A veritable 'lucky dip' of singles, part-sets & complete sets including better issues plus loads of multiples in packets & loose, mostly mint & what we inspected is generally fine to very fine. Lots of better items noted but we may have missed just as many, so inspection is strongly recommended.  (many 100s) (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1908-69 Issues virtually complete including First Overprints on Fiji 1/- SG 9 (a little faded), '2d.' on French Paper 40c SG 35, the QEII issues on illustrated FDCs, and the 1925 & 1957 Postage Due sets, generally very fine, Cat £3200+.  (150 approx) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,250

1908-74 Issues complete including First Overprints on Fiji 1/- SG 9, '2d.' on French Paper 40c SG 35, 5c shade SG 98a (**) and the Postage Due sets, also multiples including a few KEVII Plate Number blocks, 1921 New Shades blocks of 4, 1924 Surcharges Sheet Number blocks of 6 (3x2), and 1925 Weapons & Idols 1/- to 5/- De La Rue Imprint strips of 3, the QEII issues also largely complete used/CTO, some characteristic tropicalisation otherwise generally very fine, Cat £1500+.  (300+) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1910-38 'SPECIMEN' Overprints or Perfins comprising Second Overprints on Fiji, Weapons & Idols 1911 (several low values with no gum), 1921 & 1925 sets plus the 1925 Postage Dues, and 1938 Gold Currency set & the Postage Dues, a few tiny blemishes but generally very fine, Cat £1575. Very scarce group.  (50) (Image1)

Estimate AU$750

1910 Second 'NEW HEBRIDES/CONDOMINIUM' Overprints on Fiji 6d imperforate plate proof in the issued colours of dull purple & bright purple on thin card, minor surface-rubbing, non-contemporary endorsement "Proof 10.5.1910/appd May 30th" on the reverse. Rare: stated only two examples have been recorded. The overprints were effected in Suva but where did the plate proofs on card originate? (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1910 Second 'NEW HEBRIDES/CONDOMINIUM' Overprints on Fiji ½d to 1/- SG 10-16 overprinted 'SPECIMEN' each from [Pos 27] with Break in Left Leg of  'M' of 'SPECIMEN', lightly mounted, Cat £275 plus a large premium for a matched set each with the major variety. An important set for the collector of Specimen stamps or Keyplates.  (7) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1911 Weapons & Idols ½d (5c) to 5/- (6fr25c) complete set of imperforate plate proof singles in shades of dull blue to ultramarine on unwatermarked ungummed paper, mostly marginal examples the 6d & 10d with part of the De La Rue Imprint & the 10d with a printer's correction mark in rosine, a few very minor blemishes. Ex De Le Rue Archives but not illustrated by Frank Walton.   (9) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1920-21 Surcharges on 1911 Weapons & Idols '1d.' on 5d sage-green with the Surcharge Inverted SG 30a, characteristic lightly tropicalised gum, three pencilled guarantee handstamps, Cat £4500. Absent from 'Besancon'. The 'Santo' example sold in 2000 for $2350. (Image1)

Estimate AU$3,500

1920-21 Surcharges on 1911 Weapons & Idols '2d.' on French Paper 40c SG 35 marginal block of 4 from the right of the sheet, well centred, unmounted, Cat £520+, for mounted singles. (Image1)

Estimate AU$350

1920-21 Surcharges on 1911 Weapons & Idols '2d.' on French 'RF Watermark 40c red/yellow SG 35 corner block of 4 from the lower-left corner of the sheet, unmounted, Cat £520+, for mounted singles. Superb. (Image1)

Estimate AU$350

1920-21 Surcharges on 1911 Weapons & Idols '2d.' on French Paper 40c SG 35 with the Surcharge Misplaced 5mm Downwards, very lightly mounted, Cat £130+. (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1924 Surcharges on 1911 Weapons & Idols 1d on ½d to 5d on 2½d SG 40-42 plus French issue 10c on ½d to 50c on 25c SG F38-41 tied to large archival piece by multiple strikes of the large 'POSTES ET TELEGRAPHES/COLLECTION/ DE/BERNE/MADAGASCAR' cachet in rosine. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1924 Surcharges on 1911 Weapons & Idols '5d.' on 2½d ultramarine with the Surcharge Inverted SG 42a, characteristic lightly tropicalised gum, two pencilled guarantee handstamps, Cat £3500. Better centred than the 'Besancon' block of 4 that sold for SFr6655. The 'Santo' example sold in 2000 for $2125. (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,500

1938 Gold Currency 50c photographic reproduction to stamp-size of the original handpainted artwork. Ex De Le Rue Archives but not illustrated by Frank Walton. (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1977 New Currency Provisional Surcharges Paris Overprints 5fr on 5c to 500fr on 10fr SG 220-232 and Vila Overprints 5fr on 5c x2 (one with Heavy Overprint) to 500fr on 10fr SG 233-241 plus Wider Setting 10fr on 10c (unlisted by Gibbons; recorded by Roland Klinger) & 15fr on 15c SG 235a, Type II 35fr on 35c & 200fr on 5fr (unpriced by Gibbons) and the unissued 50fr on 1fr & 100fr on 3fr (mentioned by Gibbons in a footnote), unmounted, Cat £445 plus the unlisted 10fr & unpriced 200fr. Difficult to assemble.  (30) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

The eclectic remainders from John Gibson's collection with 1842 entire from Sydney to "Revd H Nibit/Tana" (rare & legible but in poor condition), 1890s 'NEW HEBRIDES/VILA' cds on NSW x4 & 1905-07 usages x7, a partly-annotated range of WWII US Forces covers x26 + V-Mail & envelope, NZ Forces x3, three covers to NSW with black/white Vila censor labels, coastal TPO covers with various Inter-Island cds, 1954 Second Class airmail to NSW with black/yellow 'A.O' (Articles Outre = other articles) label, etc, also Franchise Militaire essay (apparently an original), ANHCo group including mint blocks of 4 & a so-called 'Roast Missionary' label in black/yellow on thick toned paper (status?), condition rather mixed but a red-hot bargain at the estimate.  (100+ items) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

Mostly 1950s-1970s commercial covers with a few mixed issue & commemorative frankings plus British/French combination frankings x12, cds including 'LAMAP', 'LOLOWAI', 'MELSISI', 'NORSUP', 'TANNA' & 'TONGOA', registered x6 including with Australian-pattern R labels of 'LAMAP' & 'SANTO' x2 plus Avis de Reception cards x3, a few with company imprints, many airmails including inter-island services and to Argentina (underpaid & taxed), Cameroun, Canada x2, Fiji, Finland, Guadeloupe (to a ship's passenger with crude 'NON A BORD' label), Holland, Solomons x5, Sweden and Tahiti x2, also to Victoria with boxed 'NOT ELIGIBLE FOR/AERIAL MAIL. FEE/DEFICIENT/Vila No 1 (NH)' cachet (not recorded by Ted Proud) and to USA underpaid & taxed, Aerogrammes x7 unused/CTO, a few inwards items, generally fine to very fine. A very good lot.  (150 approx) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

Official mail including 1942 to NSW with 'France Libre' 5c 10c & 15c and 'PORT-VILLA/...' (error) R cachet, 1945 to NSW with the same error R cachet plus scarce local censor label & New Caledonia censor cachet, 1948-49 stampless to NSW x3, 1963 large piece with 1957 30c & 2fr x2, many addressed to Ray Baldwin or John Gibson with a good range of adhesives, also a variety of 'PAID' cds & town handstamps on provisional R labels, many airmail usages, condition variable but most are fine to very fine.  (54) (Image1)

Estimate AU$350

Philatelic covers including many with better frankings notably First Overprints on Fiji to 1/- x2 & Second Overprints on Fiji to 1/-, First Overprints on New Caledonia set & Second Overprints 1fr, Idols & Weapons 1911 to 5/- or 1fr x2 and 1925 set to 5/-, four covers with various 1920 or 1924 Surcharges, later period with registered covers, ship mails, airmails, range of postmarks from 1960s-70s offices including a few registered, many addressed to Ray Baldwin or John Gibson including four with 1957 Postage Dues, a few problems in the earlier material but otherwise generally fine to very fine. Very attractive.  (100+) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1842 lengthy Scottish social entire headed "Hutchesontown 30 May 1842" & signed "Your affectionate Sister/Isabella Nisbet" with post scriptum "I finish this letter on the 29 of June at Rutherglen/this is number 2", to "Rev Henry Nisbet/Tana" carried per favor with no postal markings but docketed on arrival "Glasgow/May to June 42/Isabella", remarkably fine: superior to the four 'Santo' 1841-42 unstamped entires that sold for an average of $980 each. The London Missionary Society established a mission on Tanna Island in 1840. Rev Henry Nisbet was based on Tanna 1841-43 only, after which he relocated to Samoa. There was no post office in the New Hebrides until a NSW Postal Agency was opened on the southern island of Aneityum on 1.8.1891. On 20.6.1892, it was relocated to Port Vila, about 500km NNE on Efate. (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1892 usage of New South Wales ½d orange-red with superb strike of the 'NEW HEBRID[ES]/ DE30/1892/VILA' cds. The earliest recorded date: see Hals & Collas at page 144. John Gibson states the cds was supplied from Sydney in August 1892. (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1894-97 usage of New South Wales ½d grey pair on piece or 2½d Allegorical singles x3 or pair all with the 'NEW HEBRIDES/VILA' cds including superb strike of DE24/--94 (century slugs omitted) and light strike of AP21/1897 in violet (not recorded thus by Hals & Collas).  (5 items) (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1897 large-part Hambly cover (reduced at left) to Sydney with combination franking of Australasian New Hebrides Company rouletted 1d pair tied by two very fine to superb strikes of the 'TRAVELLING POST/NEW/30JUN97/HEBRIDES/ANH CO LD' cds plus NSW Centenary 1d & 2d Emu pair tied by 'NEW HEBRIDES/VILA' cds (indistinct date), Sydney arrival backstamp of JY14/97, significant faults but an apparently commercial double-rate usage. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1897 philatelic cover to Fiji with combination franking of Australasian New Hebrides Company rouletted 1d pair & strip of 3 + 2d tied by multiple fine to very fine strikes of the 'PORT VILA POST/NEW/19JUN98/ HEBRIDES/ANH CO LD' cds, another strike tying New South Wales Jubilee 2½d violet, minor toning. The lack of any transit or arrival markings suggests the cover was not put in the mails. (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

1898 social cover to England with New South Wales Allegorical 2½d tied by large-part 'NEW HEBRID[ES]/ JY7/1898/VI[LA]' cds (month slug before day slug), the reverse with superb 'SYDNEY/AU1/98/ 14 ' transit & London arrival of SP5/98, light vertical fold & minor opening fault. Very few usages on pre-1901 covers have been recorded. [The addressee, William R Dover, was an early missionary in the islands] (Image1)

Estimate AU$750