COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA continued...

1905-11 (SG.250f) Typo using Electrotyped Plates Wmk Upright (Inverted) 1d rose-red IMPERFORATE PAIR from the top of the sheet, with large part inverted 'AUSTRALIA' sheet edge watermark in the upper margin, fine mint, Cat. £700.

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1905-11 (SG.253b) 3d brown, Typographed using Electrotyped Plates, Wmk Sideways, Perf.11 marginal block (4) with part marginal "cross" registration marking, and DOUBLE PERFS vertically between stamps, fine mint.

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1830 (May 10) "Leake" correspondence: Launceston to Rosedale outer, showing a very fine strike of the Type 2 double oval handstamp of Launceston. Strikes of this quality are hard to source. Ex Viney.

1832 (Mar.3) outer from Hobart Town to John Leake at Rosedale, with fair strike of the oval "HOBART TOWN/V.D.L" handstamp, signed at lower-left by Stephen Adey, Superintendent of Stock and Farms for Van Diemen's Land Company and director of the Derwent Bank.

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1832 (Apr.30) Fingal to Rose Vale entire, sent by foot messenger, endorsed by postmaster John Wallace "Paid J.W. Fingal", being a very early endorsement which was not officially required until June; also endorsed "Speed/J. Grant" as recipient, John Leake had been complaining of slow delivery times. Fewer than five examples known of this early instructional marking. Ex John Cress. Purchased in our November 2003 Sale for $3,000.

1832 (Aug.10) Hobart to Campbell Town entire showing the latest known date of the oval "HOBART TOWN/V.D.L" handstamp, the letter rated at 10d under the 1828 Act for a single letter carried between 70 and 80 miles. Ex John Cress. Purchased in our November 2003 Sale for $2000+.

1835 (Aug.17) Launceston to Rosedale entire, showing a good strike of the Type 2 double oval handstamp of Launceston, rated 5d under the 1834 Postal Act, being the single rate for a distance of between 30-45 miles (Rosedale at 41½ mile distance). Ex John Cress. Purchased in our November 2003 Sale for $2300.

1852 (Apr. 8) Launceston to Campbell Town outer, rated "4" with Type 2 Launceston departure datestamp, with same day strike of boxed "CAMP TOWN/8 April 52" arrival handstamp, intact wax seal in black on reverse.

1852 (July 13) Launceston to Campbell Town outer rated "4" with Type 2 Launceston departure datestamp, superb same day strike of boxed "CAMP TOWN/13 July 52" arrival handstamp. Very fine and attractive. Ex John Cress. Purchased in our November 2003 Sale for $1725.

FRANK STAMPS: A small group comprising of  "GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN" in blue on 1894 wrapper to Spring Bay, "THE SURVEYOR GENERAL" in red on June 1902 envelope, "THE TREASURY" in blue on undated envelope and "SECRETARY GENERAL POST OFFICE" in black on large unused envelope. (4 items).

1852-56 Queen-on-Throne, Thomas Ham Engraved 2d (SG.18/b) complete reconstruction of the 50 positions, mostly with full margins & generally very attractive. Cat.£1500+.

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1884-96 (SG.265) 1d Ochre "Stamp Duty", perf.12.5, fresh Mint.

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1886-96 (SG.324) £5 pale blue & maroon, VFU with Jan.1901 cds.

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1900 (SG.374-75) Boer War Patriotic Fund pair, (2) fresh Mint. Cat.£460.

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1901-10 (SG.399 & 400) Edward VII £1 carmine-rose (even gum tone) & £2 deep blue, perforated 12½, fine Mint. Attractively centred, Cat.£1100. (2)

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A group including "THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE" in black on July 1895 long envelope; "THE TREASURER" in blue on long envelope (150 x 380mm, white) from Walhalla "Receiver and Paymaster's Office, Nov.1882; and a similar size with printed "THE TREASURER" used in Feb.1895 to Kilmore; also an even larger envelope (276 x 383mm, with faults) used in July 1895; together with several "MINISTER OF MINES" cards, etc. (9 items).

1850s - 1907 Postal History group of twelve items including 1d + 3d Half-Lengths on entire from Geelong to Melbourne; 3d Half-Length + 1d Queen-on-throne on entire from Castlemaine to Melbourne; 2d Q-on-T (12 - in 2 strips of 6) on a defective part-cover from Geelong via Melb. to London; 2d Q-on-T on cover from Melb. to Bendigo; 6d black pair on 1865 cover from Geelong to London; 1867 10d cover to London; and several later items.

1852-53 POSTAL HISTORY GROUP comprising of: 
1: 22nd Sept. 1852 entire, headed Honey Suckle Creek and addressed to Melbourne; bearing a 2d Half-Length with "VIOLET TOWN * VICTORIA" oval date-stamp nearby and MELBOURNE arrival. The letter, written by David Reid, is addressed to the commission agents, Mickle & Bakewell, advising that he has "about one hundred & forty bullocks....in very good condition and fit to do immediate work...";
2: 8th April 1853 entire, headed MAIDENS PUNT and addressed to Alexander Sim at Mickle & Bakewell; rated 2d in mss, with "MAIDEN'S PUNT * VICTORIA and "MELBOURNE" oval date stamps on the flap. Written by JAMES MAIDEN (border pioneer and founder of Moama and the namesake of the postmark) the letter refers to an earlier letter which was part of a mail "which was broken open and robbed by the Bushrangers...".
3: 12th April 1853 entire, headed Ovens River, addressed as above; bearing a 2d Half-Length with "OVENS * VICTORIA" oval date-stamp nearby and MELBOURNE arrival. Written by John Reid the letter confirms the offer of a superintendent's position "To take the management of hi sheep" at £100 per annum, plus a house.
4: 14th April 1853 entire, headed YARRAWONGA and addressed to Mickle & Bakewell, with "OVENS * VICTORIA" and "MELBOURNE" oval datestamps. Written by ANDREW HAMILTON HUME (nephew of the explorer, Hamilton Hume) the letter asks M & B to assist him in a legal matter.
While all four entires are affixed in places to a backing card, and have faults, all are clearly legible and preserve the writing and signatures of several prominent  citizens of the young colony of Victoria, only recently separated from New South Wales in 1851.

1859 covers, comprising (May 22) Melbourne to Carlton, re-directed to Fitzroy with Wmk 2d bluish-grey SG.100ca tied by MELBOURNE duplex, FITZROY backstamp; also (Dec 29) Melbourne to Emerald Hill mourning cover with Wmk '2' 2d grey-violet (SG.101b, corner fault) tied by MELBOURNE duplex cancel, unframed EMERALD HILL (WWW.20, rated 2R) arrival backstamp. (2 items)

BADEN POWELL SIGNATURE ON VICTORIAN CONTINGENT TO THE BOER WAR COVER: 1900 (Sept.8) taxed cover from CAPETOWN addressed to Major Francis Downes at the Victoria Barracks in Melbourne, endorsed and signed at lower left "ON SERVICE / R Baden Powell / Maj Gen'l"; with oval "T 1d" tax stamp and "MELBOURNE 8 10 00" backstamp.

Baden Powell had been promoted to the rank of Major General following the lifting of the Seige of Mafeking in May 1900.