386th Auction

1921/36, lion 5 öre, tied by c.d.s. "STOCKHOLM LBR. 6.4.33" to printed matter envelope addressed to Sven Hedin at Peiping, China, with Chinese manuscript remarks on front. 

1938, 300th anniversary of the founding of New Sweden 30 öre and 20 öre, neatly tied by boxed cancellation “POSTS EXPRESS” to express local cover with arrival postmark “STOCKHOLM 1 ANK EXPR. 7.5.38", also a postal form ”Postens Expressavdelning" with 5 öre, 15 öre together with 30 öre as an horizontal pair, each tied by cds. “STOCKHOLM 1 ANK EXPR. 10.6.41” on reverse, fine

1939/42, Gustav V 40 öre green and Hazelius 1 krone orange, fresh colours, each neatly tied by cds. “FALUN 8.12.41” to airmail cover to USA with bilingual handstamp “RETOUR Echange suspendu…”, envelope with traces of transportation, otherwise fine. After the attack of the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941, all postal connections to the USA were interrupted

1939, Crowns 1,45 kronor and Linné 15 öre, tied by cds. “STOCKHOLM 12.3.45” to airmail cover with instruction mark “Via England” and American censor label to German Prisoner of War in Camp Shelby USA, reverse manuscript docketing “erhalten am 5.5.45”, fine

1869/1951 (ca.), interesting group of 14 covers and cards, spanning from the early issues to the modern area, including ship mail, some better items throughout with an extremely scarce commercial usage of the 1924 UPU Congress in Stockholm 2 kroner red (Mi.-Nr. 157W), faulty at the bottom, with additional franking tied by cds “MALMO 17 1 25” to parcel card to Finland, etc, some occasional faults, overall in good condition

1853/1965, ten interesting postal forms and official postal covers, with among others two early postal receipts 1853/55, 1896 cover with blue seal handstamp “Correspondance du Service postal” (from Postal inspector), 1924 Postal taxation card franked with high value stamps and two Postal identification cards, one franked in 1936 with 50 öre and one unused with handstamp “Specimen”, mostly fine  

1874/77, 1 kronor brown/blue, two strips of three together with 1 öre black, 6 öre orange, 12 öre salmon and two copies 30 öre blue-green, all tied by "GÖTEBORG PAKET 3/9 1877" to 'LETTRE DE VOITURE' of the 'Agence Continental & Anglaise' for a parcel with declared value of 300 Francs from London via Stralsund and Malmö to Göteborg. 6 Öre with crease, otherwise fine. A scarce franking and most unusual case of a shipment from privat express company to be delivered by a postal administration. 

1874/77, 50 öre brown, three copies together with 5 öre brown, 12 öre salmon and 30 öre green, all tied by clear "GÖTEBORG PAKET 31/8 1876" to reverse of unpaid parcel card from "HAMBURG 26 8 76", with blue transit mark of Copenhagen. A fine and scarce card.
 

The special Convention on parcel post 1880 would outlaw the sending of parcels that were not fully prepaid.
 

1874/77, Numerals 1 kronor, 50 öre, 24 öre and 12 öre, tied by c.d.s. "STRENGNAS 16 12 1886" to preprinted official postcard of Malmö PO, concerning an unsufficiently prepaid parcel from Strengnas to Malmö, with blue "MALMÖ PAKET 14 12 1886" to Stregnas. Manuscript "Lösen 186 öre". 12 öre few shortish perfs where applied slightly over the edge of the card, otherwise very fine and rare.

1875/1943, three interesting covers and one postal form with postage due stamps, including “Lösen” green label and postage due handstamp, noted unfranked cover from “CHICAGO” with 1874 1, 5, 20 and 30 öre tied by cds “FILIPSTAD 19.1.1875” on reverse (small faults),  “Customs Declaration” form with 1877 5 öre as a vertical pair used on reverse, postage due blue framed handstamp "12½ cent" on 1905 postcard and 1943 envelope with label “LÖSEN (120) öre”

1885, postal stationery card 5 öre green with additional franking King Oskar II 10 öre rose, neatly tied by cds. “GÖTEBORG 12.1.85” via Paris to Port Louis, Mauritius with arrival postmark, card with small edge faults and some aging, otherwise fine, a rare 15 öre overseas rate combined with an elusive destination 

1879, postal stationery card 10 öre  red with additional franking 1872 5 öre green, used with “GÖTEBORG 8.2.1887” via Singapore to Penang, Straits Settlements with arrival cds, forwarded to Switzerland with red arrival postmark, minor creases, otherwise fine. A rare 15 öre overseas rate

1879/83, doublecard 10+10 öre rose, used unsevered from "STOCKHOLM 30 8 93" to Dornum, Germany and retour from "DORNUMERSIEL 11 9 93". Little paper split in the fold, still very fine. A scarce item.

1889/1904, doublecard 10+10 öre rose, used unsevered from "STOCKHOLM 11.9.00" to Sandgate, England and retour with duplex "SANDGATE SP 15 00". A fine and scarce usage.

 

Illustrated in James Peter Gough ‘The Postal Card’, p. 748

1889/1904, main part of double card 15 öre green, used from Stockholm 1894 via London to Akassa, Royal Niger company territory, with arrival mark of June 27. A most unusual destination (Ferdén R4).

Illustrated in James Peter Gough ‘The Postal Card’, p. 731

1906, Essay for International Reply Envelope with imprinted 20 öre, overprinted "Specimen". This essay was presented at the World Postal Congress in Rome. Tiny imperfections. Very scarce.
200
 

1931, postal stationery card 10 öre deep violet with additional franking Gustav V 5 öre green, used with cds. “TRELLEBORG 9.11.43” to Denmark, not transmitted forward and kept at the Stockholm post office. After the end of World War II, the card was finally released to Copenhagen, handstamped on departure with cds “STOCKHOLM 7.6.45” and a seven-line information mark, adjacent Danish censor postmark. Because of the sender's note “Lazarettet” at top, the card was not carried during the German occupation of Denmark, rare

1875/1971, assembly of 22 cards, letter cards and one military envelope, with among others 1940 fieldpost cover with green military stamp, 10 öre reply card used from “CAIRE 8.II.92” with two postage due framed cachets, also 1893 card with double line “Fra Sverige L.”, etc., mostly fine

1876, Duloz 10 para lilac, tied by all arabic single circle to 'Judicial' journal to Patras, Greece, charged upon arrival and franked with postage due 10 para green/black, tied by c.d.s. "PATRAS 8 JAN 80". Pages with some age wear, still a fine and rare item. 

1876, Crescent 50 paras in horizontal pair and 10 paras, tied by blue c.d.s. "CONSTANTINOPLE 11 …1879" to registered envelope to Brighton, with transit- and arrival marks.

 

1878/1916, seven covers and postal stationery cards including one franked parcel card from Cilica, with among others 1878 cover with 1876 50 paras from Damascus to Marseille, first postal stationery card 20 para used in 1878 via Messina to Malta with arrival postmark and 1915 overprint issue 25 piaster on 200 piaster tied by cds. “GALATA 1.1.16” to money letter, mostly fine 

1863, Tughra 5 piastres reddish-brown, two singles, fresh colour and with ample to large margins, applied upon arrival and tied by Battal cancel to envelope to Istanbul, addressed in Italian, Coptic and Armenian (written in Arabic). Some imperfections to envelope, as usual. A rare high postage due charge. Cert. ISFILA (1997). 

1884/91, UPU card 20 paras, used with bilingual "BEYROUTH SEPT 9 91" via "HONG KONG OC 7 91" to Macao, with arrival mark on reverse. A most unusual Destination.

1872/1893 (ca), Montenegro, Serbia and Greece, group of three postal stationeries and one entire, including a scarce Montenegro 5 soldi parcel form used with cds “NIKSHIK” to Belgrade, mostly fine

1875/86, group of eight postal stationery card essays and proofs, with Bavaria double card 5 pfennig with handwritten archival date (29.Dzbr.1875), France 15 centimes globe in a square essay, German Empire double card without facial value and 10 pfennig double card proofs with archival date (1886), Greece 10 lepta card with handstamp “SPECIMEN” and Portugal two 1878 cards 20 reis and 25 reis both with handstamp "SPECIMEN", together with Haiti 3 cent on pre-printed “Carte Postale” with handwritten archival date (1882), fine

1907/26, International Reply Coupon Belgium 0,28 franc unused, Netherlands 14 cent used with very early cancel “VLISSINGEN 14.10.07” and Sweden 30 öre on 35 öre with cds "ÖREBRO 4.2.1926", fine

1890, 1d. proof impression of the 1840, 1d. black, die I, with additional (inked) reversed engraving ‚1‘ and ‚OLD ORIGINAL‘ below the impression, slightly reduced in size, the design showing no signs of wear, minor corner imperfections in the margins where the die proof was originally affixed, but still fine and fresh. (S.G. Cat. GBP 12.500)

Provenance: ‚K.M.‘ Collection, Spink, 6 June 2007, lot 221

1860/71, 1d. proof impression of the 1840, 1d. black, die I, with additional (albino) reversed engravings ‚1‘ and ‚OLD ORIGINAL‘ below the impression, a later impression showing signs of wear, a few tiny marginal thins clear of design and usual faint bends, still attractive and very fresh, B.P.A. certificate (2001). (S.G. Cat. GBP 12.500)

Provenance: Robson Lowe, 15 April 1975, lot 50
‚TES‘ Collection, Christies, 5 October 1995, lot 149
Gaetano Vullo Collection, Harmer, 12 November 2003, lot 38

1840, 1d. black, plate 1, TD, two singles cut from the First and Second Imprimatur sheets („Before Hardening“ and „After Hardening“) with large to very large margins all round, the Imprimatur from the First imprimatur sheet dated 15 April showing the sharp impression of the earliest state of the (unhardened) printing plate 1, the latter from the Second Imprimatur sheet dated 27 April showing the contrasting worn impression. A magnificent Matched Pair from the first printing of the world’s first postage stamp! For the other imprimatur (first printing of the world's first “never issued” postage stamp) registered on 15 April 1840, see lot 320). BPA certificates  for each (2009) (S.G.Cat.: GBP 30‘000)

Remarks: Neighbour stamps of the 1d., TD, from Second Imprimatur: 
TC was in the Board of Inland Revenue Reference Collection
TE is in the Tapling Collection, British Museum.

Provenance: For the 1d.,TD, First Imprimatur sheet:
Harmer, 30 November 1954, (2500th. Jubilee Sale), ex lot 234 „The Magnificent Collection of imperforate Imprimaturs (1840-1892)“ 
Dr. & Mme. Serval of Belgium Collection, Harmer, 15-16 March 1976, lot 3
Robson Lowe, 21-22 April 1977, lot 2042
Alan Holyoake („MAYFLOWER“) International Grand-Prix Collection 2010

Provenance: For the 1d., TD, Second Imprimatur sheet:
Christies, 17 June 1986, lot 77 (stated to be ex Crawford Collection)
Alan Holyoake („MAYFLOWER“) International Grand-Prix Collection 2010

1d. black, plate 1A, TD, earliest impression showing practically no plate wear, unused with large part original gum, a very rare and exceptional early printing from plate 1A, B.P.A. certificate (1989) (S.G.Cat.: 24‘000)

Note: The stamp must have been printed soon after Plate 1 was registered, but certainly before April 27, 1840, because it shows not as much plate wear as the TD Imprimatur from the Second Imprimatur sheet!

Provenance: Sotheby’s, 11 – 12 May 1989, lot 3
Sir Gawaine Baillie Collection, Sotheby’s, 28 – 30 September 2005, lot 20
Alan Holyoake (‚Mayflower‘) International Grand-Prix Collection (2010)

1d. grey-black, Plate 1A, EH, a late printing from the very worn printing plate 1, large regular margins all round and centrally cancelled with a red Maltese Cross. (S.G.Cat.: GBP 525)

1d. grey-black, plate 1A, OD, a „latest“ printing from the extremely worn plate 1, large to very large margins all round and tied by a neat strike of a bright red Maltese Cross to local London entire, red „T.P. /Edgeware Rd“ Receiving House handstamp on front and „MY 28 1840“ datestamp on reverse. An extremely fine May-Date cover showing the rapid plate wear of the unhardened plate 1 shortly before being withdrawn, extensively re-engraved by re-entering and hardened to continue life as plate 1B. (S.G.Cat. GBP 1.000)

1d. grey-black, Plate 1A, GD, a late printing from the very worn printing plate 1, very large and regular margins all round, tied with a red Maltese Cross to envelope, „RUNCORN“ receiving house handstamp on front and „PRESTON BROOK  AU 3 1840“ c.d.s. on reverse for dispatch, addressed to Bakewell, a highly attractive late usage of the very worn plate 1A, Dr. Enzo Diena certificate (1998) (S.G. Cat.: GBP 1000)

1d. black, plate 1B, HH, unused with large part original gum, large to very large margins with a small part of HG on the left, very fresh, B.P.A. certificate (1978) (S.G. Cat.: GBP 12‘500)

1d. black, plate 2, TI, Imprimatur from the  Second Registration sheet, large to very large margins all round, very fine and rare. R.P.S.L. certificate 1983 (S.G. Cat.: GBP 15.000)

Provenance: Robson Lowe, 21 June 1950, lot 167
Ernest Dale Collection, Stanley Gibbons, 10 – 11 June 1969, lot 26
H.W. Fisher Collection, Phillips, 22 – 23 Sept. 1983, lot 53
Stanley Gibbons, Nov. 1983
Sir Gawaine Baillie Collection, Sotheby’s, 29 Sept.- 1 Oct. 2004, lot 34

1d. black, plate 3, TF, Imprimatur with large to very large margins all round, very rare, only one Imprimatur sheet taken with just 23 singles removed, many of which are in institutional collections! R.P.S.L. certificate (1969) (S.G. Cat.: GBP 18‘000)

Provenance: H.R.Harmer, 21/28 September 1925, lot 350 
Robson Lowe, 5 November 1958, lot 14 (offered as a normal stamp) 
Robson Lowe, 18 February 1959, lot 42 (offered as an Imprimatur)
John Taylor (1969)