Postal History continued...
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 901 |
 |
 1854 (June 24) stampless envelope to Tasmania with largely very fine 'PAID AT/HAMILTON' bevelled-boxed handstamp in black at
upper-right and crowned-oval 'HAMILTON/VICTORIA' datestamp unusually on the face at upper-left, rated "1/-" in red pencil for the ship letter rate, Melbourne transit backstamp and largely very fine Launceston arrival cds of '6 JY 6/1854' alongside,
minor soiling & a few well-repaired edge faults. Ex John Barwis. Hamilton renamed from The Grange PO 1.1.1854. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 902 |
|
 1854 (Aug 17) stampless entire to New York via Peru endorsed within "p Lightning" but on the face "D[uplicate] pr Crystal
Palace/via Callao/Adams Express" and carried outside the mail, minor soiling & light horizontal fold. Very scarce trans-Pacific Express Company mail. The sender states gold is at "80/6d" (£4/6/-) per ounce. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$150.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 903 |
|
 1854 (Aug 23) stampless outer to "Postmaster General, Dead Letter Office, Melbourne" with largely very fine 'PAID AT/SANDHURST'
bevelled-boxed handstamp in red, crowned-oval 'SANDHURST/VICTORIA' datestamp and "6"[d] manuscript for the inland letter alongside, Melbourne arrival backstamp and light but clear Butterfly Numeral '14' in red receiving mark on the face used to
identify official mail, a couple of minor blemishes. Ex John Barwis. Renamed from Bendigo Creek PO 1.1.1854; renamed Bendigo -.6.1891 [Gold Mining]
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$525.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 904 |
|
 1854 (Sept 9) stampless envelope from England to "W Kerr Esq, Town Clerk, Melbourne" endorsed "per Overland via Marseilles" with
London 'PAID' Maltese Cross datestamp in red rated "2/3"[d] for the over ¼oz up to ½oz ship letter rate, largely very fine 'SHIP LETTER/FREE/NO 9/1854/G.P.O.VICTORIA' arrival backstamp in red, a few closed tears on the back flap & minor blemishes. Ex
John Barwis. Carried by P&O 'Valetta' ex Marseilles 11.9.1854 arriving Malta 13.9.1854; by 'Indus' arriving Alexandria 17.9.1854 and overland to Suez; by 'Bombay' ex Suez 21.9.1854 arriving Galle 7.10.1854; by 'Ganges' arriving Singapore 16.10.1854;
and by 'Chusan' arriving Melbourne 8.11.1854. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 905 |
|
 1854 small stampless envelope rated "6" in red with very fine boxed 'PAID AT/WANGARATTA' handstamp unusually in black, the reverse
with fair crowned-oval 'WANGARATTA/VICTORIA' and fine Melbourne arrival. PO renamed from Ovens 1.1.1854. Sold at our auction of 19.5.2018 for $599 (Sale 227 Lot 500). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 906 |
|
 1854 (Oct 22) stampless outer to "The Postmaster-General, Melbourne" endorsed "pre paid" at upper-left with untidy but legible
'PAID AT/CAMPERDOWN' bevelled-boxed handstamp in red and similar strike of crowned-oval 'CAMPERDOWN/VICTORIA' datestamp (the '22' inverted; ERD) unusually on the face, rated "6"[d] for the inland letter rate, partial Melbourne arrival backstamp and
light but clear Butterfly Numeral '14' in red on the face as a receiving mark for mail to Post Office officials, minor edge faults & part of the flap with Melbourne arrival missing. Ex John Barwis. Camperdown renamed from Timboon (1) PO 1.1.1854. If
the item had been endorsed "OHMS", it would have been allowed to pass free of postage by virtue of the addressee. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$400
SOLD for AU$300.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 907 |
|
 1854 (Oct 28) envelope to Scotland endorsed "Per Great Britain SS" with QV Imperforate 1/- 'Octagonal' (margins close to just
touching at right) tied by very fine Barred Oval '1' with Melbourne datestamp alongside, largely very fine 'LIVERPOOL/SHIPJA24/1855/A' boxed datestamp (Tabeart S18; in use for only a few months) in black on the reverse and a further strike in red on
the face, largely very fine 'PAISLEY/JA 25/1855' arrival backstamp, light vertical fold clear of the stamp & markings and a closed tear across the back flap that does not unduly impinge on the backstamps. Ex Rod Moreton. Carried by the clipper ship
'Great Britain' ex Melbourne 28.10.1854 via Cape Horn. Victoria introduced a 1/- ship letter rate effective from 1.5.1854. After Britain imposed retaliatory rates, the ship letter rate was reduced to 6d on 1.7.1855 with no further inland delivery
rates payable. The 1/- rate was thus in effect for just over one year. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 908 |
|
 1854 (Dec 16) stampless entire letter headed "Melbourne" endorsed "p pkt" [Paid Packet], to Oporto Portugal carried privately to
England (possibly as a consignee's letter) and posted with 'Bishopsgate Within' straight-line handstamp in blue rated "1/9"[d] in red at upper-left, 'PORTO/1/4/18/54' bevelled-boxed arrival datestamp in blue and Numeral-in-Bars '74' on the face,
light folds & minor blemishes. Ex John Barwis. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 909 |
|
 1855 Dyason Correspondence front to "6th White Hill/Bendigo" with QV Imperf Emblems 4d vermilion (three large margins) & Woodblocks
'REGISTERED' 1/- (full margins except where touched at upper-right) tied by BN '1' of Melbourne. [Goldmining: the "white hills" were mullock heaps of quartz crystals that gleamed in the sun] (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$460.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 910 |
|
 1855 (March 8) Bank of Australasia envelope (embossed back flap) to "Rossshire, Scotland" endorsed "per James Bai[nes]" (partly
obscured by adhesives) with QV Woodblocks 6d orange x2 singles (both with margins good to large) tied by poor Barred Oval cancels and largely very fine crowned-oval 'BALLARAT/VICTORIA' backstamp, Melbourne transit and
'AUSTRALIAN/LIVERPOOL/MY21/55/PACKET' unframed cds in black alongside where '6'[d] accountancy handstamp applied on the face, largely fine 'BONAR BRIDGE/MY 23' unframed cds backstamp in green where endorsed "Missent to Bonar Bridge" in red ink partly
across the adhesives, light but legible 'PARKHILL/MY 24' arrival backstamp, a little minor staining on the reverse. Ex John Barwis. Posted during the 'retaliatory rate' period after Victoria unilaterally raised the uniform ship letter to Great
Britain from 6d back up to 1/- in June 1854 and Great Britain responded in kind (reduced back to 6d in July 1855). The accounting marking credited half this higher ship letter rate back to Victoria. Carried by James Baines' Black Ball Line clipper
sailing ship 'James Baines' on her maiden homeward voyage departing Melbourne 10.3.1855 via Cape Horn arriving Liverpool 20.5.1855.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 911 |
|
 1855 (July 17) envelope to Hertfordshire England endorsed "Per Marco Polo" at lower-left with QV Woodblocks 6d orange (margins good
to large) cancelled by fair Barred Oval '5' (check) and fine crowned-oval 'SANDHURST/VICTORIA' datestamp on the face, light Melbourne backstamp, 'AUSTRALIAN/ PAID/LIVERPOOL/OC20/55/PACKET' cds and London 'PAID/21OC21/1855' Tombstone transits both in
red on the face where manuscript "5"[d] accountancy marking in red added, fair 'HITCHEN/ OC22/1855' arrival backstamp in blue-green, a little minor soiling. Ex John Barwis. The rate was 6d uniform ship letter with 5d credit to Great Britain for
carriage by British contract packet. Carried by clipper sailing ship 'Marco Polo' departing Melbourne 22.7.1855 via Cape Horn arriving Liverpool 20.10.1855. She also carried 125,000 oz of gold (worth $750,000,000 at 2025 prices) plus the Sydney &
Adelaide mails brought to Melbourne by coastal steamers. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$150.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 912 |
|
 1855 (Sept 29) outer to England endorsed "p D McKay" with QV Woodblocks 6d orange x2 singles [Pos 2 & 3; margins close to good]
tied by two largely fine strikes of Barred Oval '2' cancel, fine crowned-oval 'GEELONG/VICTORIA' & Melbourne backstamps, largely very fine 'AUSTRALIAN/PAID/LIVERPOOL/DE28/55/ PACKET' cds and London 'PAID/29DE29/1855' Tombstone transits both in red on
the face where manuscript "10"[d] accountancy marking in red added, minor bends slightly affecting the adhesives & some soiling mostly on the reverse. Ex John Barwis. The rate was 6d uniform ship letter x2 with 5d credit x2 to Great Britain for
carriage by British contract packet. Carried by James Baines' Black Ball Line clipper sailing ship 'Donald McKay' departing Melbourne 29.9.1855 via Cape Horn arriving Liverpool 28.12.1855. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$150.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 913 |
|
 1855 (Oct 26) entire letter to Virginia USA endorsed "p Sovereign of the Seas via Liverpool" with QV Woodblocks 6d orange (margins
good to touching at base) tied by Barred Oval '1' cancel, with Melbourne crowned-oval despatch, 'AUSTRALIAN/LIVERPOOL/JA25/56/PACKET' unframed cds in black and London '26JA26/1855' transits in red on the reverse, "d/5' accountancy marking in black
applied on the face for credit to Great Britain for a contract packet letter, by trans-Atlantic steamer then carried in the closed mails from New York with 'BOSTON/FEB/19/BR.PKT.' [British Packet] arrival backstamp where '33'[c] postage due marking
applied on the face, vertical fold clear of the adhesives & markings and minor edge faults. Ex John Barwis. 6d paid the uniform ship letter to Great Britain but, because it was underpaid to the USA, it was treated as wholly unpaid. The 33c due
comprised 6d (12c) uniform ship letter, 16c Trans-Atlantic ship letter, plus 5c inland delivery. Carried by James Baines' Black Ball Line Clipper sailing ship 'Champion of the Seas' departing Melbourne 27.10.1855 via Cape Horn arriving Liverpool
25.1.1856. Ben Palmer's Census #55 illustrated by him at p194. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$400
SOLD for AU$300.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 914 |
|
 1855 (Dec 19) unstamped entire letter from England with '2 Idol Lane, Tower Street, London' imprint & endorsed "Pr Earl Sefton Mail
Packet", London '20DE20/1855' Maltese Cross on the reverse and rated "1"[shilling] and '1d' accountancy marking in red for credit to Victoria on the face, 'SHIP LETTER/FREE/AP 3/1856/GPO VICTORIA' arrival backstamp in red then re-directed to
Castlemaine with QV Half-Lengths Campbell & Fergusson Printings 1d dull brown-red [Pos 10; margins large to huge at right] & 3d blue (margins good to large) tied by very fine Barred Numeral '1' cancel and 'MELBOURNE/VICTORIA' oval backstamp
(unfortunately over the original despatch & arrival markings, but all still legible), a few minor blemishes. Ex John Barwis. The 1/- contract packet rate paid only for delivery to destination, so the 4d Victorian inland letter rate also needed to be
paid. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$420.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 915 |
|
 1856 (Apr) outer to London "pr Earl of Sefton" with extremely rare franking of QV Woodblocks Pin-Perf Roulette about 10 6d dull
orange [36] (rouletted at left & right but cut from the sheet to preserve the design resulting in margins close - at the base - to large, minor soiling) tied by Barred Numeral '1' of Melbourne (part-backstamp), light but clear
'AUSTRALIAN/PAID/LIVERPOOL/JY16/*858/=PACKET=' cds & London arrival of the next day both in red on the face, minor blemishes & a small repair at the top of the cover. A great rarity; the stamp is unlisted by Gibbons. Ex JRW Purves, Rodney Perry and
Roland Geitenbeek: sold at our auction of 19.6.2015 for $7120 (Sale 204 Lot 477). Illustrated by Geoff Kellow at page 93: at page 94 he states "Several examples are known with a pin perforation gauging about 10...including two covers dated in 1856
and 1857...[They] must be classed, in the absence of any other evidence, as private and unofficial". RPSofV Certificate (2015) states "it is genuine, correctly rated and the stamp belongs".
This unusual form of separation predates by at least 18 months Calvert's official experiments of October 1857. It was almost certainly a private expedient that was clearly unsatisfactory, because any attempt to separate the stamps along such widely
spaced roulettes would inevitably have resulted in damage to all units. In this case, presumably after initial attempts to tear the stamps apart had failed miserably, the sender resorted to a pair of scissors. The use of this unofficial separation is
clearly analogous to Britain's Archer Roulettes - Cat £25,000 for a single mint stamp - and similar expedients in other countries. A classic Belgian cover with private roulettes - Ex Gary Kasparov - sold at auction in April 2012 for €200,000 plus
commission. Admittedly, this classic Victorian cover is neither as attractive nor as valuable as the Belgian cover but it is just as rare.
(Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$5,000
SOLD for AU$3,800.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 916 |
|
 1856 (April 30) mercantile entire letter to Boston USA endorsed "p Oliver Lang via Liverpool" with QV Woodblocks 6d orange (margins
large to just cut-into at base) tied by very fine Barred Numeral '1', Melbourne crowned-oval backstamp, light Liverpool '27JY27/1856' Tombstone in black & bold London '1856/28JY28' cds in red transits alongside where "12"[c] manuscript accountancy
marking on the face, carried by Trans-Atlantic steamer with very fine 'NEW YORK/AUG/11/AM PACKET' cds where '33'[c] postage due marking applied (slightly doubled) on the face, heavy vertical filing fold & two small tape adhesion marks on the reverse.
The letter speaks of "landing your Tobacco here, as the Sydney market is equally as much overstocked as ours ..." and implies that no more should be sent for some months. Ex John Barwis: sold at our auction of 23.2.2022 for $204 (Sale 7 Lot 822). The
uniform ship letter to Great Britain was 6d, but as the full rate to the USA was unpaid, it was treated as wholly unpaid: the 33c due comprised 6d (12c) uniform ship letter (credited to Great Britain by the accountancy marking), 16c Trans-Atlantic
ship letter, plus 5c inland delivery. Carried by James Baines' Black Ball Line Clipper sailing ship 'Oliver Land' on a non-contract voyage departing Melbourne 2.5.1856 via Cape Horn arriving Liverpool 27.7.1856. Unrecorded in Ben Palmer's Census: he
lists nine other covers with the '33' handstamp (not differentiating between the New York & Boston markings). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$150.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 917 |
|
 1856 (June 19) envelope from England "Per Government Mail Ship The Golden Age via Liverpool" with QV Embossed 6d violet
(cut-square; margins large at right with a fragment of the adjoining unit to just torn-into at left) tied by very fine large-part '[NO]TTINGHAM - 583' duplex cancel, 'L / A' oval & Liverpool unframed transit backstamp in blue of the next day and very
fine 'd/1' large accountancy handstamp in red on the face, Melbourne 'SE 11/1856' oval arrival on the reverse, minor blemishes. Ex John Barwis. Carried by clipper sailing ship 'Golden Era' departing Liverpool 20.6.1856 via Cape of Good Hope and met
by the steamer 'Victoria' outside Port Phillip Heads, the steamer bringing the mails to Melbourne. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$280.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 918 |
|
 1856 (July 10) envelope to Massachusetts USA endorsed "Sovereign of the Seas" with QV Woodblocks 6d orange (margins close to large)
tied by Barred Numeral '5' cancels and fine crowned-oval 'BALLARAT/ VICTORIA' backstamp, Melbourne transit alongside on the reverse presumably where re-endorsed "Via England by Champion of the Seas", London transit backstamp of '18OC18/1856' in red,
'NEW YORK/NOV/8/AM. PACKET' cds and '33'[c] postage due marking both on the face, a little minor gum staining on the reverse. Ex Floyd Risvold. 6d paid only the uniform ship letter to Great Britain. Because it was underpaid to the USA, it was
treated as wholly unpaid. The 33c due comprised 6d (12c) uniform ship letter, 16c Trans-Atlantic ship letter, plus 5c inland delivery. Carried by James Baines' Black Ball Line clipper sailing ship 'Champion of the Seas' ex Melbourne 12.7.1856 via
Cape Horn arriving Liverpool 18.10.1856, and onwards by trans-Atlantic steamer. Unrecorded in Ben Palmer's Census: he lists nine other covers with the '33' handstamp (not differentiating between the New York & Boston markings). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 919 |
|
 1856 (Aug 2) outer to England with unique franking of 'privately rouletted' QV Woodblock 6d (rouletted on all sides) & 1/-
'REGISTERED' (rouletted on three sides & cut from the sheet at the base to preserve the design) tied by BN '61' of 'MARYBOROUGH' (oval backstamp), endorsed "Registered" in red, rated "1" in red retained by Victoria & GB 'd6' handstamp for inwards
registered mail, ironed-out folds well clear of the stamps. One of the most important registered covers of Victoria. Ex Max Watson: sold at our auction of 8.10.2005 for $19,800 (Sale 118 Lot 623).
For many years, it was believed that rouletting at the GPO commenced only in August 1857, and that any earlier rouletting must have been done privately. However, research published In 2008 by Geoff Kellow, showed conclusively that rouletting - using
a single-wheel device - was being performed at the GPO as early as 1854. He identified three periods of 'experimental use', in 1854 1856 and 1857, the last probably convincing postal staff of the need to introduce the well-known time-efficient
7-wheel rouletter. Kellow identified five covers with these earlier rouletted stamps, including this item, which is the only registered example and, therefore, the only one with a 'REGISTERED' stamp. It is also the only usage from a PO other than
Melbourne. Kellow concluded: "...the cover is a genuine example of the [earlier] roulettes...I believe the roulettes are...examples of official trials". Subsequently, in 2010, a clear BPA Certificate was acquired. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
(Image5)
(Image6)
|
Estimate AU$15,000
SOLD for AU$11,500.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
| 920 |
|
 1856 (Aug 28) stampless OHMS entire letter to "The Paymaster of Police Melbourne" with fine 'PAID AT/STEIGLITZ' beveled-boxed
handstamp rated "8d" on the face, fair crowned-oval 'STEIGLITZ/VICTORIA' backstamp and largely very fine Melbourne arrival of 'AU30/1856' alongside, a couple of very minor blemishes. Ex John Barwis. The rate was 4d per ½oz intra-Colonial letter x2.
See also Lot 722. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Sep-22, 07:30 PM |
