MAIN ROADS, GAMBIERTON Overprinted 'MRG' and Variants
Sale No: 262
Lot No: 511
Symbol: #
Cat No: DO371
RED OVERPRINT: 'MRG' (No Stops) on QV Perkins Bacon Large Star Wmk 6d ultramarine SG DO371, rouletting on all sides & cut from the sheet at the base to preserve the design, unused, Cat £7500. Rated RRRRRR but one other is recorded so it should be rated RRRRR. Superb. Ex Baron von Ferrary, Theodore Champion and Philip Croker. Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2009) states "great rarity". The 'Besancon' example with part-gum sold for SFr9075, 50% higher than any other result in the sale. (Image1)
Estimate AU$10,000
Opening AU$ 7,500.00
Sold...AU$ 7,500.00
Closed..Dec-01-2025, 17:30:00 EST
Sold For 7500
Sale No: 262
Lot No: 512
Symbol: F
Cat No: DO372
BLUE OVERPRINT: 'MRG' (No Stops) on QV De La Rue Crown/SA Wmk Rouletted 2d orange SG DO372, rouletting on all sides & apparently with Double Roulettes at the Top, a couple of tiny imperfections, part Gambierton cds, Cat £1800. Rated RRRR+. Ex Rev James Mursell, Colonel Napier - not included in his sales - and Don Pearce: sold for $2875 (Sale 247 Lot 465). Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2010) states "great rarity". (Image1)
Estimate AU$2,500
Opening AU$ 1,900.00
Sold...AU$ 2,800.00
Closed..Dec-01-2025, 17:30:00 EST
Sold For 2800
Sale No: 262
Lot No: 513
Symbol: #
Cat No: DO373a
BLACK OVERPRINT: 'M.R.G.' on QV De La Rue Crown/SA Wmk Perf 10 2d red-orange SG DO373a, rouletting on all sides and cut from the sheet at the base to preserve the design, unused, Cat £3500. Unrecorded unused by Ron Butler and the only recorded example so it should be rated RRRRRR. Superb. Ex Baron von Ferrary, Theodore Champion and Philip Croker. Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2009) states "great rarity". Absent from all the other major collections. (Image1)
Estimate AU$5,000
Opening AU$ 3,800.00
Sold...AU$ 8,500.00
Closed..Dec-01-2025, 17:30:00 EST
Sold For 8500
Sale No: 262
Lot No: 514
Symbol: F
Cat No: DO373a
BLACK OVERPRINT: 'M.R.G.' on QV De La Rue Crown/SA Wmk Rouletted 2d red-orange SG DO373a, rouletting on all sides, neat 'GAMBIERTON/JY29/70/SA' cds, Cat £6500. Rated RRRRR: we have recorded only one other example plus the fantastical block of 4 that should be counted as one unit (see the next lot). Ex Manus (1920s), Hugh Wynn and 'Tamiami': sold for $11,980 (Sale 236 Lot 637). RPSL Certificate (1988). The other example, with cds of FE1/71, was sold at our auction of 14.4.2005 for $5360 (Sale Lot 150). Absent from 'Besancon'. [Date range 11.7.1870 to 1.2.1871] (Image1)
Estimate AU$10,000
Opening AU$ 7,500.00
Sold...AU$ 7,500.00
Closed..Dec-01-2025, 17:30:00 EST
Sold For 7500
Sale No: 262
Lot No: 515
Symbol: F
Cat No: DO373a
BLACK OVERPRINT: 'M.R.G.' on QV De La Rue Crown/SA Wmk Rouletted 2d red-orange SG DO373a block of 4, the upper-right unit with Defective 'G' appearing as a 'C', remarkably well-centred with rouletting on all sides & between the units, Gambierton cds of 'JY11/70', Cat £26,000+ for four singles. Rated RRRRR, but the error is the only recorded example so the block should be rated RRRRRR. Ex AE Fryar (1955) and Don Pearce: sold for $22,760 or only double what the 'Tamiami' single realised!
One of the most outstanding items in the entire Departmentals series. However, it is indicative of how little was understood about the Departmentals before the publication of Ron Butler's book that, at the Fryar sale, this outstanding rarity was offered in the same lot as the also very rare 2d 'MRG.' with Stop after the 'G' only, and neither was thought to warrant a photograph. (Image1)
Estimate AU$40,000
Opening AU$ 30,000.00
Sold...AU$ 30,000.00
Closed..Dec-01-2025, 17:30:00 EST
Sold For 30000
Sale No: 262
Lot No: 516
Symbol: F
Cat No: DO374
BLACK OVERPRINT: 'MRG' (No Stops) on QV De La Rue Crown/SA Wmk Perf 10 2d red-orange SG DO374, small closed tear at upper-left, part Gambierton cds, Cat £6500. Rated RRRRRR, but four examples have been recorded so it should be rated RRRR: unrecorded unused. Ex 'Sir Humphrey' (Brian Farmer): sold for $1865 (Sale 118 Lot 426). Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2010) states "great rarity". Don Pearce's superb example sold for $11,380 (Sale 247 Lot 466). Absent from 'Besancon'. The black marks to the left of 'MRG' appear to be a reversed offset of another 'G'. [Date range -.2.1871 to 10.2.1872] (Image1)
