British Commonwealth

**Great Britain**
LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
3001		U3	1840, Mulready Letter Sheet, 1d black (Scott U3), Stereo A20, used from Royston to London, Dec 21-22, 1841 with a neat black Maltese Cross cancel and both c.d.s.s on the reverse, Very Fine. Scott $600. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [Great Britain U3] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $300-400 SOLD for $250.00 Will close during Public Auction
3002		1	1840, Queen Victoria First Issue, 1d black (Scott 1), plate 5, EC, a lovely four-margined example tied by a light red Maltese cross on a folded letter to Driffield, lightly struck blue c.d.s. on the reverse, "Walton, JY 28, 1840", Very Fine. SG 2; £750 ($970). Scott $850. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $300-400 SOLD for $180.00 Will close during Public Auction
3003	O	1	1840, 1d black (Scott 1), plate 3, MA, nice, well balanced margins, red Maltese cross cancel, Very Fine. SG 2; £500 ($640). Scott $575. (Image) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $200-300 SOLD for $200.00 Will close during Public Auction
3004	O	1	1840, Queen Victoria First Issue, 1d black (Scott 1), horizontal pair, plate 6, NB-NC, three large margins, just clear at the top, tied on a small piece by bold red Maltese crosses; sealed in a Stanley Gibbons promotional booklet prepared for the China 2011 International Philatelic Exhibition; the booklet, The Penny Black of 1840, "The World's First Postage Stamp" is bound in gold-embossed red leather and contains six pages of information on the history of the Penny Black in English and Chinese. A very nice pair and a beautiful presentation, Fine to Very Fine. SG 2; £1,250 ($1,610). Shipping charges apply - weight 0.6 lbs. Scott $1,200. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $400-600 SOLD for $450.00 Will close during Public Auction
3005	O	1, 3 var.	1840, Queen Victoria First Issue, 1d black, plate 2, IK, and matched 1841 1d red brown printed from black plate (Scott 1, 3 var.), good to large margins, canceled by Maltese Cross in red and black respectively, Very Fine, the first with 2009 APEX certificate. SG 2, 7; £700 ($900). (Image) (Image2) (Image3) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 1, 3 var.] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $200-300 SOLD for $200.00 Will close during Public Auction
3006	O	1-2	1840, 1d black-2d blue (Scott 1-2), black maltase cross cancels, nice four margin examples to close at right on 2d, desirable pair of the world's first postage stamps; 2d with light vertical crease, Fine to Very Fine and attractive. Scott $1,325. (Image) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 1-2] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $250-350 SOLD for $225.00 Will close during Public Auction
3007	S	57aS	1867, Queen Victoria, 5s pale rose, Maltese Cross watermark, overprinted "Specimen" type 9 (Scott 57aS), plate 2, o.g., hinge remnants, unusually well centered; very lightly soiled, otherwise Very Fine. SG 127s; £1,750 ($2,260). (Image) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 57aS] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $300-400 SOLD for $350.00 Will close during Public Auction
3008	/	58	1870, ½d rose (Scott 58), an excellent selection of 14 of the 15 plates (no plate 9), all o.g. but "N-M" (no gum), gum creasing, mainly Fine to Very Fine. SG 49; £2,980 ($3,850). Scott $3,075. (Image) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 49] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $500-750 SOLD for $275.00 Will close during Public Auction
3009		105	1884, Queen Victoria, 6d dull green (Scott 105), an incredible mint single, o.g., never hinged (!), fresh and perfectly centered, Very Fine to Extremely Fine. You'll not likely find a better example. SG 194; £625 ++ ($810). Scott $730 ++. (Image) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 194] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $500-750 SOLD for $425.00 Will close during Public Auction
3010		222-224	1934, King George V re-engraved "Seahorses", 2s6d to 10s complete (Scott 222-224), o.g., never hinged, Post Office fresh, each with large, balanced margins, Very Fine. SG 450/2. Scott $1,210. (Image) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 222-224] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $600-800 SOLD for $325.00 Will close during Public Auction
3011		222-224	1934, King George V re-engraved "Seahorses", 2s6d to 10s complete (Scott 222-224), a choice mint set, the 10s with full top sheet margin, o.g., never hinged, Very Fine. SG 450/452. S.G. Spec. N73-N75; £1,110 ($1,430). Scott $1,210. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [Great Britain 222-224] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $500-750 SOLD for $275.00 Will close during Public Auction
3012		O48	Office of Works Official, 1902, Queen Victoria, 10d dull purple & carmine (Scott O48), o.g., lightly hinged, fresh and sound, cleanly printed and attractively centered, Very Fine, signed Köhler, with 2023 P.F. certificate. SG O35; £7,250 ($9,360). Scott $8,250. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [Great Britain O35] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census	Estimate $3,000-4,000 SOLD for $2,300.00 Will close during Public Auction
3013			1997, Queen Elizabeth II, deep green (as used for 2p), light grey (as used for the 29p), flame (as used for 1st class, undenominated trials), full panes of 100, a limited supply of these was discovered, o.g., never hinged, Very Fine, each with photocopies of 2017 R.P.S.L. certificates that were issued for the discovery set of sheets. Machin trials discovered after 20 years Sheets of three trials of the Machin head, produced in 1997, came to light in the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Arnold Machin's iconic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The Machin definitives were first printed in lithography in 1980 as Royal Mail expanded its range of suppliers. However, by the mid-1990s it had decided that all the standard definitives should be printed in gravure. At the time The House of Questa, based in south London, did not have gravure capability. As the company wished to participate in all future tenders for Royal Mail stamps, whether printed by litho or gravure, in gummed or self-adhesive versions in sheets or stamp booklets, it decided to make a major investment in a gravure press and an automated booklet maker. To achieve the best, Questa partnered with a number of highly qualified and renowned organisations to deliver the skills, processes and technology required to ensure it would be ready for production in less than 18 months. Courvoisier, based in Switzerland, was at that time arguably the finest gravure stamp printer in Europe. The company agreed to assist Questa with technical advice and cylinder making. As part of this process Royal Mail gave permission for a print trial at Courvoisier using the Machin head: the original material to enable the trial to take place was supplied by Questa. Part of the thinking at the time was that Courvoisier might undertake the production of the cylinders needed for final stamp printing on behalf of Questa, but this did not materialise. The undenominated trials were produced in October 1997 in sheets of 100 (from larger sheets of 200 guillotined in two) with the Courvoisier imprint along the vertical margins. They exist in three colours: deep green (as used for the 2p), light grey (as used at the time for the 29p), and flame (as used for 1st class). Courvoisier had printed the then current Kenya definitives, these being of the same overall size as the Machin definitives. As a consequence, the trials were printed on coated paper without phosphor bands, and have perforation 15 x 14. However, the stamp image is slightly smaller than that used on Machin definitives. Barry Robinson, then Design Director of Royal Mail, visited Courvoisier to see the preparations. It is believed the trial sheets were printed on one of the small gravure printing presses at Courvoisier, some being printed during the visit. The gravure press and the automated booklet line were produced by ATN in France. The new machinery would not fit within Questa's original base in Camberwell: the move to Byfleet was part of the development. Courvoisier was founded in 1880 and started printing stamps in 1937. It was noted for the high quality of its photogravure work, but sadly it ran into financial difficulties and ceased trading in 2001. (Image) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4) (Image5) (Image6)	Estimate $3,000-4,000 SOLD for $2,000.00 Will close during Public Auction