1880 Indian Telegraph form receipt, to Nari Gorge, bearing strip of three 1r top halves with almost full, clear KANDAHAR 14-4-8(0) straight-line cancel. Boxed red PASSED. Small faults; rare ? ? Manuscript note on reverse, presumably a transcript of the message; 'Lindsay requires Post Office Nari Gorge will open one soon as' (laudi?) 'provided - Can you arrange for one' (Image)

1908 1d rose-carmine overprinted 'King Edward VII Land' on grey British Antarctic Expedition 1907 stationery envelope, tied by 'ANTARCTIC EXPD' cds for January 15th 1908, the first day of issue. Fine and scarce SG A1 (Image)

1921-2 GB 1½d block of four (rejoined) with two strikes of boxed TRISTAN DA CUNHA, and central strike of S-R ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION of My 25 1921. 284 of this value used by the expedition (Image)

1865-1903 3d QV orange (from first printing), wmk CC, part og, minor surface mark and typical centring, BPA cert (2018), scarce, SG 5 (Image)

1918-22 Keyplate set of 6 to £1, opt 'SPECIMEN', brilliant unmounted o.g. and rare thus. Couple of slightly shortish perfs mentioned for accuracy, nevertheless a wonderful set with exceptionally fresh colours. SG 51bs-55s (Image)

1874-1970 mainly mint collection neatly presented on album leaves including 1883 to 1s, 1918 to £1, 1920-21 Tercentenary to 1s, 1922 to 1s with shades, 1924 2s (3), 2s6d (5) 10s and 12s6d, 1938 to 1s including 2d light blue and sepia (2), 1948 RSW £1, 1938 2s (6), 2s6d (3), 5s (4), 10s (5), 12s6d (4) and £1 (2), 1953 to £1, commemoratives to 1970 and 1996 $22 Express letter stamp, plus 1938 used 5s (6), 10s (2) 12s6d (2) and £1. Well worth careful inspection. Condition generally good to fine o.g. SG 21/248 (hundreds) (Image)

1865-1968 used collection (275, plus 16 mint) on leaves. A very good general range with SG 1-4, 5a-10a; 21-9b (3d poor); 30-51; seven KG V high-value keyplates to 5/- two with colour run; both Tercentenary sets; 1935 Jubilee; KG VI with key type range including SG 116b, 116ce (fine), 121 (2) mostly OK but a few washed or faded; Wedding; QE II basics to 1968 less SG 195, and KG VI low values mint (Image)

POSTAL HISTORY: 1901 illustrated envelope from the Queens Hotel in Kandy, attractive selection of QV issues cancelled with the hotel's boxed cachet and Kandy CDS (25 AU 1901), inscribed "per French Mail" to Germany, folded with a few flaws. Appealing envelope and franking (Image)

1893 2c die proof in black on white card (60mm x 92mm), handstamped "29 MAR 93", "AFTER STRIKING", initialled in ink under the design, scarce and fine (Image)

1938-49 5c sage-green and orange variety 'WATERMARK INVERTED', lightly cancelled. Fine and extremely rare as this the first example we have ever seen. To be listed in 2024 Commonwealth catalogue as SG 387fw (Image)

Telegraph: 1882-94 60ct on 2r50 grey, type T77 surcharge (issue of 23 Apr 84), upper half showing surcharge misplaced downwards and the original value crossed through by pen, tied to piece of telegraph form by part '20-5' ds. A very rare and desirable showpiece item, and one of only TWO examples known to us (the other example being in the Royal Collection). SG T82var (Image)

Queen Victoria collection with part and full sheets, blocks, postal history. Includes 1885 15c on 16c with shifted overprint in a sheet of 120 (faulty), 1893 2r50 purple on red pair on piece to POW, 1890 5c on 15c study with varieties, 1899-1900 set to 2R25, study with mint blocks of four, shades etc. A useful lot for the specialist (Image)

1872-1947 collection (hundreds) on leaves, mint and used but the main value obviously in mint. Some darker gum, heavier mounts and minor faults but generally a very nice collection. Includes (all mint unless stated) SG 146, 162 used (foxed), 174 heavy hinge, 178a darker gum, not guaranteed but seems OK, 187-93, 1888-90 surcharges with varieties including 205b, 206 toned block of four, 206a, 208, 208a extensive hingemark, 210a, 233e, 245-74, 276-88, 292-300, 301-319 with Dies, shades and papers, 363-7, 368-78 with perfs, 381f, later with 386a, 387a, 394a. Careful viewing recommended (Image)

1857-1949 used collection (289) on leaves. A nice page of SG 2-58, some highly catalogued stamps, with viewing recommended; surcharges with SG 157, 162, 172-3, 1888 group with two inverts, SG 241-3, 254 (2), 255, 256-64, 265-276, 277-88, 298-9, 301-318 with shades, 338-356, 381f, etc. Mostly good (Image)

THEMATIC: Wonderful collection centred on Ceylon Tea, mounted on large display sheets (31cm x 46cm - 20 sheets), also an album of loose material housed in a binder. Interesting mix of postal history, postcards, ephemera etc. Of note: 1905 Tea Sample parcel label with pair of 4c and 3c KEVII affixed to back, addressed to California, USA. Label marked “Gift Tea From Forces” sent during WWII to the UK with censor mark. Advertising envelope for “Blackburn Estate Tea”, advertising postcard for the German market sent to Germany 1899, 1932 cover to Glasgow with 9c KGV perfin and “Drink Empire Tea- Britain's Best Beverage” slogan handstamp. Lot also includes maps and a box of tea related items, the most interesting of which is an original wooden tea box with the Parcel Post customs label still attached, from RAF serviceman to Canada. Eight Ceylon Survey Maps mounted on hard board and a decorative 1933 map of the island (please note the oversized nature of the maps). A unique and interesting lot (Image)

1825-1940's accumulation of Columbia covers in ½ carton; of note a selection of locally addressed pre-stamp covers addressed to the US Consul in Carthagena ( 1825 to 1857), 1904 bisects on cover to Bogota, France (also taxed), and Manchester, England, 1901 uncatalogued provisional to Guayaquil, good range of registered covers to better destinations, includes a small bundle of Costa Rica and Panama covers, a good lot for the postal historian (hundreds)

1865-1950 Columbia collection on album leaves with much for the specialist, 1902-04 Barranquilla issues, 1902 Medellin issues to 10p, 1917 Registration issue die proofs (2), 1917 AR issue die proof on paper, attractive 1903 registered “Servicio Postal Fluvial” cover to London, also a few useful Argentina and Chile pages with early issues. Generally fine, close inspection recommended. (Image)

1880 1d red Plate 174, unused without gum, some perf faults but the second scarcest plate. SG 2, £1400 (Image)

1881 2pi blue, wmk CC, imperf imprimatur with clear margins, unused, few minor wrinkles, fine appearance and rare, SG 13 (Image)

1944 1p orange, perf 13½x 12½, fresh unmounted mint, SG 154a (Image)

1938-51 £1 scarlet and indigo, lower marginal block of 4 with full Waterlow & Sons imprint, a couple of shortish perfs, fresh unmounted mint, SG 163 (Image)

1955 set unmounted mint, and a range of blocks of four (17) to 100m plus the £1, all Plate or imprint blocks, the £1 being an imprint block; and the 1960 Republic overprint set, unmounted lower marginal single, each with plate number. SG 173-202, £638 (Image)

1880-1960 used collection (195) on leaves, generally above average. We note SG 1 Plate 15, SG 2 seven Plates, SG 7 Plates 201, 205, 216, SG 9, 10, 14, 16a-22, 24, 40-8, 55, 57, thereafter most but usually less the topmost value; also SG 87a and 1934 Pictorial set complete, a useful collection (Image)