1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA 2d die proof in black on highly-surfaced card (88x57mm) handstamped 'Feb 7 1868' at upper-left, light surface-rubbing clear of the impression. Rare: absent from Don Pearce's collection. Ex De La Rue Archives. [The 2d was the first  denomination issued, in August 1868.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA 2d imperforate colour trials on ungummed watermarked paper blocks of 4 in shades of red x4, blue x2, violet x2, red-brown, deep blue-green, and orange x4 (including the adopted colour), close even margins, very fine to superb. Don Pearce had only a blue-green block plus three unwatermarked blocks.   (14 blocks)

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,000

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA 2d group on exhibit pages with plate proofs including pair in dull claret and gummed blocks of 10 (2x5) in dull red & orange, Rouletted SG 153 mint, Perf 11½-12½ SG 155 (a few short perfs), Perf 11½-12½xRouletted SG 156 x2 (one overprinted 'P.' for Police) and another with Star Wmk, Perf 10 scarce strip of 5 and inverted Watermark x2, generally very fine, etc, Cat £900+ plus the proofs.  (66) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA Rouletted 2d dull orange SG 152-153 group with the Watermark Inverted marginal block of 6 (3x2) from the left of the sheet, full rouletting, slightly discoloured from the large-part (brown) o.g., Cat £1080++, for singles. A rare multiple. Ex Don Pearce: sold for $915.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA Rouletted 2d dull orange SG 152-153 group horizontal strip of 3 with full rouletting, two very fine strikes of Numeral '71' of Goolwa. A very scarce used multiple.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA 2d red-orange as SG 153 but apparently completely imperforate with large margins on all sides & chunks of the adjoining units at right & base, largely very fine large-part strike of the rare '[NE]W MECKLENBURG[H]/NO12/68/SA' cds (rated RRRR; all date slugs inverted). Chris Ceremuga Certificate (2019) states "from partly imperf sheet...traces of rouletting at top & left which do not seem to break the paper". Sold at a Swiss auction for SFr512. A spectacular stamp, greatly enhanced by the rare datestamp.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA Perforated 1d selection on exhibit pages with plate proofs in black on thin card single & block of 4 and in shades of green imperf pair & block of 4 and Perf 14 blocks of 12 (3x4) & 25 (5x5), Perf 11½-12½ used singles x2 (one overprinted Thick 'O.S.') and pair, Perf 10 mint block of 6 (3x2, minor tonespots), and Thick 'O.S.' single, Perf 11½-12½x10 x2 and Perf 10x11½-12½ with wing-margin, generally very fine, Cat £1050+ plus the proofs.  (65) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1868-76 Wmk Large Crown/SA Perf 10 2d brick-red SG 159 block of 8 (4x2, with wing-margin at right), well centred, minor perf reinforcing at right, large-part original gum, Cat £520+, for singles. A very scarce multiple.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1871 V/Crown 2d orange (shades) SG 166 singles unused & used x2 plus used pair & strip of 3 with wing-margin at left, Cat £550+, for singles; and a very fine single on Captain Bishop cover with 'PORT LINCOLN' arrival backstamp, Cat £50 x5+ on cover. A very scarce group.  (8 + cover)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1876-1904 Wmk Narrower Crown/SA 1d die proof in black on highly-surfaced card (91x60mm), with handstamps 'BEFORE/STRIKING' at upper-right and '8DEC96' in blue at upper-left. Superb (not even hinged on the reverse). Rare: absent from Don Pearce's collection. Not to be confused with die proofs dated in 1894, after cleaning the original die. The term 'Before Striking' indicates the proof was taken from a new die.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1876-1904 Wmk Narrower Crown/SA 1d blue-green (shades) selection on exhibit pages with Perf 10 blocks of 18 (6x3) & 24 (6x4) both with most units unmounted, Perf 11½-12½ used singles x2  Perf 11½-12½x10 mint x3 & used pairs x5, unlisted 1890 Comb Perf 10 mint pair & block of 4 and used pair plus Thin 'O.S.' Narrow Setting blocks of 4 mint & used x2 plus Missing Stop after 'S ' x2, Perf 15 mint & used blocks of 4 plus Thin 'O.S.' Narrow Setting block of 9, and Perf 13 Plate Number '2' blocks of 4 with Value/Sheet Number '1d 506302' and 12 (6x2) plus Double Perfs vertical & horizontal pairs and Aberrant Misplaced Perfs mint & used singles; and 1882 'HALF-/PENNY' on 1d SG 181 mint block of 24 (6x4, most units unmounted), used strip of 4 apparently cancelled DE31/81 which is one day earlier than Gibbons' ERD, but the year could be '91'), single uprating ½d Wrapper front to London, mint & used singles with the rare Short Bar through 'E PENNY' Only, and with Thick 'O.S.' Overprint mint x3 (one with Surcharge Misplaced with Bar at the Top) plus strip of 5 & block of 4 being the largest & equal-second largest recorded multiples, and vertical block of 10 (2x5) with faint 'REPRINT' Overprint in Red; and a few others, generally very fine, Cat £4000+ plus the wrapper & reprints. This lot could be developed into an excellent One Frame exhibit.  (175 + cover) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1876-1904 Wmk Narrower Crown/SA Perf 13 1d green vertical pair Imperf Between & with Jumped Vertical Perfs SG 175b, the lower unit with a crease that doesn't affect the facial appearance, very lightly mounted large-part o.g., Cat £3500. Ex Gary Diffen: sold for £2160. [Property of another vendor]

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,500

1876-1904 Wmk Narrower Crown/SA 2d orange (shades) selection on exhibit pages with Perf 10 mint pair and blocks of 4 & 6 (with Perf Pins Omitted; stained) and SG 168c mint strip of 4 (creased), a remarkable used block of 48 (6x8) from lower-left of the sheet with Plate Number '2' and with Thin 'O.S.' Overprint; Irregular Compound Perfs 10x10x10x11½ mint x2 & used x2, and used Perf 10x10x11½x10 x3, Perf 10x11½x10x10 x2 (one with Thick 'O.S.' Overprint) and Perf 11½x10x10x10 with Thick 'O.S.' Overprint mint x2 & with No Stop after 'S ' used x2; very scarce Perf 11½x12½ 2d used x2; Perf 15 mint block of 4 and Major Perforation Errors mint & used x6 including a remarkable strip of 3; and Perf 13 mint blocks of 4 in both shades and pair with Grossly Misplaced Perfs; and a few others, generally very fine, Cat £2000+. An underrated and very desirable group.  (122 + cover) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1876-1904 Wmk Narrower Crown/SA Perf 10 (Line) 2d pale dull orange SG 168c block of 12 (4x3, with wing-margin at right), variable centring, and Comb Perf 2d dull red-orange block of 6 (3x2, minor gum blemishes), both blocks with large-part original gum and most units are unmounted, Cat £570+, for mounted singles. NB: A new Perf 10 Comb Perforator was introduced in 1890. Gibbons do not list the comb perf stamp. It should be added as SG 168d.   (2 blocks)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1899-1904 New Colours selection on exhibit pages with 1d rose-pink block of 54 (6x9) from the right-hand pane, a used pair with Major Cracked Electro and CTO pair with 'ULTRAMAR' Handstamp in blue, 2d violet block of 36 (6x6) from the top of the right-hand pane and strip of 5 with Plate Number '3' and Aberrant Perfs affecting All Units, Thin 'O.S.' Overprint Wide Setting 1d mint & used blocks of 6, block of 4 with Value/Sheet Number '1d 564974' in Vermilion, block of 24 (3x8) from the lower-right of the right-hand pane and 'No Stop after 'S ' x2 (one used) and Double Overprint (faults); generally very fine, Cat £2800+.  (178) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1882-99 New Denominations 'Bantam' ½d with two impressions in black on highly-surfaced card (92x60mm) handstamped '30JAN82' in blue & 'BEFORE HARDENING' in black. Superb. Ex Don Pearce: sold for $560. [Modelled on the Victorian 'Bantam' ½d designed by William Bell; two impressions of the stamp - Types A-B setenant - were engraved on a single die which, combined, was the same size as the De La Rue 1d and 2d values, but laid-down horizontally]

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1882-99 New Denominations 'Bantam' ½d with two impressions in black on highly-surfaced card (92x60mm) handstamped '1FEB82' in blue & 'AFTER HARDENING' in black. Superb. Ex Don Pearce: sold for $610. 

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1882-99 New Denominations 'Bantam' ½d plate proofs in blue-green on gummed unwatermarked paper comprising Imperf block of 96 (16x6, minor thin affects two units, most units unmounted) with Plate Number '1' at upper-left and part-Imperf superb interpanneau block of 16 (4x4, unmounted); also Overprinted Sans-Serif 'SPECIMEN' small type x2 & large type block of 4, or seriffed 'REPRINT' x2.  (7 items)

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1882-99 New Denominations 'Bantam' ½d brown selection on exhibit pages mostly mint including Perf 10 blocks of 4 x2 and a rare used strip of 9, Perf 11½-12½ block of 6 (3x2); Perf 10x11½-12½ block of 6 (3x2); Perf 15 block of 27 (9x3) & corner block of 66 (11x6, minor defects) and mint & used pairs Perf 11½-12½ Between SG 188c; and Perf 13 blocks of varying sizes in a range of shades; plus Thin 'O.S.' Overprints Perf 10 used group including a rare strip of 8, No Stop after 'S ' SG O60b & unlisted varieties Vertical Block for Stop x4 and Comma for Stop; Perf 10x11½-12½ three used strips of 8 (shades), Perf 11½-12½ mint single & used strip of 8 (the equal-largest recorded multiple); Perf 15 mint x4 including a pair, Perf 13 mint pair, etc; and a few others, generally very fine, Cat £4500+. The basis for a One Frame exhibit.    (350 approx) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,800

1882-99 New Denominations 3d selection on exhibit pages with die proof reduced to stamp-size on small piece from the De La Rue day book, gummed unwatermarked plate proofs Imperf block of 4 & Perf 14 block of 6; then mostly mint with Perf 10 block of 8 (4x2) with Plate Number '1' and upper-left strip of 4 with Plate Number & Value/Sheet Number '4d 003167' in Vermilion and an unlisted bronze-green single; and Perf 13 marginal block of 20 (4x5), blocks of 6 8 & 12 each with Plate Number '1' and the first of them also with Value/Sheet Number '2d 685486' in Black and a very scarce used block of 4; and a few others, generally very fine, Cat £1000+ plus the proofs.    (101) (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

1883-99 New Denominations 3d in black on highly-surfaced card (91x60mm), handstamped '16OCT85' & 'BEFORE/HARDENING'. Rare and superb. Ex Peter Jaffé: sold for $1395.

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1882-99 New Denominations 3d die proof in black on highly-surfaced card (91x60mm), handstamped '22OCT85' & 'AFTER/HARDENING'. Rare and superb (not even hinged on the reverse). Don Pearce's equally fine proof sold for $1095.  

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1882-99 New Denominations 4d selection on exhibit pages with die proof reduced to slightly larger than stamp-size, imperf plate proofs blocks of 6 in black on thin card & in dull violet on gummed unwatermarked paper; then mostly mint with Perf 10 strips of 3 x2 (one the unlisted Comb Perf) and  Perf 15 block of 8 (4x2); and Perf 13 block of 8 (4x2) and superb marginal block of 15 (3x5) in bright violet, and a very scarce used strip of 4 on parcel piece also with 2d 5d & 2/- strip of 3; etc; also Thin 'O.S.' Narrow Setting including Perf 10 block of 6 (3x2; Ex 'Besancon' Part III), Perf 15 block of 4, Perf 13 singles x4 (two used) & a block of 4, and Wide Setting x2 plus used with No Stop after 'S '; fine to very fine, Cat £2600+ plus the proofs.      (110) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1882-99 New Denominations 4d in black on highly-surfaced card (91x60mm), handstamped '16JUL89' and 'AFTER/HARDENING' and with initials "C.W." below the impression. Rare and superb. Don Pearce's example - but without the initials - sold for $1095.  

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1882-99 New Denominations 6d selection on exhibit pages with die proof reduced to stamp-size on small piece from the De La Rue day book, plate proof block of 12 (6x2) on gummed unwatermarked paper (light toning); then mostly mint with Perf 10 block of 4 and the unlisted Comb Perf two singles; Perf 15 pair; and Perf 13 blocks of 4 x2 & 6 (2x3); and a few others; also Thin 'O.S.' Narrow Setting including Perf 10 with No Stop after 'S ' SG O62a, Perf 15 single, Perf 13 x2 (one with very heavy, possibly double overprint) and with No Stop after 'S ' used x2, Wide Setting x4 including a pair and used 'O' & 'S' both Broken x2, etc; generally very fine, Cat £2000+ plus the proofs.    (72) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200