COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY continued...
Ad Hoc Postal Arrangements 1904 to 1933 continued...
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 181 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1902 (Jan 27) use of Western Australia First Issue 1d PC2, to "Mrs May/Imperial Maritime
Customs/Chefoo China" with message headed "Perth, Western Australia/(By Cable from Cocos) & signed "Macartney", light Ship Mail Room duplex & superb 'T/ 5 '-in-hexagon cachet for the ½d under-payment, faint but legible '.../CHEFOO/25FE B/02' arrival
cds on the face.
Colin Riddell's similar but later-issue 1d Postal Card to Scotland of 21.4.1907 - noted there as "Believed to be the earliest such Cocos cable message card - sold for $2360. This example is a full five years earlier, and is also the only recorded
example of the first-issue 1d card used in this manner. The cable link between Cocos & the Perth oceanside suburb of Cottesloe was completed in -.10.1901. This usage is only three months later, and four months before the cable station was officially
opened for 'traffic'.
In July 1901, Messrs Macartney, Cameron, Spriggs, Wishart & Ingram (no forenames given) were deployed by Cable & Wireless from Singapore to Direction Island to open & operate the new cable station there. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$2,000
Currently Opening at...AU$1,500.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 182 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1910 (Apr 11) use of Western Australia 1d with No Frame on Unsurfaced Stock, to Scotland with
message "Cocos 10.4.10/Arrived Cocos fourth...", a bit aged with light 'suntanning' on the reverse. Colin Riddell's similar 1911 card from the same correspondence sold for $885. Most of these telegraph message cards are addressed to Malta; all other
destinations are rare. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
Currently Opening at...AU$460.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 183 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1911 (July 24) use of Western Australia 1d with No Frame on Surfaced Stock with message
"Cocos/24-7-11/Feeling fit love to all", to "Mrs Pfordten/Malta" with Perth Krag machine cancel, 'MALTA/AU20/11' & 'SLIEMA BO' arrival cds of the same date & '9'-in-circle postman's handstamp, light creasing. The writer is believed to have been
Frederick von der Pfordten, an employee of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, and the son of a former Bavarian consul in Malta.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
Currently Opening at...AU$190.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 184 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1911 (Dec 18) use of Australian Fullface 1d with message "Cocos/ 17-12-11/Lil's letter recd
by ayesha last week. Boat due about 31st", to "Mrs Pfordten/Malta" with Perth cds, 'VALLETTA/13JA12/MALTA' arrival cds & '25'-in-circle postman's handstamp, very minor blemishes. Such usage of Australian Postal Cards is rare. Colin Riddell's similar
example sold for $1120.
The 'Ayesha' was the Clunies-Ross family's private yacht. In 1914, it was comandeered by Helmuth von Mucke of 'Emden' fame & sailed to Sumatra from where a German ship took him & his crew to Yemen. From there, they made their way back to Germany via
Turkey. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
Currently Opening at...AU$575.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 185 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1915 (May 13) use of Kangaroo 1d with message "Cocos/2-5-15/Well, best love to all Jack", to
Dunedin New Zealand with light Perth machine cancel, small imperfections. Rare wartime usage. Colin Riddell had no usage of a Kangaroo Postal Card.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
Currently Opening at...AU$750.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 186 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1915 (Oct 25) use of Australian KGV 1d red Without Admonition ACSC P27 with small-part Perth
machine cancel of '25.OCT.15', to Shanghai China with message headed "Cocos 23.10.1915" advising "Your two letters received this boat answering by Nov mail/Kerr", private 'SHANGHAI/NOV 27 1915/CLUB' arrival cachet in violet at lower-left, a few minor
blemishes. The card was sent without added franking because mail to the British Post Offices in China qualified for the Empire 1d rate. Ex Colin Riddell: sold at our auction of 3.3.2019 for $2714 (Sale 233 Lot 2342). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
Currently Opening at...AU$1,150.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 187 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1919 (Sep 29) use of Australian KGV 'THREE/HALFPENCE' on 1d red with Divided Face ACSC P48(2)
with Perth machine cancel of '29SEP19', to England with message headed "Cocos 28 9 19" advising "Thanks for pc of July...looking out for next mail...", a few minor blemishes. Jack Inge was an employee of Cable & Wireless on Cocos. This is the
earliest known Cocos cable card after suspension of the facility during World War I. The rate was 1d plus ½d War Tax (introduced 28.10.1918). Ex Colin Riddell: sold at our auction of 3.3.2019 for $2360 (Sale 233 Lot 2343). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
Currently Opening at...AU$750.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 188 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1921 (Dec 3) use of Australian 1½d brown with Perth machine cancel of 5DEC21, to England with
message on the face "Cocos/3.12.21/Your pc 26.10.21 arrived today...", light overall soiling. Ex Colin Riddell: sold for $1535. This is the latest recorded cable card via Perth. During the Straits Settlements Postal Agency period of the mid-1930s,
the service was reinstituted but via Singapore, but see Lot 191. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
Currently Opening at...AU$750.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
Straits Settlements Postal Agency 1933 to 1937
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 189 |
 |
 1935 George Cuttress cover to England with Straits 1c 2c & 5c tied by two largely superb strikes of the rare 'COCOS
ISLAND/6AP/1935' cds (Proud #D2; ERD), minor blemishes on the reverse only. Colin Riddell's 1933 social cover sold for $11,800 (Sale 233 Lot 2351). Bruce Haynes' 1935 registered cover sold at our auction of 28.8.2024 for $24,000. (Image1) (Image2)
Get Market Data for [Cocos (Keeling) Islands D2; ERD)] View Visual Pricing Guide Make Sample Census |
Estimate AU$4,000
Currently Opening at...AU$3,000.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 190 |
PSE |
 1936 philatelic usage of GB KGV (1½d+)1½d reply-half with typed endorsement on the reverse "Posted at Direction Island Cable
and/Wireless Station, Cocos-Keeling/Islands November 1936", to England with superb 'PAQUEBOT/14NO/1936/SINGAPORE' cds (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
Currently Opening at...AU$190.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 191 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1934 (Oct 22) Straits 2c with 40mm 'EASTERN EXTENSION ... TELEGRAPH COMPANY/SINGAPORE/...'
cachet in violet on the reverse, to Devon GB by air per KLM uprated with 5c brown, 6c red & 12c blue tied by Singapore cds of '22OC/1934'. Message states: "Cocos/22-10-34/ ...Cake nearly finished. Yumyum...". Superb. From the Vansittart
Correspondence of ten similar cards discovered only in 1993. Colin Riddell's two similar cards - per Imperial or KLM - sold for $2360 or $2830 (Sale 233 Lots 2355 & 2356) respectively. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$2,000
Currently Opening at...AU$1,500.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 192 |
PSE |
 TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES ON POSTAL CARDS: 1935 (May 13) use of Australian KGV 1½d brown with message "No nothing heard of Rover suggest
you write...to...", airmail to England with KGV 1½d & Large Kookaburra 6d tied by Adelaide machine cancel with scarce 'SUPPORT/THE JUBILEE/MOTHERHOOD/FUND' slogan, very minor blemishes. The only such Cocos telegraphic message card recorded via
Adelaide, where there was a cable relay station. Absent from Colin Riddell's collection. This must be the latest telegraphic message card from Cocos via Australia. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
Currently Opening at...AU$1,150.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
The Late 1930s
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 193 |
D |
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': Black & white Vacuum Oil photograph (205x157mm) of 'Guba' in Sydney with crew-members
Jack Percival, Russell Rogers, PG Taylor, Lewis Yancey and Vacuum Oil representative Sydney Cox all in 'civvies', signed by all of them and "Richard Archbold" - the expedition leader - at upper-right; and two sepia photographs (234x179mm) of the
plane in Papua, the first of natives loading supplies with five autographs including of Archbold & Rogers and a frontal view with almost 100 people lined-up across the wings & sitting on the cockpit endorsed "With best regards to/Ken Gordon/Russell"
[Rogers]. Marvellous artefacts.
(3) (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$250
Currently Opening at...AU$190.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 194 |
|
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1938 (May 24) Archbold Expedition cover from New York to Hollandia (arrival cds of
'11.5.39') overprinted to commemorate that flight & the 1939 return via Australia, the Indian Ocean & Africa, with Australian 5d Ram tied by 'ROSE BAY EAST/3JE39/NSW-AUST' cds, very fine double-ring 'C&W LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' backstamp & Seychelles 6c
Fishing Pirogue tied by 'VICTORIA/ JU17/39/SEYCHELLES' cds, signed by "Richard Archbold". Colin Riddell's similar cover with four additional signatures sold for $1475.
The Australian Government contracted the flying boat 'Guba II' to undertake a survey flight from Australia across the Indian Ocean to Africa to assess the feasability of such a route in the event of disruption to the London-Singapore-Sydney route.
After having spent a year flying in and around New Guinea, 'Guba' left Port Moresby 12.5.1939 for Sydney & Melbourne for an overhaul of the plane's systems. On 3.6.1939 it flew non-stop Sydney-Port Hedland (WA), then on to Cocos & beyond. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
Currently Opening at...AU$575.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 195 |
|
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1939 (June 3) Sydney-KUT-Sydney boomerang cover with superb 'C&W LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' cds
on the reverse, with Seychelles 2c x3 & KUT 50c tied by 'KISUMU/23JU/39/KENYA' cds where registered for the return flight per Imperial Airways, Sydney arrival backstamp of '6JY39'. Superior to Colin Riddell's similar cover - minor stains on the
reverse - that sold for $885 (Sale 233 Lot 2367). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
Currently Opening at...AU$575.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 196 |
O |
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1939 (June 3) oversize cover (255x177mm) with hand-written list of the expedition members
& endorsed "Carried in safe hand pouch - which explains why there are no transit markings - from Rose Bay Flying Boat Base...to Port Hedland & thence to Mombasa" and signed "Jack Percival" (the official journalist), for return to Sydney with
Australia 5d Ram tied by 'MASCOT AERODROME/3JE39/NSW-AUST' cds (!) & Kenya Uganda & Tanganyika 5c Dhow (corner fault) & 15c Kilimanjaro tied by 'MOMBASA/23JU/39/KENYA' cds, light central vertical fold & light wrinkling. Rare, and absent from Colin
Riddell's colletion. David Flaat's very similar cover sold for $830 (Sale 179 Lot 1425). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
Currently Opening at...AU$380.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 197 |
|
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1939 (June 4) unaddressed Archbold Expedition cover with map of the Trans-Indian Ocean
Flight with Australian 1d tied by 'PORT HEDLAND/4JE39/WA' cds, Dutch Indies 5c tied by 'BATAVIA/6.6.39' cds, superb 'C&W LTD/8JUN39/COCOS' backstamp & John Clunies-Ross' monogram on the face, initialled at Chagos (no post office), Seychelles 6c &
'VICTORIA/JU18/ 39/SEYCHELLES' cds & KUT 15c tied by 'MOMBASA/23JU39/ KENYA' cds, light even soiling. Only 6 such covers have been recorded. Kim Dwyer's and Colin Riddell's similar covers - both with a small photo of the crew affixed at left - sold
for $1320 (Sale 122 Lot 985) and $1180 (Sale 233 Lot 2364) respectively. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
Currently Opening at...AU$575.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 198 |
|
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1939 (June 12) philatelic cover with personal monogram handstamp of '.../JS Clunies-Ross'
in violet and Seychelles 2c Coco-de-Mer x3 cancelled on arrival with 'VICTORIA/JU19/39/SEYCHELLES' cds, endorsed on the flap "Carried between Cocos, Diego Garcia & Seychelles, Indian Ocean Flight 1939/J Percival", minor blemishes. A similar cover
sold at our auction of 10.9.2026 for $480 (Sale 265 Lot 2553). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$400
Currently Opening at...AU$300.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 199 |
|
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1939 (June) intermediate endorsed "Registered/By first air mail from/Diego Garcia
Island/via Mombasa" to Mauritius with Mauritius KGVI Keyplates 5c strip of 3 & 20c but uncancelled, a bit aged most noticeably at right. Ex Captain PG Taylor.
Diego Garcia is a remote island some 2100km NE of Mauritius, in the Chagos Group. It has been controlled by Great Britain since the 1970s as part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, and is home to a top-secret GB/USA joint military base. Long
claimed as a dependency by Mauritius, Britain has recently agreed to lease the Chagos Islands to Mauritius for 99 years, much to the concern of the USA. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
Currently Opening at...AU$230.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
| 200 |
PSE |
 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1939 (June 20) usage of Seychelles 20c Registration Envelope locally addressed with
'VICTORIA/SEYCHELLES' cds & boxed R cachet, uncancelled KUT 15c Kilimanjaro below, minor blemishes. PG Taylor & Jack Percival left 'Guba' at Mombasa, returning to Australia via Imperial Airways and Qantas. This & similar items would have been
hand-carried by them. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
Currently Opening at...AU$190.00
Closing..Nov-16, 07:30 PM |
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