Sale 1289 — 2023 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 27 June, 2023
Category — Worldwide Stamps and Postal History - German States thru Uganda
BERGEDORF, 1861, 1s Black on White (2; Michel 2). The superb horizontal pair with huge 6mm bottom sheet margin and large margins all around, tied by 5-bar cancel, clearly struck "Bergedorf 8 6 II T." (June 8, 1865) rimless datestamp on folded letter to the railway newspaper office in Lubeck, prepaid for the 2-schilling rate to Lubeck, June 8 backstampEXTREMELY FINE GEM SHEET-MARGIN PAIR OF THE BERGEDORF 1861 ONE-SCHILLING BLACK ON WHITE ON A PERFECT FOLDED LETTER TO LUBECK. A MAGNIFICENT COVER THAT WAS DESCRIBED BY HERBERT A. BLOCH IN THE 1956 CASPARY SALE AS "ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BERGEDORF COVERS KNOWN".
Ex Rothschild (H. R. Harmer, Oct. 23-24, 1939, realized £52 10/-), Alfred H. Caspary (H. R. Harmer, Apr. 23-25, 1956, realized $2,200) and Rinck. Signed R. Friedl. With 2015 Maria Brettl certificate, describing this as "genuine and in the finest condition possible. As a margin pair it is the most beautiful I have ever seen."
LUBECK, 1862, 1s Yellow Orange (7; Michel 7). Used with 1862, -1/2s Lilac (6; Michel 6), both stamps have four full margins, bright fresh colors, tied by clearly struck 5-bar cancels, "Lubeck 2 12" (Dec. 2, no year date) on blue folded cover to Artlenburg, from the Erben correspondence, sender's blue oval handstamp, red "Hagenow-Rostock" (Dec. 3) and blue "Artlenburg" (Dec. 4) backstampsEXTREMELY FINE. A RARE LUBECK COVER WITH SUPERB 1862 UNWATERMARKED ISSUE STAMPS AND IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COVERS FROM THE ERBEN CORRESPONDENCE.
Ex Rinck. Backstamped "TT" (Thier) and "Fulpius" on the interior behind the stamps. With 2015 Maria Brettl certificate.
1840, Great Britain 1p Black on Forwarded Cover from India. Folded printed exchange notice dated Calcutta Apr. 30, 1840, red despatch datestamp, to London address, clearly struck "INDIA LETTER/ DEAL" handstamp, indistinct London arrival datestamp, red transit backstamps, manuscript "8" pence and "1/-" one-shilling rates crossed out, address also crossed out and re-addressed to "14 Sussex Place, Regents Park", forwarded with Great Britain, 1840, 1p Black (1; SG 2), lettered B-C, full margins to clear at right, tied by black Maltese cross cancels, docketing at left, backflap tear just nicks cover at topVERY FINE. A RARE AND REMARKABLE USE OF A PENNY BLACK AS FORWARDING POSTAGE ON A FOLDED PRINTED EXCHANGE NOTICE ORIGINATING IN CALCUTTA, INDIA.
The use of the world's first postage stamp to pay forwarding postage on a letter arriving from India makes this an important postal history artifact for collectors of India or Great Britain, especially those who focus on the famous Penny Black.
From the Magnolia collection.
MALTA, Great Britain Used in Malta, 1855, 1p Red Brown, Die II, Perf 14 (A2; SG Z2). Horizontal strip of four, strip of three, and four singles, all tied or cancelled by the Malta wavy-line boxed cancel on 1855 cover originating in the Crimea and addressed to J. H. Loch in Calcutta, India, indistinct Malta despatch datestamp on back, blue Alexandria Jun. 3 transit and "Calcutta Steam Letter Bearing" "8" arrival backstamps, docketing on back "Received Jul. 8/55 Nongong", accompanied by original letter enclosure datelined "Palace Hospital, Scutari, 29th April 1855", cover slightly refolded at top to accommodate placement of stamps which have been affected by placement, some minor edge wear, enclosed letter legible but with splits due to corrosive ink usedFINE. A REMARKABLE COVER FRANKED WITH ELEVEN GREAT BRITAIN ONE-PENNY STAMPS USED IN MALTA WITH THE RARE WAVY-LINE CANCEL APPLIED IN TRANSIT FROM THE CRIMEA TO INDIA.
The accompanying letter was written by Dr. F. de Caumont while at the Scutari Hospital, a British military hospital. He wrote the letter to a colleague in India describing the conditions in the Crimea, treatment of a range of diseases, and a wound inflicted on a solider. The hospital was a converted barracks and not designed to cope with the thousands of sick and injured soldiers who were brought in for medical care. The Scutari hospital in particular was one of the locations that prompted Florence Nightingale to advocate for better treatment of wounded and sick soldiers. To put it into perspective, during the winter of 1854, more than 4,000 soldiers died at Scutari. Reports suggest the death toll from disease and sickness was more than ten times that of battle related injuries.
The boxed wavy-line cancel of Malta was in use specifically for transit mail from covers originating in the Crimea, the Black Sea Fleet or from officers in Constantinople. This mail was sent via Valletta where the postmark was applied. According to Parmenter-Gordon, the cancel is only known used between Apr. 23, 1855, and Sep. 3, 1856 and is prior to the period where Great Britain stamps were sold at Maltese post offices. Parmenter-Gordon assigns a rarity factor "H" to covers indicating"very few exist" and provides a price range from £9,000 to £22,000.
From the Magnolia collection. Ex Bollen and "Dubois". Illustrated in Parmenter-Gordon p. 1/12.
ISRAEL, 1948, 250m-1,000m Doar Ivri, Imperforate (7-9 var; Bale 7 Imp -9 Imp). Mint N.H. complete sheets of 50, 250m on white paper, plate no. 1 and serial no. 307320, 500m plate no. 1 and serial no. 001, 1,000m plate no. 1 and serial no. 22, 250m with a few fingerprints in the margin in the same color as the stamp (therefore made during production) and some trivial toned spots on back, 500m with small tear in top margin between positions 3 and 4, and some faint edge toning, 1,000m with light toning in top and bottom margins (visible mostly on back) and a small gum adherence at bottom left, all of these imperfections are mentioned only for strict accuracy and do not at all detract from the beautiful and stunning appearanceVERY FINE. AN INCOMPARABLE SET OF IMPERFORATE SHEETS OF THE 250m-1,000m DOAR IVRI. ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING AND VALUABLE SETS IN ALL OF ISRAEL PHILATELY.
Only a limited number of the Doar Ivri stamps were issued imperforate. The Bale Catalogue (2016) lists all of the recorded serial numbers of imperforate sheets. The three sheets offered here are not on the list, as they have just recently come to market. They list just two numbers for the 250m value. Therefore it is believed no more than two other sets of imperforate sheets can exist. Of course, most sheets were broken up to meet the high demand for tabs, plate blocks, and pairs. This set is in as fine condition as one could hope for and is surely the finest set extant.
Bale value as tabs (blocks and singles), plate blocks and pairs is more than $173,000.00
ISRAEL, 1948, 3m-50m First Postage Dues (J1-J5; PD1-PD5). Mint N.H. complete sheets of 100, 3m serial no. 0262, 5m serial no. 0711, 10m serial no. 0409, 20m serial no. 0005, 50m serial no. 0607, well-centered and fresh throughoutVERY FINE AND CHOICE. A SPECTACULAR SET OF SHEETS OF THE 1938 DOAR IVRI POSTAGE DUE STAMPS. VERY FEW SETS OF SHEETS REMAIN INTACT.
Over the years, existing sets of sheets were broken up to meet the high demand for tabs, plate blocks, and singles. Not only is it remarkable that this set of sheets has survived without being broken up, but it is equally noteworthy that is remains in such outstanding condition.
Bale value as tab blocks, plate blocks, and singles is over $44,000.00.
NEWFOUNDLAND, 1932, $1.50 on $1.00 Dornier DO-X, Inverted Surcharge (C12a; SG 221a). Original gum, barely hinged, impeccable centering, remarkably fresh, with rich color and crisp impression on immaculate white paperEXTREMELY FINE. AN OUSTANDING MINT EXAMPLE OF THE DORNIER DO-X AIR POST WITH INVERTED SURCHARGE. THIS IS PERHAPS THE FINEST OF THE SMALL NUMBER EXTANT.
It is believed only 40 stamps (ten sheets of four) received the inverted surcharge and none were used on the flight (there are no recorded used or on cover).
With 2010 Greene Foundation (as Mint N.H.) and 2023 P.F. certificates. Scott $20,000.00. Unitrade C$30,000.00.
UGANDA, 1895, 10(c) Black, Wide Letters, Narrow Stamp (18; SG 18). Vertical pair, large portions of dividing line on three sides, tied by manuscript "X" cancels on cover in the hand of Rev. W.A. Crabtree in Ngogwe to "The Right Reverend Bishop Tucker, Namirembe," large portion of the backflap missing but showing large part of "Church Missionary Society, Africa and the East, Founded 1799" seal, typical gum staining around and affecting stamps and slight staining at bottom leftVERY FINE AND AN EXCEPTIONAL EARLY UGANDA POSTAL HISTORY RARITY. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED COVER OF ANY VALUE OF THE SECOND ISSUE. AN ESSENTIAL ITEM FOR ANY AWARD-WINNING EXHIBIT COLLECTION.
The cover shows some vertical file folds (not affecting stamps), which is indicative of the way covers were transported -- folded and placed into cleft sticks for native runners between stations. The recipient, Rev. Alfred Tucker, arrived in Uganda in 1890 as Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. He was stationed in Namirembe (Mengo) from Oct. 4, 1895, to Jun. 4, 1896, before returning back to England on sick leave.
Ex Dunstan and Dr. Scott. With 1981 B.P.A. certificate.
UGANDA, 1896, 4a Black, "L" Overprint (57; SG 73). First Printing, sheet margin at right from Position R 2/4, tied by "Kampala 26 NO 98" circular datestamp (also just ties B.E.A. stamp) on cover in the hand of Rev. M. J. Hall to Rev. F. Rowling in Leeds, England, used in combination with British East Africa 1896 2-1/2a Dark Blue (76; SG 68) and tied by Mombasa Jan. 3, 1899 datestamp, cover with slightly rough edgesVERY FINE AND REMARKABLE USE OF THE 4-ANNAS TYPESET WITH "L" OVERPRINT ACCEPTED ON COVER ADDRESSED TO ENGLAND. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY SEVENTEEN COVERS OR FRONTS WITH THE "L" OVERPRINT AND THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF A CIRCULAR DATESTAMP ON OVERSEAS MAIL.
Following the construction of the Uganda Railway through British East Africa, transit times between Kampala and Mombasa were greatly reduced to around 40 days.
Ex Trapnell.