386th Auction

1d. black, plate 4, AH, variety „defective check letter ‚H‘ in lower right corner“, large margins all round, tied by red „CAMELFORD undated town obliteration in addition to red pen cancellation to piece. A very rare obliteration, just ten items with the red CAMELFORD obliteration recorded in the Karl Louis Card Index, of which this with a full strike is certainly among the finest existing. RPSL certificate (1965) (S.G.Cat. GBP 20.000)

Provenance: Wills Collection, Harmer, 7 November 1989, lot 198
Phillips, 2 Sept.1993, lot 159 (illustrated in colour on front cover of auction catalogue)
J.E.Safra Collection, Spink, 5 May 2014, lot 1049

1d. black, plate 5, TL, Imprimatur from the First Registration sheet (before hardening) with corner sheet margins, inscription and plate number „5“, very large margins on the other sides, tiny pin hole under Queen‘s chignon not detracting from the magnificent appearance. A highly important imprimatur. R.P.S.L. certificate (1981)

Provenance: Earl of Crawford (1913)
Colonel A.S.Bates, Harmer, 3 – 5 Dec. 1934, lot 489
Charles Nissen, The British Philatelist, May 1951
Stanley Gibbons (1981)
'TES‘ Collection, Christies, 5 October 1995, lot 238
'Chartwell‘ Collection, Spink, 5 July 2012, lot 70

1d. black, plate 5, LL, large regular margins all round, tied by a black Maltese Cross to entire dated „Frampton April 6th. 1841“, „BOSTON AP 7 1841“ and „FOLKINGHAM AP 8 1841“ c.d.s. on front, addressed to Threekingham nr. Folkingham, extremely fine and fresh. (S.G.Cat.: GBP 775.-)

1d. black, plate 6, LH, very large and regular margins all round, tied by red  Maltese Cross to decorative printed entire of the „Law Life-Assurance Society“ (‚Notice of Renewal‘ inside), „PREPAID“ sender’s handstamp on front, London datestamp „OC 17  1840“ for dispatch on reverse, addressed to Bewdley. Exceptional and of finest possible quality! Dr. Enzo Diena certificate (1991) (S.G.Cat. GBP 775)

1d. black, plate 6, DH, large and regular margins all round, tied by red Maltese Cross to entire, „Fore Street Hill / Penny Post“ and  red „EXETER / NO 2 / PY. POST“ handstamps for dispatch on front, „BRISTOL NO 3 1840“ cds for arrival on reverse. (S.G.Cat.: GBP 775)

Remark: The content (transcript attached) relates to the famous Steam Ship „GREAT WESTERN“ based in Bristol at the time, if the Steamer will lay up for the Winter months, or if she continues to sail during winter time.  An interesting document for collector of Postal & Social History relating to the largest Steamship at the time, the famous GREAT WESTERN.

1d. black, plate 8, TH, Imprimatur with large to very large margins all round, light horizontal crease in the margin at the top not touching design, very rare, only one Imprimatur sheet taken with just 23 singles removed, many of which are in institutional collections, the formerly adjoining 1d, TG, resides in the Tapling Collection (British Library). (S.G.Cat.: GBP 18.000)

Provenance: De La Rue Imprimatur collection (1883) 
Board of Inland Revenue, Robson Lowe, 17 December 1975, lot 1200
'DAISY‘ Collection (Henry Grand), Christies, 8 Oct. 1996, lot 295  
'Golden‘ Collection, Grosvenor, 9 Nov. 2015, lot 16
John W. Phillips Collection, Stanley Gibbons, 18 July 2023, lot 48

1d. black, plate 8, a superb pair, IK-IL, with good to large margins all round, tied by red Maltese Crosses to entire (written on black edged mourning paper inside), endorsed „Paid“ on front at upper left, London „4 JA 1841“ for dispatch and „BRIGHTON JA 5 1841“ (for arrival) handstamps on reverse. A striking cover! Silvano Sorani certificate (1991) (S.G. Cat. approx. GBP 2.500)

1d.black and 1d. red-brown, plate 11, two horizontal pairs  lettered DC-DD, variety  „left corner letter D shows slight doubling on DD“, both pairs with good to large margins all round, each showing trace of adjoining stamp at right, cancelled with black Maltese Crosses. The black pair with insignificant vertical crease through DD, an incredible and unique matched pair, the only such „Matched Pair of Pairs“ recorded in the Karl Louis Card Index. (S.G. Cat. GBP 12.300)

Provenance: J.B. Seymour Collection, Robson Lowe, 7 November 1951, lot 279 (1d. black pair)
Robson Lowe, 12 April 1967, lot 618 (1d. black pair)
Cawardine Collection, Christies, 20 September 2001, lot 1471 (the matched pair)

Official Stamp (Never issued): 1840, VR 1d. black, NL, Imprimatur from the First Registration sheet (before hardening), large margins all round showing small part sheet margin on the right,  R.P.S.L. certificate (2010) wrongly stating ‚after hardening‘ (= Second Registration sheet) because the VR 1d. black Imprimatur lettered NL is still present on the Second Registration sheet, an earlier R.P.S.L. certificate numbered ‚66313‘ (issued 1968) is unfortunately lost  (S.G. Cat.: GBP 20.000)

Provenance: Bonhams, 17 – 18 Febr. 2004, lot 1330 (mentioning R.P.S.L. cert. (1968) offered as a normal printing)

Official Stamp (Never issued) 1840, VR 1d. black, TA, Imprimatur from the lower-left corner of the (before hardening) sheet with Plate Letter ‚A‘ , inscription and pen initials „C.P.“, slight thinning in margin and slight vertical crease, otherwise fine. One of the most important items in the history of the invention of Postage Stamps: The World’s First Postage Stamp that was prepared but not issued! For the other imprimatur (first printing of the world's first postage stamp) registered on 15 April 1840, see lot 303).

Note: Two Imprimatur sheets were registered on 15 April and 9 May 1840. From both sheets the lower left stamp TA was removed, of which the other is housed in the Royal Collection of His Majesty King Charles III.
The manuscript initials „C P“ are of Charles Pressly, Secretary of the Stamp Office. He endorsed on the reverse of the First Registeration Sheet, where this VR 1d. black, TA was removed: : 
„The impression of the other side of this paper of the Die or Plate, intended by the Commissioners of Stamps & Taxes in pursuance of the several powers and authorities vested in them for expressing and denoting the Stamp duty of one penny for the postage of Letters was taken in my presence and in the presence of a Commissioner the 15th. Day of April 1840, Chas. Pressly, Secy.“ 
The manuscript note proves, that this corner sheet single originates from the first printed sheet of the first (re-jected) unissed postage stamp in the world.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 9
'Chartwell‘ collection, Spink, 16 February 2012, lot 208
Simon Beresford-Wylie Collection, 346. Corinphila Auction, 26 Nov. 2024, lot 20021

2d. blue, plate 1, KJ, large to very large and regular margins all round, tied by a red Maltese Cross to double weight entire letter, Edinburgh „JAN 5 1841“ datestamp for dispatch on reverse, addressed to Meigle, stunning fresh and of finest possible quality. R.P.S.L. certificate (1984) (S.G. Cat. GBP 2.500)

2d. blue, plate 1, PB, large margins all round tied by red Maltese Cross to entire, „WELLINGTON SOMERSET  NO … 1840“ c.d.s. for dispatch on front with missing day-slug and year 1840 inserted inverted, to Tiverton, the 2d. with small corner crease at lower left re-affixed for protection and left side flap of entire missing, otherwise in a very fresh state of preservation. (S.G. Cat. GBP 2.500)

2d. blue, plate 1, strip of four, LG-LJ, with large balanced margins all round, cancelled with four superb strikes of a black Maltese Cross, paying the 8d. outbound rate for a Ship Letter from the famous „Thomas MacLear, Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope“ correspondence, „APR  16  1842“ (Edinburgh) for dispatch, „18 APR 1842“ (London Foreign Branch) in transit on reverse and „PAID SHIP LETTER LONDON 18 AP 1842“ in red on front. A fantastic and ‚eye catching‘ Foreign Destination cover of the 1840, 2d. blue, one of just three such Ship Letters to the Cape recorded in the Karl Louis Card Index, all three being mailed between 14th and 18th  April 1842, this being the only cover with a strip of four, the other two frankied with the matching blocks of four B.P.A. certificate (2006)

Provenance:  Dr. Chan Chin Cheung Collection, H.R.Harmer, London, 29 May 1961, lot 79
Wills Collection, Harmer, 7 November 1989, lot 435 (mentioning ‚D.C. Gray' Collection as a further provenance)

1840, 2d. blue, plate 2, horizontal pair, NH-NI, unused with part original gum, close but not touched at upper right corner, otherwise with large to very large margins all round, stunning vibrant colour, two slight  horizontal creases nearly invisible from the front. A magnificent and very rare mint multiple from plate 2, one of the very few recorded unused items from the 2d. plate 2 not originating from the (ungummed and very defective) block, HA/NL, in the Mackay Collection (1898) which was cut up during the last 125 years into singles and smaller multiples. (S.G. Cat.: GBP 100.000)

Provenance: Sidney H. Carter Collection, Harmer, 4 – 5 February 1946, lot 19 (then described „…brilliant part o.g. horizontal pair,…..,slight crease but very fine").

2d. blue, plate 2, block of four, QK/RL, mostly large regular margins all round, only RK cut close at the upper left and minute scissor cut at left between stamps QK and RK, tied with black Maltese Crosses to small piece, a very rare multiple from plate 2, B.P.A. certificate (1996) (S.G. Cat. GBP 22.000)

Provenance: Harmer, 19 February 1935, lot 292
'Daisy‘ Collection (Henry Grand), Christies, 8 October 1996, lot 454
M.A.Sayeed Collection, Spink, May 2002, lot 2329

1d. red-brown, ‚Black Plate‘ 2, LD, good to large margins all round, tied by black Maltese Cross to entire from Edinburgh „9 MAY 1841“ via London „10 MY 1841“ addressed (in error) to St. Lewes, very rare handstamp „MISSENT TO TRURO“ in blue and ms. „St.Ives“, on front „TRURO MY 12 1842“ cds. in blue on reverse. (S.G.Cat. GBP 550 (for 1d. red plate 2))

1d. red-brown, ‚black plate‘ 10, QA / TD, a mint corner marginal block of sixteen showing Plate number ‚10‘ and marginal inscription, variety „Check Letters ‚P‘ converted into ‚R‘ by hand engraving on RA, RB, RC and RD, and TA re-entry, QA, QD and RA with large part, others with full original gum, a very fresh, stunning and important mint multiple. B.P.A. certificate (2013) (S.G. Cat. GBP 50‘000 (as four blocks of 4))

Provenance: E. H. Williams Collection, Harmer, 3 – 4 February 1938, lot 802 (as part of a complete sheet)
Robson Lowe, 26 July 1950, lot 158 (as the block of 16) 
Major-General Sir Frederick Gwatkin Collection, Robson Lowe, 19 February 1960, lot 376
'Chartwell‘ Collection, Spink, 12 December 2012, lot 332

1d. red-brown, Plate 11, Trial Printing on Dickinson Silk Thread Paper, LE-LF, a magnificent unused pair without the usual heavy creasing normally seen on these rare trials, of which only one part sheet (A- to Q- rows) survived from the Rowland Hill Estate. The sheet was exhibited in London in 1881 (ref. Kohl Handbook, written by J.B. Seymour). The part sheet was  cut up before January 1892 as a pair was shown at a Manchester Philatelic Society meeting as a ‚novelty‘. (S.G.Cat. GBP 9.500)

Provenance: Rowland Hill Estate (1879)
Exhibited in London 1881 (incorporated in a sheet or part sheet)
David Feldman, 3 – 8 November 1996, lot 21952

1d. dark red-brown (chocolate shade), Imprimatur, plate 15, TA, lower left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚15‘, good to large margins, light vertical crease as can be frequently seen on the Imprimatur sheet corners, exceptional fresh deep-brown shade

Provenance: Leonard H.Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 13.

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 33, AA, upper left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚33‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 29.
Harmer, 26 January 1994, lot 574
‚Chartwell‘ Collection, Spink, 12 December 2012, lot 356

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 34, AA, upper left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚34‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 30.
‚Chartwell‘ Collection, Spink, 26 June 2011, lot 1221 (offered as a rejoined pair with the 1d. AB)

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 35, AA, upper left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚35‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 31.
‚DAISY‘ Collection, Christies, 8 October 1996, lot 474.

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 51, AA, upper left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚51‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 47.
‚Chartwell‘ Collection, Spink, 16  February 2012, lot 270

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 51, AL, upper right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚51‘, large margins all round, very fresh and attractive.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 509
Heath Collection, Robson Lowe, 14 February 1962, lot 210
‚Chartwell‘, Spink, 5 July 2012, lot 296

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 108, TA, lower left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚108‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 100.

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 125, AL, upper right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚125‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 521
Robson Lowe, 30 May 1940, lot 54
‚Verus‘ Collection, Stanley Gibbons, August 2015, lot 62

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 143, AL, upper right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚143‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 523
Harmer, 8 December 1983, lot 1553
‚Chartwell‘, Spink, 16 February 2012, lot 348

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 146, AL, upper right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚146‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 523
Charles Williams Collection, Harmer, 10-18 November 1947, lot 169
Harmer, 26 January 1994, lot 617
‚Chartwell‘, Spink, 12 December 2012, lot 442

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 148, AL, upper right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚148‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 523

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, plate 158, AL, upper right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚158‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 528
Major-General Sir Frederick Gwatkin C.B. Collection, Robson Lowe, 10 February 1960, lot 394
‚Chartwell‘, Spink, 5 July 2012, lot 379

1d. red-brown, plate 90,  handstamped ‚SPECIMEN‘, corner sheet marginal block of 18, AA / BI, showing marginal inscription and plate number ‚90‘, the block showing the characteristic re-cut frame lines on this plate and the blind ‚A’s in the first vertical coloumn, excellent vibrant colour, two vertcial creases as can be expected  and a few minor thins not affecting the dramatic appearance! Fresh and fine with large part or unmounted original gum. Illustrated (as a block AA / CI) in „Specimen Stamps & Postal Stationery of Great Britain“ by Marcus Samuel and Alan Huggins on page 17. A spectacular and wonderful multiple (S.G. Cat.  GBP 36.000)

Note: The existance of the 1841, 1d. red-brown and 2d. blue handstamped SPECIMEN was first reported in THE BRITISH PHILATELIST in March 1934 when „…..quite recently a block of thirty-one of the One Penny and a block of thirty of the Two Pence, plate 3, turned up (…..) which have not hitherto been known overprinted specimen“. 
‚Specimen‘ overprinted sheets of the 1d. and 2d. have been sent on request of the Prussian, Austrian and Neapolitan Post Offices in 1849 as samples, when these countries were planing to issue first adhesive postage stamps similar as the British Post Office. Entire sheets of the 1d. red-brown, plate 88, and 2d. blue, plate 3, overprinted SPECIMEN sent to Prussia are still in the National Heritage Stamp Collection of the National Postal Museum in Berlin 

Provenance: Spink, 3 June 1999, lot 1370 (as a block of 27)
'BESANCON‘ Collection, Corinphila, 7 September 2020, lot 3025 (as a block of 27)

1d. red-brown, plate 20, RB, large margins all round, centrally cancelled with the blue Truro Maltese Cross, „TRURO  FE 2 1842“ c.d.s. on front for dispatch, addressed to Hayle, a fine cover from the „Harvey, Hayle Foundry“ correspondence. (S.G.Cat. GBP 1.700)

Note:  The Philips Collection. N.P.M. London, contains four covers with blue Maltese Crosses from the „Harvey, Hayle Foundry“ correspondence, dated 4 Jan. 1842, 21 Febr. 1842, 25 Febr. 1842 and 10 May 1843.

Provenance: ‚Cyriax‘ Collection, Stanley Gibbons 1 Nov. 2023, lot 119

1d. red-brown, plate 133, TL, the lower right corner with sheet margins showing part inscription and plate number ‚133‘, unused with traces of original gum, exceptional and wonderful appearance. B.P.A. certificate (2001)

Note: The 1d. with corner sheet margins displays very well the chemical reaction of the fugitive red-brown printing ink introduced in 1841 colouring the greyish white paper made by Stacey Wise of Rush Mills to bluish.

Provenance: McIntyre Collection (as part of a corner block of four SK / TL), Robson Lowe, 28 March 1856, lot 310
Stanley Gibbons, 8 -9 November 1973, lot 258
Cawardine Collection, Spink, 20 September 2001, lot 1575

1841, 2d. blue, printing from the small Trial Plate of 12 Impressions without letters in the lower corners, a complete sheet with upright watermark ‚Small Crown‘ and corner sheet watermark lines on the right and the bottom, outstanding colour and freshness. (S.G.Cat. GBP 17.500)

Note: The first 2d. plate of the new design with white lines below POSTAGE and above TWO PENCE was not ready when specimens were required for distribution with the announcement of the new issue on Postal Notices. Therefore a provisional small plate with 12 impressions without corner letters was made. The printings from this provisional small plate were carried out on the large sized sheets of watermarked paper used for the regular 1d. and 2d. printings from the large plates of 240 impressions.

2d. blue, plate 3, FA / GD, an unused block of eight, each stamp overprinted SPECIMEN, ample to large marginsall round, sheet marginal at left with imprint „Back be careful not to remove the Ce(ment)“ , GD with ‚Double Letter‘ variety, of outstanding colour and freshness. Full unmounted original gum, a truly magnificent and spectacular multiple for the Line Engraved connoisseur. Many of the surviving copies are heavily creased and/or oxidized. This block is the nicest multiple the collector could find and had the desire to own. (S.G.Cat. GBP 42.000)

Remark: The existance of the 1841, 1d. red-brown and 2d. blue handstamped SPECIMEN was first reported in THE BRITISH PHILATELIST in March 1934 when „…..quite recently a block of thirty-one of the One Penny and a block of thirty of the Two Pence, plate 3, turned up (…..) which have not hitherto been known overprinted specimen“. 
‚Specimen‘ overprinted sheets of the 1d. and 2d. have been sent on request of the Prussian, Austrian and Neapolitan Post Offices in 1849 as samples, when these countries were planing to issue first adhesive postage stamps similar as the British Post Office. Entire sheets of the 1d. red-brown, plate 88, and 2d. blue, plate 3, overprinted SPECIMEN sent to Prussia is still in the National Heritage Stamp Collection of the National Postal Museum in Berlin.

Provenance: Heinrich Köher, Wiesbaden, September 2006, lot 868
'Forrester‘ Collection (2008)

2d. deep blue, Imprimatur, plate 3, SH, small to large margins all round, fine and extremely fresh. (S.G.Cat. GBP 12.000)

Provenance: Harmer, 16-19 February 1970, lot 347
John O. Griffiths Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 September 1982, lot 202
Christies London 1990 Rarities Auction, 9 May 1990, lot 5
Sir Gawaine Baillie Collection, Sotheby’s, 29 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2004, lot 132