Postal History continued...
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 1061 |
 |
 1909 (June 8) GB picture postcard to "JT Stavers/Eastern Extension Telegraph Co/Cocos Islands/co Manager Straits
District/Singapore" with 'PENANG TO SINGAPORE' marine sorter cds on the face, large '1' handstamp (why?), minor blemishes. Colin Riddell's two similar cards of 12.11.1908 & 11.5.1909 (without the handstamp) sold for $1180 & $1415 respectively. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$460.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1062 |
PSE |
 1911 (Feb) use of Western Australia 1d Postal Card on Surfaced Stock, to Scotland with characteristically brief transcribed
telegraph message headed "Cocos/26.2.11" with Perth WA machine cancel of the next day. Any such usages other than to Malta are rare.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1063 |
PSE |
 1911 (Dec) use of Australian 1d Fullface Postal Card, to Malta with characteristially brief transcribed telegraph message headed
"Cocos/3.12.11" with Perth cds of the next day, 'MALTA/DE31/11' arrival cds & '25'-in-circle postman's handstamp, very minor blemishes. usage on Commonwealth issues is much scarcer than on WA cards. Colin Riddell's similar card of 21.4.1907 sold for
$1120. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$2,000.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1064 |
O |
 1912 (Mar 12) large registered GB cover (334x128mm) with KEVII 7d x2 (surface abrasions) to "JS Clunies-Ross/of Keeling Cocos
Islands/Eastern Extension.../Singapore", 'SINGAPORE/22MR/1912' arrival b/s from where forwarded by the first available ship, overall soiling & a little truncated at both ends. Ex Colin Riddell: sold at our auction of 3.3.2019 for $1357. Bruce Haynes
states that only eight pre-WWI covers to the Clunies-Ross Family have been recorded, of which this has the highest franking, Empire letter 2d per oz x6 + 2d registration = 1/2d. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
SOLD for AU$750.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1065 |
|
 1915 (Oct 8) Fraser & Co Brokers cover to Cocos "per SS Islander" with Straits 3c tied by Singapore cds, staining has been reduced.
Ex Colin Riddell: sold for $944. Only three inwards covers from the period of World War I have been recorded, the others being from Ceylon or GB, both of which were in Colin Riddell's collection. [The Islander was owned by the Christmas Island
Phosphate Co. Three times each year she made calls under charter to Cocos. Costs were paid two-thirds by the family & one-third by the Cable Company] (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$575.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1066 |
|
 1935 philatelic cover to Essex with Straits 25c Jubilee tied by largely very fine strike of the rare 'COCOS ISLAND/16NO/1935' cds
('filled' at the base: Proud #D2), rare 'Singapore' registration label No '83' overprinted 'Cocos Island', the reverse with a clearer strike of the cds & Singapore transit cds. Acquired at auction in 2007, where stated to be the only example
recorded, for $10,175. Colin Riddell's almost identical cover with 'R' label '82' sold for $10,620. A third cover is recorded. (Image1)
(Image2)
Get Market Data for [Cocos (Keeling) Islands D2)] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census |
Estimate AU$7,500
SOLD for AU$20,000.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1067 |
|
 1941 (early) commercial (official?) cover typed on the reverse "From Sidney W Rayment-Acton/Keeling-Cocos Islands/South Indian
Ocean", to the NSW Department of Agriculture with KGVI 2d red Die II tied by Fremantle slogan cancel of 20FEB/1941, endorsed on the face in pencil "From Cocos Islands/Delivered Sydney 24.2.41", opened-out. A rare civilian wartime cover from Cocos.
Colin Riddell's cover from Rayment-Acton to England via Mauritius sold for $3185. [Sidney Walter Rayment-Acton was secretary to John S Clunies-Ross on Cocos. About -.9.1940, he resigned his position but remained on the island until -.2.1941] (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
SOLD for AU$750.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1068 |
|
 1945 undated blue/buff 'ACTIVE SERVICE/RAF PRIVILEGE ENVELOPE' endorsed "F/O D Measures RAF" on the flap, to Yorkshire with British
'POST/OFFICE - MARITIME/MAIL' slogan in red & black/white censor label, minor blemishes on the reverse. Absent from Colin Riddell's collection & believed to be the only recorded usage of this form of envelope from Cocos, where Flight Officer Measures
is known to have been stationed.
In 1944, the Japanese twice bombed Cocos, prompting Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Allied Commander based in Ceylon, to send Indian Army & RAF personnel to the islands to construct an airstrip. All military personnel were withdrawn by late-1946. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$850.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1069 |
|
 1945 (Aug 27) stampless OAS airmail cover to Wales with an unusually fine strike of the Indian-pattern 'FPO/No 46' cds, censor
label partly-removed on opening, minor blemishes. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1070 |
|
 1945 (Nov 3) stampless OAS cover to GB with unusually fine strike of the Indian-pattern 'RAFPOST 301/ + ' cds, minor blemishes. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1071 |
/D |
 1945 (Nov 29) stampless OAS cover to GB with characteristically poor strike of the Indian-pattern 'RAFPOST 301/ + ' cds, very minor
blemishes. With the lengthy enclosed letter headed "RAF Station Cocos/RAF/Ceylon Air Forces" below a neat hand-drawn map of the atoll with key features marked. Flying operations ceased with closure of the West Island Airfield on 7.4.1946.
(2 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$1,050.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1072 |
|
 1950 (June 19) OHMS cover with 'DIRECTOR OF POSTS/SINGAPORE' cachet at lower-left & 'Bulletin de Verification/Pour Bureau de
Postes/["Cocos Island"]' address handstamp both in violet, 'SINGAPORE' backstamp, minor wrinkling. The official nature of this cover, containing registration receipts, shows that the Post Office in Singapore treated the Cocos Cable & Wireless Station
as a de facto postal agency. Colin Riddell's similar but slightly later cover (with 'C&W LTD' backstamp) sold for $1535.
Between 1946 & 1955, administration reverted to Singapore & the islands were incorporated into that Colony. For most of this period, there was again no official post office. From late-1949 until 1951, Esme Ralph Leigh-Parkin, an employee of Cable &
Wireless Ltd, was the de facto postmaster. A keen collector, much of the mail to, from or processed by him is nonetheless definitely commercial/social. Items were collected by the TSS 'Islander' or naval ships calling infrequently at Cocos with
relief staff & supplies. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$575.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1073 |
|
 1950 (Oct) cover endorsed on the flap "ER Leigh Parkin/Cable & Wireless Ltd/Cocos Islands", to England with superb boxed 'TIN CAN
MAIL/COCOS-KEELING IS' cachet (first day of use) in violet, Australian 1/6d Hermes tied by Fremantle slogan cancel of 5OCT/1950, Folkestone arrival backstamp of 12OCT/1950 & redirected to South Africa with private '3NOV1950' datestamp on the reverse,
very minor blemishes. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$500.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1074 |
|
 1950 (late) cover endorsed on the flap "ER Leigh Parkin/Cable & Wireless Ltd/Cocos Islands", to England probably per TSS 'Islander'
& by air from Singapore with 50c tied by cds of 11DE50. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1075 |
|
 1951 (Jan) cover endorsed on the flap "D Moore C&W/Cocos Islands", to England with boxed 'TIN CAN MAIL/COCOS-KEELING IS' cachet
unusually in black on both sides with Ceylon 75c tied by Colombo cds of 7JAN/51, a bit spotty. Bruce Haynes states that the 'Orion' made an unsuccessful attempt to recover the barrel so it was retrieved & carried by the next north-bound voyage per
'Wave Baron'. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$190.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1076 |
|
 1951 (Jan) cover endorsed on the flap "Johnny Lim/co C&W Ltd/Cocos Island", to England with boxed 'TIN CAN MAIL/COCOS-KEELING IS'
cachet unusually in black, with Ceylon 75c tied by Colombo cds of 22JAN/51, minor blemishes. Rare mail from an indigenous Malay, to John Clunies-Ross. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1077 |
|
 1951 stampless cover with woodcut 'ERL PARKIN/COCOS' cachet in violet on the reverse, to "Purser, RMS Orion" with very fine 'Per
RMS ORION/("12 8 51")' circular cachet & superb boxed 'TIN CAN MAIL/ COCOS-KEELING IS' cachet both in violet, minor water-staining. Most surviving covers from this period are to or from ER Leigh-Parkin who was also responsible for the various
cachets. Plus an unused PPC of the ship. [The "barrel" was a flour tin with the lid soldered-on. On this occasion, the soldering was sub-standard & some water entered the barrel]
(2 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$360.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1078 |
|
 1951 (Aug 17) Robinson & Co Ltd cover (imprint on the flap) to "ER Leigh Parkin/Cable & Wireless Ltd/Cocos Island/PO Box
146/Singapore 1" with 4c meter (for local rate only), oval 'COCOS IS/("28 8 51") PER ("Frigate")' cachet on reverse amended to 'PER ("RAF Sunderland")', stain on the reverse clear of the cachet. Colin Riddell's similar very fine cover from GB sold
for $6785. [The RAF flight brought Sir Franklin Gimson, Governor of Singapore, on a vice-regal visit. A small mail being held at Singapore was carried, despite - in this case - being paid the local rate only. PO Box 146 Singapore was the long-time
accommodation address for mail for Cocos] (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$2,500
SOLD for AU$2,300.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1079 |
|
 1952 commercial cover endorsed "By Airmail" remarkably to ".../King Island/Bass Straight [sic]" with Koala 4d tied by 'RAAF
PO/1JA52/COCOS ISLAND' cds & 'RAAF/SERVICE' handstamp in violet, sealed with RAAF 'AIR POWER IS/PEACE POWER/...' label, repaired tear on the reverse from being roughly opened. Nothing to look at but a significant rarity.
On 1.1.1952, an airman suffered a fractured skull when struck by the winch handle of a landing barge. A 'Lincoln' bomber was sent from RAAF Pearce (WA) to airlift him to the mainland. Only four covers were carried on what was the first mail from the
RAAF PO: the first official mail was dated 31JA52. Colin Riddell's similar Tatts cover, also dated 1JA52, sold for $8850. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$2,500
SOLD for AU$1,900.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1080 |
|
 1952 (May 31) cover endorsed on the flap "RAF Signals Centre/...Colombo" and on the face "via Tin Can Mail" with Ceylon Assembly
15c, 'RAAF PO/5JE52/COCOS ISLAND' arrival backstamp, redirected to the sender, a few tonespots. An unusual cover with a piece of Forces doggerel at lower-left. The last regular Tin Can Mail service was in -.11.1951. [Australian airforce personnel
arrived in late 1951 to reconstruct the WWII airfield on West Island. The RAAF Post Office opened 24.12.1951 and closed 21.1.1954]
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$190.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
