LARGE P.O. "NOTICE to the PUBLIC..." REF. PREPAYMENT OF POSTAGE ABROAD & REGD. FEES IN CASH; May 1848 Original PO wall Notice (10 x 16 ins.; some reinforcing of corners, otherwise fine) "No. 19, 1848" ref. the introduction of an option to pay postage abroad in stamps or cash, but the reg. fees were still to be prepaid in cash. Endorsed "One sent to every Receiver, Town and Country Surveyor, etc. May 23rd 1848" at top. Rare. Cross Reference: REGISTERED MAIL, POST OFFICE ACTS/NOTICES, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS (Image)

GIANT P.O. NOTICE REF. ALL OVERSEAS RATES + SMALL CIRCULAR REF. SENDING VALUABLES BY POST; Fine and very large 1 Oct. 1855 folded Original PO wall-chart (24ins. x 36ins.; folded to fit album page) showing every current postal rate headed "COLONIAL AND FOREIGN POSTAGE" with every country and major city at the time in the first column and then letter rates for weights from ¼oz up to 3oz, plus "NEWSPAPERS, BOOKS, etc" rates, and then dates of the mails' despatch and arrival. Plus small Jan. 1857 Edinburgh GPO printed circular to "Sub-Postmaster of [East Yell]" (in the Shetland Is.) ref. fastening a new Notice beside the "aperture of your Letter Box" with a "Caution against posting valuable Letters unregistered" with v. fine green "LERWICK" cds inside. (2 items) Cross Reference: POST OFFICE ACTS/NOTICES, SHETLAND ISLES & FAIR ISLE, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, REGISTERED MAIL (Image)

LARGE P.O. "ROWLAND HILL" NOTICE REF. "REGISTRATION OF BOOKS... TO BRITISH COLONIES"; 23 May 1856 Original PO wall Notice (10x16 ins.; fine except for closed hole at top just affecting unicorn and one ms word) "No.27, 1856" ref. the extension of the Registration system for "Books and other Packets" within GB to those sent abroad, specifying that postage and fees must be paid with postage stamps, and endorsed "A Copy sent to every T[o]wn & Country Receiver also to Surveyors, May 28th 1856" at top. Issued "By Command of the Postmaster General, ROWLAND HILL, Secretary". Rare. Cross Reference: REGISTERED MAIL, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, POST OFFICE ACTS/NOTICES, PRINTED MATTER (Image)

SOUTH AMERICA - ARGENTINA/URUGUAY - STAMPLESS & 1d-RED RATED CIRCULARS "VIA SOUTHAMPTON"; 1853 stampless EL ex Liverpool to Buenos Ayres with double impression(?) of a red 1d Tax Stamp on the front, plus similar 1861/67 EL/E pair with 1d Red 'stars' or Plate 89 tied by Liverpool duplexes to Buenos Aires or Montevideo; all endorsed "Via Southampton". Very scarce trio. (3 covers) [All illustrated in BPPP; pp.278+283.] Cross Reference: BRAZIL, URUGUAY, LANCASHIRE - LIVERPOOL, 1854-65 1d REDS (Image)

UNITED STATES - LIVERPOOL 1d-RATE PRICES CURRENTS WITH 1d TAX STAMPS (PLUS UPP HS "1" OR 1d STARS); Fine 31 Dec. 1853 unsealed EL (folded to show internal red 1d Tax Stamp beside address) to New Orleans "Pr. Europa" with red Liverpool UPP hs "1" (late usage); plus similar 3 Sept. 1857 tobacco EL to Virginia "Pr. Persia via New Y." unusually endorsed "Printed sheet" on the front with 1d Red 'stars' (light crease) just tied by "466" numeral having a red 1d Tax Stamp nicely placed on the top flap. Rare and attractive pair. (2 covers) [1853 cover illustrated in BPPP, p.280.] Cross Reference: TRANSATLANTIC MAIL, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1854-65 1d REDS, UNIFORM 1d POSTAGE PERIOD (Image)

ASCENSION ISLAND - DISALLOWED NEWSPAPER WRAPPER WITH "PACKET LETTER/DEVONPORT" + WAX BAG-SEAL; Fine 1853 open-ended wrapper from Ascension (the sender has been identified by his hand-writing; he was with an anti-slaving Squadron based at Ascension at this date, as shown by other covers from this correspondence) to London (redirected to Biggar), with a very fine yellow-orange "PACKET LETTER/DEVONPORT" (Rob. P2; late usage and not recorded in this colour) on the front, but apparently not charged until arrival in Scotland where a red wax "BIGGAR/[crown]/P.O" Bagseal was applied to the reverse (75% remaining), and "writing & marks within" written on the front with a punitive "1/-" charge. Very rare example of a disallowed overseas free newspaper charged at the full unpaid letter rate. [Ex Cavendish auction of the 'Bruce' correspondence, Dec. 2000, lot 3643; realised £414; also ex Peter Burden, Cavendish Mar. 2015; lot 1093, realised £340+BP.] [Illustrated in BPPP x3; p.137.] Cross Reference: ASCENSION, SHIP LETTERS, DEVON, POSTAGE DUE MARKS (Image)

INDIA - RARE RED LONDON HS "3" ON UNSEALED PRINTED CIRCULAR TO BOMBAY "VIA MARSEILLES"; 26 Jan. 1857 unsealed EL (printed "FORBES, FORBES & Co." commodities circular) prepaid from London at the scarce 3d rate in cash with mainly very fine rare red hs "3" on the front matching the "LONDON/PAID" cds alongside. Pre-1860 Printed Matter rate covers to India are seldom seen. Exhibition Quality. [Ex AE retail, Apr. 2007; £250.] [Illustrated in BPPP, p.276.] Cross Reference: INDIA, PRINTED MATTER, UNIFORM 1d POSTAGE PERIOD, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS (Image)

U.S.A. - 1d, 2d & 3d (INC. 1d LATE FEE?) RATES ON PRINTED MAIL (WRAPPERS OR FOLDED CIRCULARS); July 1860 printed Prices Current (headed from Lyons but posted from London) to Hartford with 1d 'Stars' + 2d Blue (pl.8) tied by fair numerals having a blue crayon "2" alongside (presumably the regular 2d printed matter rate + 1d Late Fee; illustrated in BPPP, p.281), 1866/8 pair of open-ended wrappers ex Liverpool (one with original printed Prices Current contents) to Providence/Charleston with 1d Red (pl.79) or 2d Blue (pl.9), and 1868 printed EL ex Liverpool to New York "P. Cuba via Queenstown" with 2d Blue (pl.8). Scarce group. (4 covers) Cross Reference: TRANSATLANTIC MAIL, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL, LANCASHIRE - LIVERPOOL (Image)

MEXICO + U.S.A./CANADA - 1d/2d-RATE PRINTED CIRCULARS/PRICES CURRENT (ONE "PER BOOK POST"); 1868/71 pair from London/Manchester to Mexico with 2d Blue (pl.9) or 1d Red (pl.143) each with different Mexican hs "½"[reale] arrival charge and the first with red London 2-ring "PP"; plus 1870/72 pair to Canada with 1d Red ex London/Liverpool, and Jan. 1876 EL at the UPU "PER BOOK POST" rate with 1d Red (pl.159). Good attractive lot; Printed Matter mail to Mexico is very unusual. [The 2d cover illustrated in BPPP, p.285.] Cross Reference: MEXICO, CANADA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, POSTAGE DUE STAMPS & COVERS (Image)

INDIA - PAIR OF PRINTED MATTER 2d-RATE WRAPPERS (TO SEKREE & BOMBAY); Long Jan. 1869 open-ended wrapper (faults at foot) with printed London firm's heading to "Sekree, Rajpootana" franked by a single pl.12 2d Blue tied by a tall London "10" numeral, having various Indian Backstamps and a poor serpentine-framed "MISSENT TO SEEPREE"(?) on the front; plus large part c.1874 E to Bombay (printed address with Forbes & Forbes heading and "VIA BRINDISI") with single Pl.14 2d Blue tied by fair tall London numeral. Scarce pair; these 2d Printed Matter rates are very seldom seen addressed to India. (2 covers). [This pair ex Robert Johnson; Cavendish June 2006 auction; lot 1465, realised £160+BP.] Cross Reference: MISSENT MAIL, 1858-69 2d PLATES, INDIA (Image)

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE - RARE 4s-0d BOOK-POST SPECTACULAR "NPB/N" - CANCELLED FRANKING; c.1874 large brown paper front (presumably from a parcel of books) with a dramatic franking for the 4s-0d Book Post rate; two Blocks of Twelve 1d Reds (pl.137 & pl.149 - the Blocks inevitably with some faults but of different shapes) and Block of Four 1874 6d Grey (pl.13; one torn - SG146/J83) all tied by very fine scarce London dotted "NPB/B" cancels (used on Book Post mail). The 1870s Book Post rate to CGH was 3d per 4ozs, which would suggest that this package originally weighed 64ozs (4lbs). Unique franking? Plus c.1873 open-ended wrapper (red imprint of "EXPORT MERCANTILE ADVERTISER/Per Royal Mail Steamer" from London to Cape Town with single 1d Red (pl.148) tied by unclear barred "FB[?]". (2 covers) [The first item ex Gilbert Wheat, Cavendish June 2009; lot 244, realised £380+BP. Illustrated in BPPP, p.446.] Cross Reference: CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, 1864-79 1d PLATES, SURFACE-PRINTED ISSUES (Image)

REST OF THE WORLD - TRINIDAD, NEW SOUTH WALES & VENEZUELA - 1d RED OR 2d BLUE SINGLE FRANKINGS; 1874/77 pair of unsealed printed ELs from London to Trinidad ("Via Southampton") or to Venezuela ("Caracas") [both illustrated in BPPP, pp. 282/3]. Plus attractive illustrated July 1877 printed E (first page of circular ref. grave stone prices) to Sydney PO Box (redirected to "Tempe") endorsed "Book Post" and franked by a pl.15 2d Blue tied by a fine "ABERDEEN/1" duplex (Union St. cds on reverse); there is an attractive illustrated vignette of gravestones on the flap. Rare reduced printed matter rate to Australia. [Latter item ex Robert Johnson, Cavendish June 2006 auction; lot 1506, realised £150+BP; illustrated in BPPP, p.450.] (3 covers) Cross Reference: TRINIDAD, VENEZUELA, NEW SOUTH WALES, 1858-69 2d PLATES (Image)