ONE SHILLING: Chambon 'Essays' 1/- in deep red BW #145PP(1)A, exceptional centring, very lightly mounted, Cat $750. [The ACSC states that the so-called "Chambon Essays" - with 'AUSTRALIA' and 'ONE SHILLING' scored through on the die - were printed by France's Stamp Printing Works on their Chambon printing presses, "apparently in connection with efforts of the French authorities to sell Chambon intaglio printing equipment to the Note Printing Branch"]

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

ONE SHILLING: Chambon 'Essays' 1/- in deep blue BW #145PP(1)B, unmounted, Cat $1750. Gorgeous & superb! [Examples sold at the Prestige Philately auctions of 7.2.2014, 2.5.2014 and 30.10.2015 for $1840 $1495 and $1571 respectively]

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

ONE SHILLING: 1/- green with diagonal seriffed 'SPECIMEN' h/s in violet ACSC 145x, very well centred, no gum, Cat $1500. Rare: the ACSC states that only two examples are recorded. They derive from display boards of current stamps on view at the Melbourne GPO.

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

ONE SHILLING: 1/- green marginal vertical strip of 5 from the U/L of the sheet with a single "Plate Dot" in the margin of the last unit BW #145z, unmounted, Cat $2000 (or $625+ as five single stamps). Superb! [The ACSC states there were eight plates: "A single plate dot appears in the left selvedge opposite rows 4 and 5...the plates must have been differentiated by markings which were invariably trimmed off the issued sheets". In respect of the dot, Arthur Gray stated "since this would not serve to differentiate between all eight plates, it is now thought that the dots are perforation pinning points". His example in a creased block of 4 sold for $846]

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

ONE SHILLING: 1/- green marginal block of 4 from the right of the sheet with a single "Plate Dot" in the margin at the top BW #145z (var), unmounted, Cat $2000+ (or $500+ as four single stamps). Superb! [The ACSC records only the "plate dot" in the left-hand margin & states "no other examples of plate dots have ever been reported...", despite Arthur Gray having a superb block of 4 that perversely sold for only $665]

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

ONE SHILLING: 1/- green punctured 'VG' block of 4 (two with 'VG' reversed) & 1/- yellow-green punctured 'W/A' John Ash Imprint block of 4, one unit on the VG block with minor crease otherwise superb!, Cat $1250+ as unpunctured blocks. Very scarce multiples. (Qty 2 blocks)

Grade A/A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green vertical pair, the lower unit with Defective 'O' in 'OS', very lightly mounted, Cat $150++. Unrecorded in the ACSC.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green block of 4, exceptional centring, CTO unusually with 'ADELAIDE/ 10 /3JE33/SA' cds with full unmounted o.g., Cat $240++. Superb! A rare CTO multiple.

Grade A+ A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green marginal block of 4 from the left of the sheet with a single "Plate Dot" in the margin between the rows BW #145(OS)z, unmounted, Cat $2250 (or $500+ as four single stamps). Superb! [The ACSC states there were eight plates: "A single plate dot appears in the left selvedge opposite rows 4 and 5...the plates must have been differentiated by markings which were invariably trimmed off the issued sheets". In respect of the dot, Arthur Gray stated "since this would not serve to differentiate between all eight plates, it is now thought that the dots are perforation pinning points". His example in a CTO block of 4 sold for $532]

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green marginal block of 4 from the right of the sheet with a single "Plate Dot" in the margin at the top BW #145(OS)z (var), unmounted, Cat $2000+ (or $500+ as four single stamps). Superb! [The ACSC records only the "plate dot" in the left-hand margin & states "no other examples of plate dots have ever been reported..." Absent from Arthur Gray's collection]

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green John Ash Imprint block of 4 ACSC 145(OS)za, well centred, one unit very lightly mounted otherwise unmounted, Cat $1250+ (mounted). Superb!

Grade A+ B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green (Cat $3000 on cover) + Macarthur 9d violet (Cat $400 on cover) tied by 'REGISTERED PERTH/4DEC34/...' cds to First Regular Australia-England airmail cover, blue & black/white R label, 'STOKE NEWINGTON/25DE/34/N16' arrival b/s (Christmas Day). Superb! [The rate was 1/6d + 3d registration]

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

ONE SHILLING - OVERPRINTED 'OS': 1/- green (Cat $3000 on cover) x2 tied to large parcel front (285x215mm) by faint 'PARCEL POST/8NO34/PERTH' cds with a better strike below, to "Parliament House/Melbourne" with black/white 'PARCELS POST/.../PERTH' label endorsed "Mines Dept/Perth", some creasing as should be expected but apart from a minor crease on one unit the stamps are fine. A very rare survivor: Rod Perry had recorded only four commercial covers with the 1/- 'OS', this being the only multiple franking. [The interstate parcel rate was 2/- for a parcel weighing between 1 & 2lb. The addressee, James Vinton Smith MC, was a United Party Victorian politician & member for Oakleigh in the Legislative Assembly]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,000

SIX PENCE: 6d red-brown with diagonal seriffed 'SPECIMEN' h/s in violet ACSC 150x, no gum, Cat $1500. Rare: the ACSC states that only two examples are recorded. They derive from display boards of current stamps on view at the Melbourne GPO.

Grade A C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$600

SIX PENCE: 6d red-brown John Ash Imprint pair with the full interpanneau (inter-sheet) margin perforated at the base, lightly mounted. The only example we have seen: the standard practice was to guillotine the upper & lower plates into sheets of 120.

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

SIX PENCE: 6d red-brown block of 4 punctured 'VG' (unmounted), plus John Ash Imprint blocks of 4 punctured 'G/NSW', 'T' or 'WA'. A very scarce group. (Qty 4 blocks)

Grade A B1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

SIX PENCE: 6d red-brown punctured 'OS' marginal example from the base of the sheet, excellent centring, unmounted. Very scarce. [NB: this is a NSW Government perfin. The 'O' & 'S' are more circular than the Commonwealth 'OS' perfin]

Grade A A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$100