1914 (Sept circa) unfranked cover to England endorsed per "HMAS Berrima" and "Garrison Rabaul" & "No Stamps procurable/Active Service" from member of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF), Sydney machine cancel 'OC12/1914' transit on face where very fine large '1D'-in-circle h/s applied for the deficiency only, on arrival Great Britain Postage Due 1d red affixed tied by 'BAWTRY/30NO/14/YORKS' cds, a few edge faults, ink stains & minor aging marks just add to the item's character. William Pate's similar cover - in better condition but with less clear markings - sold at our auction of 3.3.2019 for $1917. The HMAS 'Berrima' was requisitioned from P&O at the outbreak of WWI and is famous for having landed troops at Herbertshöhe on 11 September 1914, at Rabaul on the 12th and at Madang on the New Guinea mainland on the 24th. She returned to Sydney in early October where she was converted to a troop transport and, in December 1914, she was part of the Second Convoy to Egypt. Free postage for WWI Forces was not introduced until February 1915.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,200

1917 (July 27) cover to "877 Private AR Burrington/Victorian Tropical Unit/4th ANM Exp Force/Bita Paka/via Rabaul/New Britain" with KGV 1d red tied by Melbourne machine cancel, German label inscribed 'Militärischerseits unter/Kriegsrecht geöffnet/Berlin.../Ueberwachungsoffizier' (= "Opened under Military Law at Berlin.../Supervising Officer") affixed to the reverse, returned under cover to Australia via the Danish Red Cross with 'KJOBENHAVN/3.2.19...' cds on face, some staining & edge faults. Plus an unused PPC of the 'Matunga'. [Bita Paka is an island north of New Britain. The wireless station there was the object of the initial Australian invasion, and was captured on 11.9.1914] Carried per Burns Philp Line SS 'Matunga', which was intercepted on 6.8.1917 by the German raider SMS 'Wolf' and taken into Dutch New Guinea waters and scuttled near Waigeo Island after the crew, passengers & cargo (including the mails) were transferred. On her return to Germany, the mails were impounded. After the war, the mail was delivered to the Danish Red Cross for return to the original senders. Only seven so-called 'Matunga covers' are recorded. [Kevin Nelson's example - also graded "C" - sold at our auction of 27.11.2010 for $3335. See also Lots 1154 & 1155]  (2)

Grade C (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1918 (April 25; Anzac Day) German unfranked POW postcard from "RNM Macintosh, Captain, Aust NG Exp. Forces" being held in the Heidelberg Officers' Camp, Germany, to "Lieut D Waugh/Rabaul/New Guinea" with message re "... a canvas bag and the sum of £2/12/6d to give to you. Unfortunately I have not yet had an opportunity of delivering ..." (!), on the face a camp cachet in blue, 'HEIDELBERG/25.4.18' cds and faint 'LONDON/PAID' machine cancel, small closed spikehole at left & a couple of minor blemishes. The sender was one of five Australian officers taken prisoner when the Burns Philp Line SS 'Matunga' was captured by the German raider SMS 'Wolf': see also Lots 1053 & 1155.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

POSTMARKS: 'KAISERLICHES BEZIRKSGERICHT/FRIEDRICH-WILHELMSHAFEN' defaced Court Seal h/s 1) complete strike in violet on German New Guinea Yachts 30pf (fault at top); 2) lower-half strike in violet on Kangaroo 1d red punctured Small 'OS'; and 3) upper-half strike in black on German New Guinea Yachts 'G.R.I./2d' on 20pf blue 6mm Spacing SG 4 (Cat £110 used), all on small pieces. (3)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

POSTMARKS: 1914 (circa) '[ ______________ ]/FRIEDRICH-WILHELMSHAFEN' [in relief] defaced Mail Bag Seal h/s largely very fine complete strike on German New Guinea Yachts 10pf (small corner fault at top) on piece.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

POSTMARKS: Kangaroos ½d green vertical pair tied to piece by very fine German New Guinea-era 'STEPHANSORT/--/13/ * ' 'frozen' cds.

Grade V C1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

BACK-OF-THE-BOOK: Attractively presented collection with Bosnia & Herzegovina including Overprints for Use in Yugoslavia including 1919 'KRALJESTVO/SHS' set to 10kr, Cat €800+; Military Posts including 'KUK/FELDPOST/FELDPOST' set to 10kr (trials or proofs?), various Occupation issues, Cat €1400+ (not including the 'double' overprints) plus a good range of covers including registered & parcel post useges; and Plebiscites for Carpathia & Salzburg including publicity labels & propaganda postcards; generally very fine but some of the postmarks are questionable so they have not been included in the catalogue values.  (100s) (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: 1917 Assassination/Church Fund proof blocks of 4 each value in four different colours, set of imperf blocks of 4 in the issued colours, 1919 Yugoslav Overprints Mi 30-32 blocks of 4 with Inverted Overprints, many units unmounted, and 1910 Pictorials 25h Hesshaimer facsimile.   (18 blocks)

Grade A+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

COMMERCIAL PERFINS: Collection of pre-WWII types 'A' to 'ZOZ' with many unusual patterns & a large number on non-base-rate stamps, various multiples, some on piece & two covers, some postmark interest, condition variable. Also checklist 'A' to 'ZZ/LL' by John Nussbickel and for Austrian Levant.  (500+ items) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

POSTAL HISTORY: Box of mostly used Postal Stationery with some unusual items plus PPCs including 1910 Vienna Exhibition with Exhibition cds etc, generally fine to very fine, lots of postmark content.    (57 items) (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

POSTAL HISTORY: 1953 (Oct 14) commercial airmail cover to Massachusetts with scarce franking of Birds 5s (minor bends, Cat €120) + Costumes 30g & 3s50g tied by Vienna cds, black/yellow R label.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

POSTAL HISTORY: 1938 (April 23) Anschluss airmail to Australia with "Vienna III, Germany" return address, Costumes 8g and Airmails 60g & 1s tied by 'WIEN//FLUGPOST' cds, Greek currency censor cachet on face, Melbourne '5MAY/1938' arrival b/s, light central fold & minor blemishes mostly on back. 

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1962 QEII 5/- to £1 Ritchie/Griffiths/Cruickshank '1st December 1962' group comprising 5/- P51c x2 (one with centre-fold but crisp), 10/- P52c, and £1 P53e, condition variable, all with some rust/foxing.  (4) (Image1)

Estimate AU$120

1969 Ritchie/Barnes group comprising 50c Pick 58 x2, $1 P59 x2, $2 pair P60, $10 P62 x2, plus 1980 Barnes/Tomkins $10 and $20 P79-80, condition variable, most lightly circulated.  (10) (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

1969-2001 group including  20 Rials (3) & 50 Rials (3) P84-85a; Islamic Republic 1992 1000 Rials P143a pair, 2010 100,000R trio P151, virtually all Uncirculated.  (29) (Image1)

Estimate AU$120

1979 French Issue 1000F Roland-Billecart/Theron Pick 20c pair, serials 'N.1 44233'-'234', Unc, Cat US$370+ (2018).  (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

1898-1938 group, mostly pedestrian with some better items noted including State Credit Notes with 1898 100 Rubles Pleske P5a, 1903 500R Timashev P6b (small thin at left, otherwise no folds, aEF), 1919 1000R serial 'AO-00001'; also 1917 5% Freedom Loan (without coupons), Treasury small change, 'Baby Ionians' (multi-language text), Provisional Government, Soviet Government notes; and Georgia 1919 100R; condition variable.  (38) (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

NORTH CAUCASUS: 1918 5 Ruble Currency Token Issue, Executive Committee of the North Caucasian Soviet Republic Pick S456, Uncirculated, Cat US$360 for 'XF' (not priced for Unc). (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

Collection in box with 1893 10 Dinara P10a, 1929 100 Dinara P27a Watermark Karageorge x2, and P27b Wmk Alexander I x28, 1936 20 Dinar P30 x3, 1931 1000 Dinara P29 x3; Serbia (German Occupation) 1941 100D P23 x30, 500D P27a Wmk Kings Head x3, (Unc), P27b Wmk Female Head x5, 1942 500D P31 x6, condition variable,   (80+) (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

EUPEN & MALMEDY: Mostly mint selection of overprints with 'ALLEMAGNE/DUITSCHLAND' set, 'EUPEN/&/ MALMEDY' Surcharges, 'Eupen' Postage Dues, 'Malmédy' set x2 (one used) & 'Malmédy' Postage Dues, some hinge remainders, and a philatelic registered cover, Cat €1600+.  (88 + cover)

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

POSTAL HISTORY: 1938 (Jan 21) airmail to Australia with Leopold 1fr50c, 1fr75c & 5fr tied by 'VERVIERS' cds, Brussells transit & Melbourne '4FEB/1938' arrival b/s, a couple of blemishes. Interrupted service IE621 per Imperial flying boat 'Cordelia'.  [Sanford #380123: "No mail is known in collectors' hands"]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

Two cartons of mostly modern titles but including 'Descriptive Notes on Papuan Plants' by Baron Ferdinand von Mueller (1875, rather aged & re-bound); 'The Melanesian Island Languages' by Ray (1926); 'Narrative of the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake' in two volumes by Macgillivray (1967 facsimile edition), 'Narrative of the Voyage of HMS Fly' in 2 volumes by Jukes (1993 facsimile edition #94/250) 'The Vailala Madness and other Essays' by Williams (1976), etc, generally fine to very fine. A wealth of knowledge, at a bargain-basement price.  (55) (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

Five religious works in indigenous languages comprising 1) 'Ekalesia Ana Pari (Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in the Mukawa Laguage)' [London, 1905]; 2) 'Taparoro Ana Buki Bapuna. Taparoro Ana Wona. Pana Paneati (First Catechism and Hymns, Translated into the Language of Paneati, Papua)' [Melbourne, 1918]; 3) 'Buki Tabu Lowaenei' (Old Testament - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Ruth, Esther, Psalms, Isiah & Jonah in Dobu) [London, 1919]; 4) 'Ekalesia Ana Giu Viegana (Lectures on the Teaching of the Church in the Wedau Language, Papua) by Bishop Henry Newton [London, 1930]; and 5) 'Iesu Keriso. Nou Wade Overa (The Four Gospels in Kiwai, Fly Delta, Papua)' [Sydney, 1947], good to fine.  (5) (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

Trio of titles comprising 'Patrolling in Papua' by Humphries (1923 first edition h/b 287pp with 41 b/w photographic illustrations plus foldout map); 'Papuan Pictures' by HM Dauncey (1913 h/b 184pp with 63 b/w illustrations from photographs by the author); and 'New Guinea Diary 1942-43' by war correspondent George H Johnston (1946 h/b 254 pages with 8 b/w photographs plus map); all with minor cover wear, the pages very fine.  (3)

Grade A-/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1847 'Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of HMS Fly, commanded by Captain FP Blackwood RN, in Torres Strait, New Guinea, and Other Islands of the Eastern Archipelago, during the Years 1842-1846' by the geologist Joseph Beete Jukes in two volumes (1847 First Edition, h/b 423pp & 362pp) with numerous engraved and aquatint plates mostly by Harden S Melville & engraved foldout maps including a highly detailed map of Queensland's east coast & the Great Barrier Reef north to British New Guinea, occasional foxing as usual. Historically important volumes. [A leading antiquarian bookseller currently has a similar set for sale at $4850] The expedition was the first to be sent to Australia specifically to undertake survey work. A key objective was Jukes' performing the first scientific survey of the Great Barrier Reef.   (2) (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,500