1849 AN EXCEPTIONAL LETTER FROM THE OBSERVATORY TO GB: 5 March 1849 A long cross hatched letter written as a diary from 5 March 1849 until 30th April 1849 from the Royal Observatory to Bedford with a fine oval "GENERAL POST OFFICE/[crown]/CAPETOWN" hs The exceptional contents written by a 23 year old to her aunt giving details of daily life including details of the visit of the son of the Sultan of Oman on a voyage to deliver horses to QV who was mistaken for a servant! Some cover faults but a good read. A transcript is included. (Image)

1853 DEEPLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED, a used triangular block of four. shaved at lower left, otherwise fine. SG1 £1800 as singles. (Image)

1853 DEEPLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED, a used pair, just touched to wide margins. 4d blue, a fine lightly cancelled wide margined pair. SG 1 & 2 £1450. (two pairs) (Image)

1853 DEEPLY BLUED PAPER 1D BRICK RED, inc. one deep brick red with RPSL Cert (1950). Fine used examples. SG 1 & 1a. £1825 (4) (Image)

1853 DEEPLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED (2) and 4d blue (4). Good used three margined examples, one with blunt corner, others fine. SG 1 & 2 £2000 (6) (Image)

1853 DEEPLY BLUED PAPER, a used pair. Four margins and fine. SG 1 £900. Brandon Cert (1982). (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED (8, inc. a pair and a single brown shade) and 4d blue (8, shades). Mostly fine three margined examples. SG 3 & 4 £4160. (16) (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER, a good to large margined used block of four. Lightly cancelled and fine. SG 3 £1400 as singles. (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED, a used pair, close but clear at foot, other margins good. 4d blue, a wide margined pair. Fine examples. SG 3 & 4 £1040 as singles. (2 pairs) (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK-RED, used pair, clear to good margins. 1d brown, a rejoined pair, wide margins, light crease. 4d blue, a used pair, close to wide margins. A good trio. SG 3, 3a & 4 £1790. (3 pairs) (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED, an unused (no gum) example. Close but clear even margins. Sound. SG 3 £3500 (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED & 4d BLUE, two used three margined examples of each. Fine. SG 3 & 4 £1040 (4) (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED & 4d BLUE, two fine three margined examples of each SG 3 & 4 £1040 (4) (Image)

1853 SLIGHTLY BLUED PAPER 1d BRICK RED, three used examples, two are fine three margined examples, one is just shaved at foot. Also a lightly cancelled wide margined 4d blue. SG 3 & 4. £1220 (4) (Image)

1855-43 WHITE PAPER 1d ROSE, ten three margined shades inc. one unused and a pair. Mostly sound. SG 5 £3550 (Image)

1853-63 WHITE PAPER 1d ROSE, nine three margined used examples, two with small faults, others fine. SG 5 £2700. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 1d ROSE (2) and 1d deep rose-red. Three margined unused examples, the latter close but adequate. SG5a & 5b £3000 (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 1d ROSE with part "PORT (EDWARD)/C(APE COLONY)" cds Small margins but a scarce cancellation on this issue. SG5a £300. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 4d BLUE, seventeen used shades, inc. one re-entry, all with three margins and fine. Also another example with clear to wide margins, cancelled in red. A good group. SG 6 £1620. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 4d BLUE (shades), six used pairs inc. one in the shape of a parallelogram with roller cancellation, touched at left, others fine with good to wide margins. SG 6 £1080. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 4d BLUE, three used blocks of four, two touched on one side, one a deep shade, fine. Also a fine strip of three in a deep shade. SG 6 £1350. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 4d BLUE, sixteen fine used examples. SG 6 £1440. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 4d BLUE, two strips of five, one with wide margins, one with one stamp cut into at top, and another touched at foot (a fine pair). SG 6 £900. (Image)

1855-63 WHITE PAPER 4d BLUE (shades), nine used three margined examples inc. a magnificent example on piece, two are lightly creased. An attractive group. SG 6 £810. (Image)

1855-63 6d SLATE-LILAC, a wide margined unused example. Rare so fine. SG 7 £4500. (Image)