2010 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA ONE-PENNY "CHEQUE STAMP" WITH THE OVAL INVERTED. ONLY FIFTEEN IN TOTAL WERE PRINTED. A GREAT RARITY OF BRITISH AFRICA.

According to Robson Lowe's Encyclopedia, in 1891 the Imperial Post opened its first post office, and in 1893 the post was greatly expanded. The first issues were those of Rhodesia overprinted "B.C.A.", which were followed by British Central Africa stamps printed by De La Rue & Co. in England. In a monograph by Fred J. Melville, the author refers to the theft of a case of stamps containing several denominations that disappeared en route from England. The theft occurred about January 25, 1898, and it was claimed that the case was lost overboard. The stamps were eventually found about a year later. In response to this theft, on March 11 the Post Office issued a notice requiring that all mail addressed to places within the British Central Africa Protectorate be paid in cash rather than stamps, and that new stamps (called "tokens" in the notice) would be affixed to indicate payment. The new stamps were printed locally at Blantyre (now Malawi) which was a major center for colonial trade. A new supply of stamps was received in November and use of the local stamps was discontinued.

The stamps were printed in sheets of 30 comprising two horizontal rows of fifteen. For the first setting, the blue portion of the design was printed in two operations. This resulted in the top row of one sheet to be printed with the oval inverted. Of the fifteen printed, a pair (Positions 11-12) is in the Royal Collection and another pair (Positions 14-15) once existed but has not been seen for decades. Of the remaining eleven singles printed, many have not been seen for some time, and most are faulty to some degree.

Ex Cunliffe. SG £27,000. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE 1856 BRITISH GUIANA 4-CENT BLACK ON MAGENTA PROVISIONAL ISSUE. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH FULL SQUARE MARGINS AND WITH SUCH WONDERFUL COLOR.

The Provisional issue was printed in Georgetown by Baum and Dallas, who published the Official Gazette. It has been hypothesized that the issue was printed due to a delay in the arrival of stamps from England. Many examples are either cut to shape or have heavy creases which discolor the paper. The example offered here, despite having a very light crease, is a most desirable example of this world rarity.

With 1961 P.F. certificate. SG £9,000 (Image)

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VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE CANADA SEAWAY INVERT.

SG £9,000 (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE RARE £25 1922-27 KENYA AND UGANDA KEY PLATE ISSUE.

With 2000 B.P.A. certificate. SG £23,000 (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 10-SHILLING OIL RIVERS SURCHARGED PROVISIONAL ISSUE.

The most thorough treatment of the subject of the Oil Rivers and Niger Coast surcharged provisionals issues was recently published by John Sacher as a supplement to The London Philatelist. He records a total of 61 unused and four used examples of the 10sh (including the varieties such as surcharge inverted, printed diagonally, etc.). (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THIS DISTINCTIVE VALUE OMITTED ERROR AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.

This lot also includes an informative typed letter dated May 6, 1902 from Bright & Sons of London, stating "We hear from a correspondent that a number of unused 1d stamps was issued from your Post Office with the value omitted. We are desirous of securing some of these..." and with handwritten response below "Only 7 were sold four (4) of which were posted on letters and they were thoroughly inked over by the Postal authorities. Consequently were of no use." and signed by the postmaster. All three unused examples are accounted for. One is in the Royal Collection. The other, which is from the position to the left of the stamp offered here, was in the Sir John Marriott Collection.

Ex Ramkissoon. With 1986 R.P.S. certificate. SG £32,000 (Image)

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