Sale 1159 — 2017 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 27 June, 2017
Category — Worldwide Stamps and Covers, Great Britain
GREAT BRITAIN, 1839, 1d Chalmers Treasury Essay in Red. Type 3, Bates J, printed on thin white wove watermarked paper, on complete envelope, tied by "USED" straightline and cancelled by Dundee datestamp of "Oct. 7 39", manuscript endorsement with Treasury No. 22799/39VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE TREASURY COMPETITION ESSAY. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED, THREE OF WHICH ARE IN PRIVATE HANDS. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FORERUNNER ESSAYS TO ROLAND HILL'S REVOLUTIONARY PENNY BLACK.
James Chalmers was a Dundee bookseller and early proponent of adhesive labels to pre-pay mail. He called these essays "slips" that could be used to seal letter sheets, as well as act as pre-payment of mail fees. Many believe Chambers was Roland Hill's equal in the development of the first postage stamp.
Ex Durham
GREAT BRITAIN, 1865, 9p Straw, Plate 5 (46; SG 98). Lettered L-C, original gum, rich color, fine centeringA HIGHLY DESIRABLE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1865 9-PENCE STRAW FROM PLATE 5. NO MORE THAN 36 EXAMPLES CAN EXIST.
Stamps from Plate 5 were never issued to the public. Part of an imprimatur sheet (36 stamps) was perforated by De La Rue for inclusion in presentation albums to members of the Stamp Committee. Several of these are now in institutional collections.
SG £18,000.
GREAT BRITAIN, 1873, 6p Buff, Plate 13 (63; SG 145). Plate 13, lettered L-B, neatly tied by Leeds "447" March 15, 1873 first day of issue duplex datestamp on cover to Warsaw, Poland, "PD" and "Franco" handstamps, March 6 arrival datestamp, London backstampVERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 1873 6-PENCE BUFF "ABNORMAL" ON COVER. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RARITIES OF THE SURFACE-PRINTED ISSUES AND A KEY POSTAL HISTORY RARITY OF GREAT BRITAIN.
This "abnormal" stamp is one of the rarest in all of Great Britain. Only about 30 examples are known, all used, including this copy on cover.
The unusual sequence of datestamps is due to Warsaw being annexed by the Russian Empire, which used the Julian Calendar, while the rest of Europe used the Gregorian Calendar. The difference between the two calendars was twelve days, which explains why the arrival date is nine days before the departure date, so the actually transit time was three days.
Ex "Maximus"
GREAT BRITAIN, 1876, 8p Orange, Imprimatur (73 var; SG Specialised J91A). Plate 2, lettered S-D, original gum, h.r., large to full margins, fresh colorVERY FINE. A DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1876 8-PENCE ORANGE IMPRIMATUR.
Ex Royal Collection. With 2001 R.P.S. certificate. SG Specialised value
GREAT BRITAIN, 1882, £5 Orange (93; SG 137). Reconstructed vertical strip of three, lettered A-K to A-M, each stamp neatly cancelled by Folkestone Dec. 16, 1899 circular datestamp, bright and freshVERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE STRIP OF THREE OF THE 1882 5-POUND ORANGE.
Catalogue values are as singles. SG £15,000
GREAT BRITAIN, 1941, 2-1/2p Ultramarine, Tete-Beche Pair (262d; SG 489b). Mint N.H. mis-folded booklet pane, containing one complete tete-beche pair, and one partial tete-beche pair, brilliant colorVERY FINE. AN IMPORTANT KING GEORGE VI ERROR. ONLY TWO OR THREE TETE-BECHE PAIRS ARE RECORDED.
All examples emanated from mis-folded booklet panes.
SG value
GREAT BRITAIN, 1902, 1sh Carmine Rose & Green, Board of Education Official, "Specimen" Overprint (O71S; SG O87s; SG Specialised MO27s). Original gum, bright colorsVERY FINE. A CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1902 ONE-SHILLING BOARD OF EDUCATION OFFICIAL.
The King Edward VII One-Shilling Board of Education is one of the rarest of all the Departmental issues, currently carrying a Stanley Gibbons catalogue value of £200,000. Examples with Specimen overprints are rarities in their own right, with only a tiny number known.
With 1973 and 1989 B.P.A. certificates. SG Specialised value