RUBY MALTESE CROSS: 1840 1d black plate 1b MI lightly cancelled with a RUBY MX. Good margins on all sides. SG Spec. A2 ve £1,200. (Image)

OLD CHEQUES WITH EMBOSSED TAX STAMPS FROM VARIOUS DERBY BANKS, ALMOST ALL UNUSED: c.1820-1941 all-different collection of attractively printed Bank Cheques with fine embossed Tax Stamps; "DRAFT" (2) or smaller oval types (albino, orange or blue), almost all being unused and unusually complete with their counterfoils at left. The early examples mostly from "Crompton Newton [or Evans] & Co.", and one dated "182.." (toning) from "Crompton Newton & Co.". Mostly fine. Some with security printing on reverse. [A similar smaller lot in Cavendish's Sept. 2004 auction, lot 1102, realised £160+BP.] Seldom seen. (33) Cross Reference: BANKNOTES, REVENUES (Image)

RARE EDINBURGH "TO BE/DELIVERED/FREE" MARK ON PRINTED UNIVERSITY BUSINESS RE SCHOOL AT TOROSAY, MULL: 25 December 1827 printed EL from "Edinburgh University Chambers" to Auchnacraig, Isle of Mull regarding a new school at Torosay, with a very fine rare Edinburgh "TO BE/ DELIVERED/ FREE" (Auckland ED172b; apparently rare in black; light vertical filing crease) front top right. (Similar sold Cav. Sale 716 Lot 2357 £440+BP) Cross Reference: OFFICIAL MAIL, SCOTLAND, INNER HEBRIDES, ARRAN, BUTE, ETC. (Image)

LONDON FREE MARKS INC. INSTRUCTIONALS, "ABOVE WEIGHT", LARGE "N" CODE, 3-RING DS, ETC.: Large 1775-1839 group of mainly fronts. Includes a section of earlier Free mark types inc. coded or uncoded 3-rings, Apples, N or O code crowned cds's plus a diverse assortment of various "TO PAY" 1d or 2d marks, "ABOVE WEIGHT" handstamps, etc. Majority of Free Frank period well-represented. (22 covers + c.130 fronts) Cross Reference: INSTRUCTIONAL MARKS (Image)

RARE FREE FRANK TO A SHIP IN HARBOUR -ABUSE OF PRIVILEGE BY SCOTTISH P.O. SECRETARY: 20 Nov. 1798 EL from Edinburgh to "Capt. Milne, H.M.S. La Seine, Portsmouth" personally headed & countersigned by the Scottish P.O. Secretary "W[illiam] Kerr" but the letter was written by "David Milne", the addressee's father! It has two red Edinr. Bishop Marks on the front slightly overlapping a scarce uncoded red 3-ring London "FREE" transit cds. A few months before this, the addressee had been involved in capturing the French ship 'La Seine' and as a reward was given command of the ship when it was taken into the British Navy. Free franks to ships are very rare. Cross Reference: SCOTLAND, MARITIME MAIL, HAMPSHIRE (Image)

FREE/F. FREELING/RETURNED LETTER OFFICE COVER - UNRECORDED TYPE - TO PORTUGAL REF. UNPAID LETTER IN TRANSIT: 27 Oct. 1831 printed EL to Porto with fine 2-ring "FREE" cds & red oval "LISBOA" arrival. Complete sheets extremely rare; the listing in the "Statement when the Mails are made up at this Office." section is unique & unrecorded. Fine item. Cross Reference: RETURNED MAIL, PORTUGAL (Image)

IRELAND - RARE FREE FRANKED ENV. TO JAMAICA WITH DUBLIN CROWNED "FREE" DS: 4 Sept. 1836 env. (rare before 1840 especially for overseas mail) sent free of postage from “Dublin” by Sir "C[harles] Yorke" to Jamaica in his capacity as Inspecting Field officer of the Militia; it has a very fine red crowned “FREE” cds of Dublin on the front. It was addressed to a very senior member of the Jamaican Government, the “Receiver General” who was in charge of all expenditure for the colony at this time, but he would still have been pleased not to pay 4s-4d postage for the double-rate letter. The envelope was endorsed “Private” on the front and “Duplicate” on the flap by Yorke, which rather suggests that this was a personal letter and therefore an abuse of the franking privilege, but without the contents of the letter we cannot be certain. Very few franked letters to the West Indies have been recorded. [Ex Graham Booth, 2022.] Cross Reference: JAMAICA, IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS (Image)

THE RARE 'LARGE E' CODE CROWNED "FREE" DS INC. A UNIQUE "PAR[LIAMENTARY] PRO[CEEDINGS]" USAGE: 13 July 1837 - 20 Nov. 1838 free fronts (7) all with mostly very fine strikes of this rare Evening Duty London crown-in-circle "FREE" ds (Galland 75; only 5 covers known) including a remarkable 17 July 1837 wrapper front endorsed "Par[liamentary] Pro[ceedings]" signed at top by the famous pugilist-gambler "J[ohn]. Gully M.P." with both the 'large E' FREE marks and a matching 2-ring uncoded example (unique thus), the latest known date (30 Nov. 1838; referred to by Galland but not seen by him), and all sent from London. Good lot in unusually fine condition. (7 fronts) Cross Reference: PARLIAMENTARY MAIL (Image)

LONDON 2-RING "FREE" DS FRONTS OF 9/10/11 JAN. 1840 + DUBLIN 10 JAN. 1840: 10 Jan. front from Ireland with 10 Jan. Dublin Free cds (fine) & London 11 Jan. "+" code London 2-ring Free (fine - day after last official day); plus fine or v. fine 9 or 10 Jan Free marks on fronts ex. London. (3 fronts) Cross Reference: POSTAL REFORMS, IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY, UNIFORM 1d POSTAGE PERIOD (Image)

CLONMEL - RARE EARLY 10d RATE COVER TO HOLLAND: 1 Sept. 1683 EL (some dusting, minor edge wear and fold clear of marks) from Clonmel to Andrew Russell in Rotterdam endorsed post pd to London 10d with v.fine SE/12 London Bishop ds and red crayon XI (stuyvers) Dutch delivery charge. Rare pre 1700 letter at the 4d to Dublin and 6d onwards to London rate. Cross Reference: NETHERLANDS (Image)

EARLY "CORK" STRAIGHT- LINE COVER TO LIVERPOOL UNUSUALLY ROUTED "VIA CHESTER" & CHARGED 1s-1d: Fine 1 Sept. 1713 EL ex “CORK” (partly fine very early s. line on the front) to Liverpool when the only postal service between Ireland and England was via Dublin and Holyhead at this date. Unusually this letter was endorsed “Via Chester” by its sender to ensure it was not sent via London. The postal rate was the same by either route; this was 4d from Cork to Dublin (above 80 miles) + 6d on via Holyhead to Chester (2d Packet rate + 4d above 80 miles inland) = “10[d]”; that was changed to “1N1” (1s-1d) for the extra 3d (under 80 miles) from Chester to Liverpool. This was almost the highest possible single-sheet postal rate within Britain at this date. Cross Reference: CHESHIRE, POSTAGE DUE MARKS (Image)

COMPLETE 'SET' PLUS 2d BLUE & No. 8 COVER: Group of 1d red imperfs. on stock card with all 12 numerals represented. Variable margins. Also a fine no. 8 on cover to Folkingham and 1d pink cover to Leeds with no.6 cancel. Also 3/4 margin 1841 2d blue single with no. 1 cancel (14 stamps plus 2 covers) (Image)

FINE GROUP: 28 March 1844 E to Liverpool with 1d plate 35 pair HK-HL with two fine strikes of "2" in MX. 30 June 1843 E to Rye bearing 1d plate 18 BK (shaved at foot) with a very fine "3" in MX. 30 March 1843 EL to Shrewsbury bearing 1d plate 24 AH-AI with two strikes of "5" in MX, an early date. 7 Aug. 1843 E to Edinburgh bearing 1d red plate 31 LC (vertical crease) with an almost complete "6" in MX. 11 Nov. 1843 EL to Edinburgh with 1d plate 32 JG with a complete "7" in MX cancellation. ?1843 part E to east Grinstead with 1d plate 40 JI with a fine upright "8" in MX cancellation. 8 Dec. 1843 EL to Market Harborough with 1d plate 38 ?G with a good "11" in MX cancellation. A good lot. SG £4,150. (7 items) (Image)

NO 2: 13 Mar. 1844 env. from London to Edinburgh bearing a four margined 1841 2d blue plate 3 HB with a good strike of the No 2 in MX cancellation. Scarce. SG Spec. E1vb £2,250. (Image)

SCARCE FOREIGN BRANCH PENNY POST TRANSFER HS: Trio inc. 1794 EL Berlin to Mr Lever Coachmaker to HRH Prince of Wales with v.fine PP hs and ms "1"; 1796 E (faults clear of marks) Italy to London with fine large PP / 1796 in circle hs and 1799 EL (rust spots) Gottingen to London with fine FOREIGN OFFICE / 99 cds and alongside a v.fine PP / 1796 in circle hs. Good trio. Cross Reference: GERMANY, ITALY (Image)

VERY RARE "NORTHERN DISTRICT/N" BLUE LABEL ON LOCAL UPRATED 1d PINK STAT. ENV. TO KING'S CROSS: 5 May 1857 1d Pink p.stat. env. affixed with 1d Red cancelled by circled "75" barred duplex & v. fine blue Northern District label plus "CORNHILL" straight line on reverse; V. few of these district labels have been recorded; probably less than 10 on covers. (Image)

START OF LONDON POSTCODES - 1857 I.L.N. MAP, INITIALLED UDCs, 'GARTER' INITIALS ON WRITING PAPER, ETC.: 1857-68 section inc. "SIDMOUTH-ST-BRANCH/W.C." and similar 2-lines types for Charing X, Islington, Westminster-Bridge, Pimlico and Cornhill in black or blue plus UDCs for Charing X Paddington or Richmond; also eight 1883-1917 items inc. business or hotel stationery with imprinted or handstruck postcodes. (25 covers, business stationery etc. + Newspaper with 1857 London postal districts map) Cross Reference: NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES, MAPS (Image)

AMERICA - REMARKABLE HIGH VALUE FRANKING: 4 Dec. 1901 large (240 x 126 mm) parcel piece. registered from London to New York bearing 1897 Jubilee 4d (2), 6d (3), 1884 2/6d lilac NE and 5/- rose GC & GD all tied by oval "REGISTERED/LONDON CHIEF OFFICE E C" ds. Some folds well clear of adhesives. (Image)

AUSTRALIA - 9d & 10d RATE COVERS, ETC.: 12 June 1873 env. from London "via Brindisi" to Victoria bearing a single 9d straw plate 4 KB. Also another good used 9d HD. 22 Dec. 1870 mourning env. from London to Tasmania bearing a good 10d KA. Also another 10d GJ, fair used. SG £2,075. (Image)

AUSTRALIA: 22 Feb. 1883 mourning env. from Bromley to Melbourne bearing a fine 1883 6d on 6d. Also a mint 6d on 6d GC well centred, very light natural bend. (SG 162 - £675) and used OB & QL. (4 items) (Image)

FRANCE - SPAIN - USA - NETHERLANDS, ETC.: Inc. 1862-65 E to France bearing 4d adhesives two with "INSUFFICIENTLY/PREPAID" hs, three having "50"numerals two of which cancel "PD" in oval hs. 8 Nov. 1856 EL from Newcastle to Valencia with 2d pair + 1856 6d. 1863 E from Liverpool to New York with 1/- green and on reverse small ""LIVERPOOL/P.L.O." cds. 9 Aug. 1861 E registered from London tom Milan with 1856 franked 2 x 6d. 1860 EL from London to Amsterdam with 1d + 4d (faded) + 1/-. An interesting group. (9 covers) (Image)

UNITED STATES - RARE 1/- "K IN CIRCLE" VARIETY: 16 July 1864 env. from Havant to Wisconsin bearing a marginal 1862 1/- green plate 2 KD, centred to foot but clearly showing the rare "K" in circle variety (SG 90a - £2,300 off cover). The right margin is a little trimmed and some slight wrinkling. A major rarity. (Image)

ILLUSTRATED ENV. ATTRIBUTED TO LADY EDITH BLAKE: Undated env. (c. late 1860s) addressed to "Miss A. de la Poer, Gurteen, Clonmel, Ireland" franked very poor 1d red tied by Irish Diamond "42[?]" duplex beautifully illustrated in pen on front with a young lady in a classical pose (possibly the artists sister). The back flap (faults) is embossed "Newtown Anner/Clonmel" the home of Edith & Grace Osborne. Edith went on to become an accomplished botanical illustrator, so the drawing has been attributed to her. Included are an article by John Scott FRPSL which appeared in the London Philatelist (Dec. 2024) illustrating this item, and examples of her work in a Country Life article (30 July, 1970). Exhibition item. Cross Reference: IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

OCEAN PENNY POSTAGE: Very fine unused 1850 League of Universal Brotherhood env. (minor staining/toning), State 1b (David Turner, Ocean Penny Postage) on grey paper with pink seal on backflap, without "City" added to imprint. Attractive item. Scarce. (Image)

1855 STAMPED TO ORDER POSTAL NOTICE: 16 Nov. 1855 postmaster's notice (140 x 96 mm) with embossed 4d, 6d &1/- overprinted "SPECIMEN" for stamped to order issues. Fine. (Image)