POSTAL HISTORY OF
SCOTLAND, IRELAND and
WALES.
This is a section devoted to the Postal History of Scotland, Wales and
Ireland
from pre-stamp to the end of
Victoria’s reign and includes stamped covers and stamps.
The selection
of items is a
representation only of our current stock so your Wants List is welcomed.
Glasgow Experimental Duplex, 'Madeleine Smith', on Transatlantic Envelope
152239. 1/- SG71, DEEP GREEN, tied to a clean envelope from GLASGOW to New York by a fine strike of
the Glasgow EXPERIMENTAL DUPLEX, February 6th 1857:
there are no postal markings on reverse but an embossed ' The Queens Hotel Glasgow'.
In m/s red is 'over 1/2oz' with a red signature alongside and in black '38 cents' and '48' charges.
This item would have been carried on the Cunarder 'ASIA' which sailed from
Liverpool on February 7th 1857 arriving in New York on February 22nd.
Very unusual not to have postal marking in Liverpool and no cancellation on arrival.
The 1/- has some very short perf at the top right but is from the early printings of the much scarcer deep green shade.
This shade is priced by Gibbons on stamp alone at £550.
Examples of any Scottish Experimental Duplex on cover with other than the contemporary 1d values are rarely found.
An attractive and rare item.
Price: £145.00
NB: see the next item 152240.
Greenock Experimental Duplex on Transatlantic Mail
152240. 1/- SG72, fine, tied to an ENTIRE to New York by the GREENOCK Type 2, EXPERIMENTAL DUPLEX for April 29th 1858.
At the top on the front in m/s is 'per packet of 1 May': this letter would have been carried on the Cunarder 'PERSIA'
which left Liverpool on May 1st 1858 and arrived in New York/Boston on May 11th 1858.
Examples of any Scottish Experimental Duplex on cover with other than the contemporary 1d values are rarely found.
The interesting family letter, rather fragile, is easy to read.
An attractive and rare item.
Price: £125.00
NB: see the above item, 152239.
OP-PC ERROR Used in Scotland
151253. SG53, three halfpence, Plate 1:
Error of Lettering, 'OP-OC' for 'CP-PC'.
Good used example of this popular rarity tied to small piece by the '135' of ELIE, Fife.
Bluntish perf at bottom left but a very collectable example and
one of the few we have seen used in Scotland.
It is offered with a very fine Plate 3, SG51,
with the correct lettering 'CP-PC', also used in Scotland.
The error is priced by Gibbons at £2,000.
An attractive pairing that would display well.
Price: £350.00
6d SG107: Dotted Circle Cancellation
152218. 6d SG107 plate 6: fine/very fine used
with an EDINBURGH Dotted Circle Type B2, January 20th 1868.
This cancellation unrecorded (Arundel) on any surface printed issue.
An attractive and rare item.
Price: £47.50
4d SG154: Dotted Circle Cancellation
152220. 4d SG 154, plate 17:
cancelled by an EDINBURGH dotted circle, Type C, October 7th 1880.
Short perfs bottom left and a defect NW corner BUT
this stamp has not previously been recorded with ANY Dotted Circle from any location.
The watermark, large garter, has been shifted upwards and it has additional marginal watermark letters.
A remarkable item that deserves to be displayed.
Price: £88.50
Madeleine Smith Cancel in GREEN
152197. 1d SG29, fine, 'GB':
tied to a small piece by a strike of the Glasgow Type 2 Experimental Duplex in GREEN.
Green ink is known used from May 5th 1856 to May 15th 1856: a period of only ELEVEN days.
The date, not a full strike, is MAY 5th 1856: the first day of this ink being used.
Priced by Gibbons in QV Volume 1, 2011 - latest Edition, at £550 on piece for an Irish duplex
with a note that green duplexes in England or Scotland command a significant premium.
It is very hard to find any example in green with such a short period of usage.
A very rare item.
Price: £200.00
Madeleine Smith in GREEN
152196. A pair of SG29, light horizontal crease:
tied to a piece by two fine strikes in GREEN of the Type 2 GLASGOW Experimental Duplex.
This cancellation in green is known in use for ELEVEN days only between MAY 5th 1856 and May 15th 1856.
The strikes on this piece are for MAY 6th 1856 - the second day of usage.
Priced by Gibbons in QV Volume 1, 2011, latest Edition, at £550 for a SINGLE strike on piece for an Irish duplex
with a note that green duplexes in England or Scotland command a significant premium.
It is very hard to find any example in green with such a short period of usage.
From our researches, the example offered here is the only known multiple usage of this rare colour.
On MAY 16th 1856 green ink was replaced by the usual black
as seen in the piece which is included with this item.
An extremely rare/unique pair of Exhibition importance.
Price: £435.00
NB: the scan does not do justice to the green colour.
Missent to Glasgow: a rare SUNDAY usage
152180. 1d red, corner crease on entire written in Edinburgh and sent to Stiirling.
1d red would have been cancelled in Edinburgh; Edinburgh type of cds on reverse for June 13th 1847.
On the front is a fine strike of the MISSENT TO GLASGOW, Aukland GW184, rated very rare.
On the reverse top flap is a fine Glasgow date stamp also for June 13th 1847 which displays superbly when the flap is raised.
There is also a small part of a Stirling date stamp in blue for the 14th.
June 13th 1847 was a SUNDAY so this is a rare Sunday usage of a Missent mark
and the ONLY example we have seen of a Missent strike used on the Sabbath.
Attractive item with a rare combination of features.
Price: £75.00
Edinburgh: the first duplex cancellation
152164. 1d SG29, very fine, tied to a clean wrapper to Dunse by a superb Edinburgh duplex in BLUE, May 15th 1857.
This is the first type of Edinburgh duplex.
Mckay notes in 'Scottish Numeral Postmarks'that there is a proof strike for May 14th 1857
and the item offered here at May 15th 1857 is believed to be the EARLIEST known used example extant:
in fact it is the earliest of any Scottish duplex cancellation.
Gibbons prices a blue duplex on cover at £1,000 in the latest, 2011 Edition of QV volume 1.
On the reverse is a Dunse date stamp for May 16th 1857 and a superb strike of the Edinburgh fancy 'TOO LATE', Auckland ED150.
This is a considerable Scottish rarity showing the development of cancellations as the volume of mail increased.
An important Exhibition quality item.
Price: £585.00 RESERVED
NB: as with the Edinburgh dotted circles and the Glasgow first type of duplex canceller,
BLUE ink was used in the first few months after their introduction before reverting to black.
We have seen this first type of Edinburgh duplex in BLACK used on July 17th 1857.
The scan does not do justice to the blue ink.
2d Plate 5 BLUE Edinburgh Duplex
152165. A bank entire from Edinburgh to Callendar with a fine 2d SG34 Plate 5 'LF':
tied by the first Edinburgh duplex in BLUE.
On the reverse is a Stirling date stamp in black and a boxed Callender date stamp in green both for May 19th 1857.
It is offered with a fine 2d on piece with the Edinburgh first type of duplex struck in BLACK, August 7th 1857.
Mckay notes in 'Scottish Numeral Postmarks' that there is a proof strike for May 14th 1857
and the item offered here at May 18th 1857 is believed to be the EARLIEST known used example cancelling a 2d blue:
in fact it is the earliest example cancelling other than the contemorary 1d.
Gibbons prices a blue duplex on a 1d value on cover at £1,000 in the latest, 2011 Edition of QV volume 1.
A blue duplex on a 2d blue is not listed but a Gibbons price must be at least £2,000.
A significant Scottish rarity of Exhibition importance.
Price: £585.00
NB: as with the Edinburgh dotted circles and the Glasgow first type of duplex canceller,
BLUE ink was used in the first few months after their introduction before reverting to black.
We have seen only one other 2d blue, again Plate 5, on a cover to Perth, cancelled with this
Blue duplex and that was dated July 8th 1857: in 2011 it was offered by another Specialist Dealer at £675.
We have seen this first type of Edinburgh duplex in BLACK used on a 2d blue on piece dated July 23th 1857.
The scan does not do justice to the blue ink.
1/2 Plate 8: a superb and rare block of 8
152160. 1/2d SG48, 'QC-TD', Plate 8:
a remarkable Block of Eight, cancelled by crisp Edinburgh 'steel' cds's for October 27th 1880.
There are a couple of shortish perfs, not surprising in a block of this size:
the colour is superb and as close to the shade when it was issued as is possible.
Of the fifteen 1/2d plates, Plate 8 is the second rarest with only Plate 9 the rarer.
A used block of 4 is priced by Gibbons at nine times the single price.
A single used Plate 8 is priced at £120 so a block of 4 at £1,080 before adding the premium for the cds and condition of 200%.
The Gibbons price for a used block of EIGHT, before the premium is added, is a minimum of £2,160.
The earliest known date of usage of Plate 8 is October 13th 1870 so this block is a very late usage.
We cannot recall seeing neither a later multiple usage of this plate nor a larger one.
A rare item of Exhibition quality.
Price: £575.00
Perth Experimental Duplex: very rare New Years Day usage
152158. 1d SG29, fine used, tied to a part wrapper, no side flaps, from PERTH to Kirriemuir by
the Perth Experimental Duplex for JANUARY 1st 1857.
Of the 18 types of Scottish Experimental Duplexes, this is the ONLY example of any type
we have seen used on New Years Day.
On the reverse is a fair strike of the South Metheven Street Receiving House struck in green.
This strike is recorded in black from 1846 to 1857 and in green in 1857 and 1858.
Hence its usage on January 1st 1857 is the earliest recorded in this ink and may well be a First Day usage in this shade.
Also on the reverse is a Kirriemuir cds for January 2nd 1857 also in green.
On the inside is a printed heading: Edinburgh Perth & Dundee and Scottish Central Railways
Superintendent's Department Perth. More info on the internet about this early Railway Company.
A rare/very rare item.
Price: £65.00
NB: one wonders if the slightly blurred impressions of the Perth duplex and the Receiving House could be a consequence
of the postmasters/mistresses recovering from the Hogmanay celebrations!
Scroll down for more examples of Experimental Duplexes including some of the rarest varieties.
Arbroath Cross on 1d Plate 8
152124. 1d red Black Plate 8, 'OG', 3 plus margins but defective at the right, tied to an entire from ARBROATH to Irvine:
very fine strike of the Arbroath Cross with an Arbroath date stamp for July 4th 1842 on the top flap which displays well when raised.
Rockoff and Jackson record this cross in Volume 1 but not the example offered here.
Only five examples with an earlier date are recorded by them.
Although this cross is unlisted by Gibbons, in our experience it is rarer than Greenock, Perth and Stirling which
together with Dundee are the 'Post Road Crosses' and difficult to distinguish from each other unless on cover.
Gibbons prices the Greenock cross on cover with a 1d red from a black plate at £1,500 and the Perth cross at £3,000.
This is only the second example we have been able to offer and the first for some years.
Price: £130.00
PERTH CROSS: a letter from and to interesting individuals
152131. 1d red, a very fine 4-margined example, plate 21, 'IG': tied to an entire by a fine/very fine PERTH CROSS, SG Spec B1tt.
On the top flap is a superb Perth boxed date stamp for November 29th 1842 and a similar Dundee receiver for the same day.
The letter is from a Rev Kerr Johnston, wax seal with his intitial 'J', to a Dr Thomas Dick of Broughty Ferry Nr Dundee.
The Rev Johnston is asking Dr Dick if he could stand in for him on the next Sunday and give the sermon.
He mentions that the STEAMER sails on Saturday from Dundee at 1 0'Clock so he could have a comfortable seat and cabin.
An engraved picture of Dr Thomas Dick is in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and his picture, and a detailed biopic, is on the internet.
Briefly: he was a scientist and a natural philosopher who in his writings assured readers of the compatibility of science with religion.
Also on the net is a portrait of the Rev Kerr Johnston of Perth and a detailed biopic of him too.
The PERTH CROSS on cover is priced by Gibbons at £1,000 in the most recent Edition, 2011, QV Volume 1.
A superb and rare item that would, when written up fully, make an interesting Exhibition page.
Price: £325.00
Distinctive PERTH Cross on Banking Entire
152125. 1d red, 3-margined, clear profile, tied to a clean Perth Bank letter to Edinburgh
by a very fine/superb strike of the PERTH characteristic cross, SG Spec B1tt.
Perth date stamp on the top flap for March 5th 1842: this example is unrecorded by Rockoff and Jackson.
Priced by Gibbons at £1,000 in the latest, 2011 Edition, QV Volume 1.
An attractive example of this cross.
Price: £125.00
Envelope from Abergavenny to Prussia
The 6d ship letter rate to Prussia has been paid by three imperf plate 4, 2d blues,
AJ, AK-AL in a single and a pair with consequetive letterings.
Stamp ‘AJ’ has 4-margins and shows plate corrosion marks in both ‘Postage’ and ‘Twopence’ areas.
The 1d imperf, plate 172, almost 4-margined, and was probably added as a late fee.
Aus England Per Aachen in orange on the front. Stamps tied by the numeral ‘1’ in oval of bars for Abergavenny.
On the reverse are overlapping date and transit markings including one for Abergavenny, January 28 1854.
The first such item, with the imperf 1d or 2d sent overseas
from a location other than from Cardiff, we have been able to offer.
A rare Welsh item to an overseas destination.
Price: £335.00
NB: envelope in finer condition than the scan.
Osbourne Buildings on 1d Red Imperf
152055. 1d red plate 165, 'IJ': cancelled by a partial strike of OSBOURNE BUILDINGS, Scots Local Type XV1.
This cancellation is recorded in use from 1855-58 and hence not expected to occur on the imperf 1d.
This is the first example we have seen on a 1d red imperf.
Not full margined but a rare/very rare item.
Price: £39.00
The Extremely Rare Edinburgh Experimental Type of Duplex
152056.
The Extremely Rare Edinburgh ‘Monocycle’ Experimental Duplex on cover:
sent within Edinburgh, May 31st 1856 entire, from 1 Heriot Row, to Niddry Street.
A very fine 1d red brown from Plate 33, SG Spec C8(1),
tied by a fine strike for this of a unique type of Edinburgh duplex: ‘131/M/May 31/1856/M’.
This is the RAREST of all Scottish Experimental type of duplexes with ONLY ONE OTHER KNOWN ON COVER.
and that on a locally used Edinburgh cover for June 2nd 1856 – June 1st 1856 was a Sunday.
In 1989 it sold for £1,700.
An item of Exhibition importance for any Collection of Scottish and line engraved cancellations.
Offered with a clean RPS Certificate.
An opportunity to acquire one of the rarest of all Scottish cancellations.
Price: £2,690.00 SOLD
Hanover Street Scots Local: rare usage on stampless overseas letter
1520044.
HANOVER STREET: Scots Local cancellation Type V11, a fine strike on an October 6th 1856 stampless commercial entire from Edinburgh to CALCUTTA.
Inside the letter is a1d Receipt SG F6; within the bill is a postal and stamp charge of 1/1d and on the reverse a boxed Calcutta Steam Letter strike.
The single rate to India was 6d for 1/2oz via Southampton in 1856.
In the Robson Lowe Meredith Sale of 'Scots Local Cancellations', there was NO example of any Scots Local cancellation used on a stampless letter or cover.
A rare usage and to a scarce destination with such a cancellation.
Price: £110.00
Duke Street Leith Scots Local: two stampless entires to same addressee in France
152043.
Duke Street Leith: Scots Local cancellation Type V11, very fine strikes on two fine stampless commercial entires to the same addressee in France.
The first sent on April 19th 1858, the last year of usage recorded by Alcock, and the second on June 21st 1859 with an Edinburgh duplex next to it.
The first has a handstamped '8' and the second a m/s '8' ,both in black, as they were sent unpaid and charged the double rate.
In the Robson Lowe Meredith Sale of 'Scots Local Cancellations', there was NO example of any Scots Local cancellation used on a stampless letter or cover.
A rare and attractive pair of Exhibition quality.
Price: £155.00
Uniform 4d Post: a rare FIRST SUNDAY usage
152041. Uniform Penny Post Period: a Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Office printed request for
a statement of health on the Revd James Porteous, Parish Minister of RICCARTON, Ayrshire.
Also printed inside are details of the 18th Annual AGM, 1832, listing of the Court of Directors and the value of insurance policies.
The letter is hand dated inside December 4th 1839, AYR - the day before the introduction of the Uniform 4d Post.
However the letter was posted to Edinburgh on DECEMBER 8th 1839:
the FIRST SUNDAY of this short lived uniform 4d post period, a m/s '4' in black on the front.
There are only five Sunday date usages possible in this perod which ended on January 9th 1840.
On the top flap is a fair but legible boxed date of AYR, December 8th 1839, and an Edinburgh cds for the next day.
The letter was possibly held back until after the 5th December to take advantage of the reduced postage charge.
This the first example we have been able to offer of this rare first Sunday usage and can not recall seeing another one.
A Scottish item with an extremely rare combination of dates:
the day before the U 4d Post period was introduced and a First Sunday usage in its period.
A first Sunday usage is considerably rarer than a first day December 5th 1839 usage.
An Exhibition item.
Price: £490.00
Uniform 4d Post: very rare First Sunday 8d rate usage on a letter re sheep stealing
152042. Uniform 4d Post Period: a detailed and long letter to the Procurator Fiscal in Inverary from DUMBARTON re SHEEP STEALING.
The letter is dated inside December 8th 1839 and on the reverse top flap is a fine boxed date stamp of Dumbarton also for DECEMBER 8th 1839:
the FIRST SUNDAY in the short lived Uniform 4d Post Period.
There are only five Sunday date usages possible in this perod which ended on January 9th 1840.
This already rare item is made extremely rare as on the front is a m/s '8' indicating a double rate charge.
The sender had written OHMS and as the letter is under 1/2oz but charged 8d,
the OHMS was not accepted as going post free and it was charged a double rate.
This is the ONLY example of this rate used on the first Sunday of the uniform 4d post we have seen and
may well be unique especially as a surcharge on a single rate letter on this date.
We have not seen a letter surcharged in this way in the Uniform 4d Post period.
A first Sunday usage is considerably rarer than a first day December 5th 1839 usage.
A remarkable item of Exhibition quality and importance.
Price: £640.00
NB: this item and Item 152041 would make a remarkarkable and unique pairing and with both used withiin Scotland.
1d Plate 1b: INVERTED and Upright Watermark in Matched Pairing
152039. 1d Plate 1b, 'FI', double letter 'F', SG Spec A55f: two very fine 4-margined examples
both with this variety and each with a vertical guide line in the NE corner square.
The first is on a wrapper from Paisley to Edinburgh, September 7th 1840, and tied by a fine/very fine PAISLEY cross.
There is a vertical filing crease close to, but clear of, the stamp at the left.
The stamp has been affixed over a pre-existing light horizontal crease in the wrapper near the top.
The stamp has an INVERTED watermark, SG Spec AS55l.
The margin at the bottom shows part of 'GI': stamp 'GI' is also one of only EIGHT double letters listed on this plate.
The second is on a front with the top flap from Edinburgh to Prestonpans, December 18th 1840,
sent from the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway; the stamp tied by a lightly struck Edinburgh cross and Its watermark is UPRIGHT.
Plate 1b with inverted watermark is priced by Gibbons in this plate at £2,500 for a stamp not on cover.
Allowing for being on cover and with the double letter variety, an estimated Gibbons price is £5,700.
This is the first example we have seen with inverted watermark on cover.
An Exhibition quality pair both used within Scotland.
Price: £1,985.00
NB: Rockoff, in Volume 2 of 'The Maltese Cross Cancellations of GB and Ireland', the earliest listed example of the
Paisley cross is for March 16th 1841, all the examples illustrated are on1d red covers and are poor debris-filled strikes.
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was opened to passengers in 1842.
1d SG 40 pair: Single Scots Local Contrary to Regulations
152040. 1d SG40, very fine vertical pair on a wrapper from GLASGOW to PAISLEY, March 8th 1857.
Cancelled Contrary to PO Regulations by a fine/very fine single Scots Local of Queens Street, Type XV111.
Recorded in use from 1854-57 so this the last year of usage.
An attractive and very scarce item.
Price: £76.50
NB: seldom find vertical pairs on cover.
Rare combination with a Scots Local Cancellation.
15005. 1/- SG55, Die 2, full margined, very slight buckling, priced by Gibbons at £1,100:
used in combination with a fine 4d SG63, priced by SG at £575.
Tied to piece by a fine strike of Scots local SAUCHIHALL, Type X111 with a hand written 1856 date.
Very rare to find this cancellation on either of these two stamps
and possibly unique in combination.
Price: £425.00
4d SG62: Queen Street Scots Local
151309. 4d small garter, SG62:
a fine pair tied to piece by the Queen Street (Glasgow) Scots Local Type XV111.
The Meredith Sale of Scots Locals had no examples of any type on the 4d SG62.
Gibbons only prices Scots Locals on the contemporary 1d value but
their price for two single SG62's is £900.
A very rare item.
Price: £230.00
Envelope from Llangefni to Germany 1845: two strikes of the Penny Post
152006. Envelope, top flap stuck down for display purposes, sent from Llangefni on the Isle of Anglesey, to Wurtemberg, Germany.
Rarely found on both the front and the rear top flap, are very fine/superb strikes of the very scarce Llangefni Penny Post, C Cat. W1417.
There is a Bangor date stamp for September 6th 1845 and a London tombstone in red for September 8th 1845.
Various other transit markings including handstruck ones in Germany.
The letter appears to have been redirected in Wurtemberg.
A fair description would be to say the item is 'full of character' and one which could be very fine display page.
A very scarce early item from Anglesey with a rare double strike of a Penny Post.
Price: £110.00
NB: the population of Llangefni in 1845 was approx 1,700: one wonders how many of these could write at that time?
The central black area is from the hawid on which it is resting and the gap from the removed seal.
Paid 6d Extra 1847
1512001. 1d red Plate 70, 'DI', fine 4-margined, possibly a very light scuff,
tied to a clean envelope from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, April 12th 1847.
On the front is a fine strike of the rare Edinburgh 'Paid 6d Extra'.
This late fee charge of 6d was applied for mail posted at
the Post Office between 7pm and 7.20 pm - just before it closed.
Full wax seal on reverse.
This late fee strike is considerably rarer than the 'Paid 1d Extra' variety.
Price: £130.00
Rare early usage of 1d lilac die 2 on an interesting envelope.
151947. Linen envelope, with original letter, posted in RATHMINES, a suburb of Dublin, December 22nd 1881,
addressed to a Post Office in New York.
Registered Dublin hexagonal date stamp for December 23rd 1881 on reverse.
The postage and registration fee paid by a vertical pair of 2 1/2d plate 22, SG 157 and a vertical pair of 1d lilac die 2.
Letter received in New York January 7th 1882.
The letter mentions that it contains TWENTY POUNDS: at least £1,000, if not more, in today's money.
The letter was not well written and the envelope addressed to an individual,
and then 'Post Office to be called for, State of New York'.
The letter, it would seem, was never collected during 1882 and there are two strikes of the USA Dead Letter Office
triangular date stamps for December 5th 1882, eleven months after the letter was received at the New York Post Office.
No return address on the reverse so presumably the Postal Authorities opened the letter by removing the central seals.
The name and address in the letter are not very clear so one hopes the money was returned safely to the sender.
A very interesting and rare item made even rarer as the 1d lilac die 2 was issued
on December 13th 1881 and this pair used on December 22nd 1881.
This is the earliest we have seen on a cover and it is likely to be the earliest known usage of die 2 on a registered envelope.
The 1d lilac is from the first printing and in a shade close to or at the scarce bluish lilac, SG172a.
A remarkable item, full of character, that would make a memorable and fascinating display page.
Price: £295.00
NB: the scan does not show the 1d lilac shade at all well.
2d Plate 4: late usage 1856
151923. 2d SG14 Plate 4 'DK-DL':
pair cancelled by the DUNDEE Experimental Duplex for April 19th 1856
with a break at the bottom of the outer circle.
The SPHG reported that this break appeared between April and June 1856
in the lower arc of the date circle due to damage.
This at April 19th 1856, is believed to be the earliest example of this damage
and the only one known on the imperf 2d blue.
Very few examples are known of any of the Scottish Experimental Duplexes
used on the 1841 2d blue and this is the first one we have been able to offer.
A very rare/unique item.
Price: £185.00
SG141 Plate 9 on printed embossed envelope from Ireland to USA
151907. SG141 two pence hafpenny Plate 9: from LETTERKENNY to the USA.
Stamp tied by a superb '302' of Letterkenny but the date portion of the duplex unclear.
A very considerate sub postmaster/mistress may have deliberately lightly impressed
this portion of the duplex to avoid spoiling the embossed design on the envelope.
A date of '26' is visible and as it was received in New York on January 6th,
the letter was more than likely sent on December 26th.
The front of this delicately and attractively embossed/embroidered envelope
is in a remarkable and very fine condition except for a very small portion of the top right flower.
A very rare, and superb example, and especially so emanating from Ireland.
Exhibition quality.
Price: £135.00
NB: SG141 plate 9 was put to press on September 14th 1877.
Envelope in cleaner condition than the scan suggests.
DUMFRIES distinctive cross
151903. 1d red 'LH', on entire from TERREGLES, a small village near DUMFRIES, sent to DUMFRIES
with on the reverse a lightly struck but legible Dumfries boxed date stamp in red for August 17th 1843.
The 1d red, good margins on three sides but in to at the top, tied by a fine strike of the
distinctive DUMFRIES CROSS, listed by Gibbons as Spec B1tfa, and unpriced in the latest, 2011, QV Volume 1.
The letter refers to rent arrears for the past NINE YEARS totalling £5.13.3:
barely the price of a gallon of petrol in today's money!!
This example is NOT listed by Rockoff in Volume 1, and only four earlier examples are noted - the EKD is June 17th 1843.
None of the examples listed by Rockoff are used locally in Dumfries.
An attractive example of this small cross on an interesting local entire.
Price: £290.00
NB: the vertical filing crease at the right does not cross the 1d red.
DUBLIN ADDITIONAL 1/2d's
The next three items are examples of the very rare DUBLIN Additional 1/2d tax.
May 1834 Dublin to Edinburgh
151846. Long letter from one brother to another describing largely his lengthy journey from Scotland to Dublin,
the weather conditions, his sleeping arrangements and the number of people affected with sickness because of the rough seas.
He was not one of them!
On the front a superb strike of the very rare DUBLIN Additional 1/2 with on the reverse
a Dublin date stamp for May 30th 1834 and a complete wax seal.
This Additional 1/2 strike is in the first of the three periods of usage.
In the recent publication, April 2017, of the Additional Mail Tax by Baker et al,
the Dublin Additional 1/2 is priced at up to £175 on cover.
The latest date they record for this first period of usage is May 27th 1834
so the example offered here extends it by 3 days!
A very rare item.
Price: £135.00
January 1837 Dublin to Edinburgh
151847. Printed request from an Insurance Company asking for an opinion as to the health of a named person.
On the front is a very fine strike of the DUBLIN Additional 1/2 and on the reverse top flap and
a Dublin date stamp for January 19th 1837 which displays well when raised.
This is the third and final period of usage of this very rare 1/2 strike.
In the recent publication, April 2017, of the Additional Mail Tax by Baker et al,
the Dublin Additional 1/2 is priced at up to £175 on cover.
A rare item.
Price: £118.00
July 1837 Dublin to Edinburgh
151848. Entire from Dublin to Edinburgh with on the front a fine strike of the very rare DUBLIN Additional 1/2
and on the reverse a Dubil date stamp for July 27th 1837 and an
Edinburgh receiver for July 29th 1837 and a m/s charge of 2/8.
This is the third and final period of usage of this Additional 1/2.
In the recent publication, April 2017, of the Additional Mail Tax by Baker et al,
the Dublin Additional 1/2 is priced at up to £175 on cover.
A rare item.
Price: £105.00
Experimental Duplex cancellations on the contemporary 1d values.
One day after the earliest known date of usage
and the earliest recorded multiple franking.
£95.00
The RARE Glasgow Type 1 Experimental Duplex
151249. Glasgow Type 1 Experimental duplex:
fine 1d SG21, clear profile, tied to a wrapper to Manchester by this RARE,
and sporadically used cancellation for November 28th 1855; Manchester receiver on the reverse.
This cancellation is usually smudged and this example is a fine strike for it.
Price: £390.00
151250. Glasgow Type 1 Experimental duplex:
fine 1d perf 14, tied to a letter, large part missing on reverse,
by an EXCEPTIONAL strike of this RARE cancellation, for February 1st 1856
and one of the finest examples we have seen.
There is a similar quality of strike, for the same date,
in the Dendy Marshall Colection now housed in the National Postal Museum.
The last day of recorded usage is February 4th 1856.
This cancellation is made even rarer by the Code 'H' being to the left - very few examples on cover are known.
Without doubt, one of the, if not the, finest examples in private hands.
Price: £525.00
Very Rare Inverness Experimental Duplex
151841. 2d SG34: two fine singles, 'HD' and 'ID' tied to a small envelope to France
by a very fine INVERNESS Experimental Duplex Type 1, for September 29th 1856.
Of the 18 experimental duplexes recorded by the Scottish Postal History Group,
the Inverness Type 1 is the 17th rarest and only Kilmarnock is rated rarer.
It is rarely found on a value other than the contemporary 1d.
A very rare strike but especially so used on an item of mail going abroad.
In fact, the only example we have seen of this cancellation on overseas mail.
A very rare item.
Price: £360.00
Rare Greenock Type 1 Experimental Duplex
151842. 1d perf 14, SG 29, on envelope to Burntisland, tied by a fine strike of
the rare GREENOCK Experimental Duplex Type 1 for December 2nd 1856.
Of the 18 experimental duplexes recorded by the Scottish Postal History Group,
only four other types are rarer than the Greenock Type 1.
This example is very close to the latest known recorded date.
The 1d SG29, is in the period, October 1856 to March 1857.
Known as the transitional period, the printers were gradually trying to remove the blueing of the paper.
The example here shows some blueing.
A rare item.
Price: £128.00
Aberdeen Experimental Duplex
151843. 2d SG34, 'TI', LC perf 14: very fine example with an almost clear profile, tied to a wrapper to Edinburgh
by a superb ABERDEEN Experimental duplex Type 1b ie larger letters and longer side bars.
March 3rd 1857 Code E with an Edinburgh receiver on reverse for the following day.
Opened roughly where the seal would have been; 2d SG34 priced by Gibbons at £200 on cover.
Very scarce usage of this experimental duplex on a value other than the contemporary 1d.
Price: £80.00
Aberdeen Experimental Duplex
151844. 1d SG29, corner fault and crossed by a very light folding crease,
tied to an envelope to Kintore by a very fine/fine Aberdeen Experimental Duplex Type 1b.
October 31st 1860 code H with a superb boxed KINTORE date stamp for the following day.
The envelope could not be delivered and marked 'Removed gone no address' in red .
Aberdeen cds in blue next to the duplex for November 7th 1860.
The envelope has its original contents - a demand for 4d to be sent to the School-house in Kintore!
Attractive item.
Price: £38.50
Edinburgh Cross: Last Day of Usage
151845. 1d plate 38, strip of 4, 'GA-GD', 'GB' affected by a filing crease, on a wrapper from EDINBURGH to Brechin.
Stamps tied by the Edinburgh Special Type 6 (Balloon) cross.
This was the last type of cross used in Edinburgh before replaced by the 131 numeral canceller.
Rockoff and Jackson note the last day of usage to be June 24th 1844
and only record it used on a 1d pink envelope with this date.
The example offered here has a very fine Edinburgh date stamp for JUNE 24th 1844 on the top flap
and a Brechin date stamp for the following day.
This is the only example of which we are aware of the 1d red used on this last day, and this item
with a strip of four 1d reds, is very likely to be a unique mulitiple usage of this cross on its last day.
A Scottish rarity.
Price: £375.00
Uniform 4d Post Period: rare Free Front Sunday Usage
151792. Very fine front, mounted on card, from Haddington, SUNDAY December 15th 1839,
to Lady (Elizabeth) Grosvenor, Eaton Hall, Chester: signed TWEEDDALE, George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale.
On the front is a Haddington P.P.Pay One Penny, Auckland EL 78a, for December 15th 1839, struck in Blue.
Auckland only records this cancellation struck in black and red.
As it was not struck in red to denote 'paid' one wonders if the recipient was surcharged.
December 15th 1839 was the SECOND SUNDAY of the Uniform 4d Post Period which began on December 5th 1839.
There were only FIVE Sundays in the short lived Uniform 4d Post period, which ended on January 9th 1840.
The painting, image available on the internet, is of Lady Elizabeth just before she married, in 1819,
Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster: he became Earl Grosvenor in 1831 and they had 10 children.
A very rare and fine item.
Price: £95.00
NB: see item 151793 in the Stampless Section.
Waterford Cross on 1d Plate 5
151780. 1d red, Plate 5, 'LH', very fine 4-margined example on a clean wrapper from WATERFORD to Dublin.
Stamp tied by a superb strike of the Waterford cross
with a superb Waterford date stamp on the top flap for May 13th 1841.
Rockoff records only three earlier examples of this cross.
Plate 5 priced by Gibbons on cover at £400.
Very fine item and scarce as such.
Price: £210.00
Kirkwall Type VI Scots Local
151325. 4d SG66, fine/very fine, tied to a small piece by a superb strike
of the unique Kirkwall Scots Local Type V1.
This type is illustrated by Alcock, on a 1d star, in 'Scots Local Cancellations Illustrated'
but the strike is a poorish one in comparison with that offered here.
In the 1971 Meridith sale of Scots Local Cancellations, Lot 200, a 2d perf and an example of
this 4d with this cancellation, on two separate small pieces realised, in modern money, approx £600.
This is the first example we have been able to offer for some considerable time
and the first on a value other than the contemporary 1d.
An attractive and rare item.
Price: £145.00 SOLD
1d Plate 21: NEWTON-LIMAVADY cross
151749. 1d red plate 21, 'EF', fine 4-margined, close at 'F' square but clear:
tied to a clean banking entire from NEWTON-LIMAVADY to Ballymoney.
On the reverse is a blue cds of Newton-Limavady for March 6th 1843
and a superb COMPLETE red wax seal 'Belfast Bank Branch N.Limavady'.
Rockoff in Volume 2 page 210, 'The Maltese Cross Cancellations of GB and Ireland',
illustrates only six examples on cover of this cross.
A late strike, May 30th 1844, shows a cross with an empty centre.
The authors speculate as to whether this is a weakened centre or a result of inking.
This example, March 6th 1843, shows a similar empty centre.
The later examples in 1843, August and December, are complete strikes with the usual diamond in the centre.
Hence the example offered here confirms the emty centres are a consequence of inking.
An attractive and very scarce item.
Price: £85.00
1d SG29 used locally in Stranraer
151739. 1d SG29, 'NK', on a printed Land and Tax Assessment demand from the Inland Revenue in Stranraer,
dated New Years Day January 1st 1857; on the reverse is a Stranraer date stamp for January 2nd.
Tied by a partial strike of the '312' of Stranraer and
sent locally in Stranraer to a George GUTHRIE from a David GUTHRIE!
The cancellation leaves the Gothik K on 'NK' clearly visible: SG Spec C8j, Plates 23-31.
The 1d is very badly miss-perfed and as such scarce on cover.
A rare combination of features.
SOLD
PAID 6d EXTRA of Edinburgh
151736. 1d red, 'AD', very fine 4-margined, Plate 49:
tied to a clean wrapper to Hamilton by the '131' of Edinburgh
with an Edinburgh cds on the reverse for August 15th 1845.
Next to the 1d red is a good strike of the
Edinburgh boxed: ' PAID 6d EXTRA', Auckland ED184.
This is a rare strike and was applied as a Late Fee
which for the high price of 6d, a letter could be handed in between 7 and 7.20pm
before the Post Office closed for the day and would be processed that evening.
Considerably rarer than the 'PAID 1d EXTRA' variety.
Price: £78.00
Paisley Cross: 1d red Plate 9 repaired state
151735. 1d red Plate 9, 'EC-ED': fine full margined partially severed pair,
prepared by the postmaster/postmistress for ease of separation.
Both stamps are from the 2nd repair printing, 'no 'O' flaw', SG Spec AS61.
Tied to a cross written entire by three strikes of the PAISLEY cross with a boxed
Paisley date stamp on the reverse for September 2nd 1841.
The stamps placed at the bottm left side contrary to Post office Regulations.
Rockoff in 'The Maltese cross Cancellations of GB and Ireland', Volume 2 page 219, illustrates and describes this cross.
Its appearance is similar to the so-called 'Post Road' crosses of Arbroath, Dundee, Perth and Stirling.
Of the 10 examples he lists and illustrates, this is the third earliest at September 2nd 1841.
He comments that from September 1841, the cross was poorly struck with evidence
of varying amounts of debris in the obliterator: the cross does not appear to have been regularly cleaned.
The 1d red Plate 9 without 'O' flaw is priced as a single stamp by Gibbons
in the latest, 2011, Edition of QV Volume 1, at £325.
A pair in this repaired state would be priced at £850 and on cover at £1,450.
A very rare item.
Price: £370.00
NB: the condition of the letter is much finer than the scan suggests and there is NO browning.
INDIA STREET Scots Local: 2d Blue Plate 4
151698. 2d blue SG14, Plate 4, 'QJ-QK', very fine/fine square 4-margined:
partially separated between by the postmaster/mistress in preparation for issue.
Tied to a neat piece by two partial strikes of the Scots Local, Type V11, of INDIA STREET.
Few examples are known of the imperf 2d blue
with any type of Scots Local cancellation on piece or cover.
A very rare item.
Price: £425.00 SOLD
Plate 55: 306 of Lisnaskea
151678. 1d Plate 55, SG40, 'FL-GL':
overall a fine used block of 4, cancelled, Contrary to Regulations,
by only two '306' numerals of LISNASKEA.
Gibbons, in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1,
prices a block of four in this plate at £150.
Unusually, there is a plate sratch on 'GL' to the left of QV's head.
A misalignment of the stamps is also visible.
A very scarce/rare Irish usage.
Price: £85.00
Plate 55: 302 of Letterkenny
151679. 1d Plate 55, SG40, 'GC-HD':
some light wrinkling, short/pulled perfs on 'HD' and a brownish reverse,
but cancelled by the '302' of Letterkenny.
Gibbons, in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1,
prices a block of four in this plate at £150.
Scarce Irish usage.
Price: £45.00
Plate 59: 28 of Ballaghaderin
151681. 1d Plate 59, SG40, 'DJ-EK':
short perf 'E' square of 'EK' otherwise fine/very fine block.
Cancelled by inverted '28' numerals of BALLAGHADERIN.
Gibbons, in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1,
prices a block of four in this plate at £150.
Very scarce Irish usage.
Price: £55.00
Plate 60: 272 of Killarney
151682. 1d Plate 60, SG40, 'GI-HJ':
some light wrinkling on 'HJ' otherwise a fine block of 4.
Incomplete numeral cancellations but appear to be '272' of KILLARNEY.
Two stamps with clear profile.
Plate 60 is a scarce plate and Gibbons, in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1,
prices a block of four in this plate at £250.
A very scarce Irish usage.
Price £82.50
Plate 60: 141 of Ballygawley
151683. 1d Plate 60, SG40, 'NH-NK':
strip of 4 cancelled by superb strikes of the '141' of BALLYGAWLEY.
Each of 'NI-NK' cancelled by an inverted, numeral single type of '41' but
'NH' by the upright numeral portion of the '41' Ballygawley duplex.
'NI-NK' are very fine used, 'NH' has a light vertical crease.
A most unusual combination of the types of numeral '41' used on a scarcer plate.
Gibbons, in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1, four singles are priced at £120.
A rare and possibly unique usage of the '41' numeral:
we cannot recall seeing any similar combination.
An attractive and very rare item.
Price: £75.00
Plate 62 SG40
151686. 1d SG40, 'AL-BK':
very fine used block, very faintly and indistinctly cancelled leaving virtually each stamp with clear profile .
'BL' has a small piece of black hair 'impressed' into the surface - perhaps as a love token from the sender?
Gibbons, in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1, prices a block of four in this plate at £150
before the 125% premium is added for so light a cancellation.
Unusual and scarce.
Price: £68.00
Dublin to London to Whitby 1866
151627. 1d Plates 74 and 79 on an envelope, one side flap missing, from DUBLIN to London.
1d plate 74 cancelled in Dublin but another full duplex applied at the front for August 17th 1866: Contrary to Regulations.
In London it received a N W Miss-sorted strike and a 1d plate 79 affixed for the redirection to Whitby,
N W London duplex for August 20th 1866.
An attractive and scarce combination of usage and cancellations.
Price: £55.00
Registered wrapper from Edinburgh to Glasgow
151665. Two single 1d reds, one defective, tied to a wrapper by a
SINGLE '131' of Edinburgh and Contrary to Regulations as such.
Addressed to 'The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway Office'.
This Railway Company opened on August 13th 1846 and was taken over on 28th October 1850.
Edinburgh December 30th 1846 cds on reverse and a receiving Glasgow date stamp for New Years' Eve 1846.
M/s 1/- in red for the Registration Fee and a partially handstruck, also in red,
Registered Edinburgh, McKay figure 1150, 'Scottish Postmarks' and rated RARE.
Despite the faults, two single 1d reds are much scacer than a pair especially cancelled by a single numeral.
Filing creases but overall the wrapper is in fine condition.
A very scarce/rare combination of features.
Price: £67.50. SOLD
2d Plate 3: full margined strip from GLASGOW with Double Letter variety
151666. 2d Plate 3, 'SB-SD': a fine full margined strip of three, tied to an
entire from GLASGOW to Birmingham, September 28th 1850, by '159' numerals.
This plate has only FIVE double letter listed varieties and 'SD' is one of them, Spec ES11h.
On reverse is a partial boxed Queen Street and other transit date stamps.
A pair of 2d blues in this plate priced by Gibbons on cover
at £550 in the latest Edition, 2011, QV Volume 1.
Very scarce item.
Price: £350.00
2d Plate 4 strip of 4 on envelope from CATRINE to SIDNEY
151655. 2d Plate 4, strip 'MB-ME':
full margins except 'ME' which has faults, on a small, uncreased, envelope to SIDNEY, New South Wales, Australia.
'MD' has a paper wrinkle/crease around the NE corner but is cancelled by the
Ship-Letter London date stamp, May 14th 1852, in RED and extremely rare as such.
Sent from CATRINE with a MAUCHLINE boxed date stamp for May 13th 1852
and a red London Ship letter date stamp for May 14th 1852.
On receipt in Australia, various transit marks applied on reverse,
and on the front is a handstruck '3' and a m/s '5' both in black.
Also there is a boxed ADVERTISED UNCLAIMED applied in Sidney.
A remarkable item and especially rare with a 2d blue cancelled
by the red London Ship Letter date stamp: the only example we have seen and quite likely unique.
Gibbons prices this 2d blue with a RED 1844 numeral cancellation,
Spec E1wc, at £28,000 on a stamp OFF COVER
and unpriced on cover in the latest Edition, 2011, of QV Volume 1.
A superb line engraved rarity.
Price: £1,485.00
NB: the envelope is in better condition than the scan suggests especially on the reverse.
Edinburgh Type C7 dotted circle
151637. The rare Edinburgh dotted circle Type C7:
cut in bars below the 1 in '131' numeral.
A trio of unrecorded usages by Arundel: on the bantam 1/2d:
in October 1880 and with this code combination.
Price: £56.50
Unique usage: Day Before the U4d Post; Last Day of the Additional 1/2d tax and First Day of the U4d Post
151601. Entire, Edinburgh to Coldstream, addressed to a General Sir Martin Hunter, a former Governor of Stirling Castle and various biopics are available on line.
Letter dated inside December 4th 1839 and with a superb Edinburgh cds on the reverse top flap for December 4th 1839 - the DAY BEFORE the introduction of the Uniform 4d Post.
On the front is: a scarce Coldtream Penny Post, (Auckland BK 68b), recorded previously to November 1st 1839; a m/s '7' and a fair but legible strike of the Edinburgh Additional Half,
Sedgwick Fig 21 - the LAST DAY of this tax. Only one other location is known with an Additional Half used on this last day and that is Glasgow.
On receipt, the letter was turned inside out, a reply written and dated inside December 5th 1839, and posted back to Edinburgh.
On the reverse is a fine boxed date stamp of Coldstream for December 5th 1839 and a m/s '4' on the front: the FIRST DAY of the UNIFORM 4d POST.
Edinburgh receiver for December 6th 1839 on the reverse. The cost of the letter almost halved in usage from December 4th to December 5th and
presumably the original sender was unaware of the imminent postal rare change.
A remarkable letter which has a usage on:
the DAY BEFORE the Uniforn 4d Post; the LAST DAY of the Additional 1/2d tax and the FIRST DAY of the Uniform 4d Post.
An exceptional item of Scottish Postal History illustrating the important rate changes all on one item.
A superb, unique and important, Exhibition-quality item.
Price: SOLD
1d plate 55 cancelled INDIA STREET Scots Local
151636. 1d SG40, Plate 55, 'MA-NC':
fine/very fine used block of six, a few short perfs, cancelled Contrary to Regulations
by three strikes only of the India Street Type V11 Scots Local.
A rare usage, in this manner, of this cancellation.
A used block of 4 of SG40, priced by Gibbons at £150
in this plate with an 'ordinary' cancellation.
Rare and attractive item.
Price: £95.00 SOLD
Important recent IRISH additions to our stock.
Dublin to Port Philip Australia
151656. 2d blue Plate 3, 'block of 4', split into two pairs, 'FH-GI':
on an envelope from DUBLIN to a very scarce destination, PORT PHILIP, Australia.
Dublin date stamp on reverse for April 1st 1852 and a Ship-Letter London date stamp for the following day on the front.
Top left corner of letter with 'p First Ship Direct'.
M/s '3' in black applied on receipt and a Melbourne Ship letter mark on the reverse for July 1852.
The two pairs of the 2d are each cancelled Contrary to PO Regulations, at that time, by a SINGLE strike
of the DUBLIN '186' numeral applied upside down.
Although this was again Contrary to PO Regulations perhaps appropriate as it was sent 'down under'!
The envelope has an embossed crest of The Royal Dublin Society 1731.
This Society was founded on June 14th 1731 by 14 men who met in Trinity College: the 'Royal' prefix was added in 1821.
It was formed to promote 'husbandry, manufacturers and other useful arts and sciences'.
Further information available on the internet.
A very rare item.
Price: £850.00
NB: in 1999, a long/large envelope, not to Australia,
was offered with an untied pair of 2d blues, cancelled by an upside down '186' of Dublin.
It was described as ex Shaida and that only four such examples were known.
We have seen only one other item, (in 2004), addressed to Port Philip (1852), with a
strip of four 2d blues: it was sent from Sheffield.
1d red Plate 9: February 20th 1841
151579. 1d red Plate 9, 'SE': large square margined example, crossed by a filing crease,
tied by a very fine MX to a financial entire, dated February 20th 1841, from BALLINLEA to BALLYMONEY, Co Antrim.
Superb Ballymoney date stamp on reverse for February 21st 1841 - a SUNDAY.
The 1d red was issued on February 10th 1841and the earliest known usage of the 1d red Plate 9 on cover
was in the Pichai Collection: a 3 plus margin on a cover used locally within London on February 19th 1841.
The example offered here is the earliest known example used in Ireland.
In fact, it is believed to be the earliest known Irish usage of a 1d red from any plate.
It is also one of the earliest known Irish usages of the BLACK cross:
black ink officially replaced red ink on February 10th 1841.
The letter is in a cleaner condition than the scan suggests.
An Irish rarity.
Price: £1,185.00
NB: the Pichai cover was last seen in 2005 in a London Sale: the cover torn, creased and rather dirty.
In 2009, a 1d red Plate 9, with only 2 plus margins, on a wrapper from DUBLIN to WEXFORD,
February 25th 1841, was offered for sale by a specialist London dealer at £2,250.
1d black Plate 2 from Glasgow
151581. 1d black Plate 2, 'FK': very fine/fine 4-margined
tied by a light red MX to an entire from Glasgow to Dorset, September 16th 1840.
On the reverse a wafer seal with the inscription: 'Please Do It'.
The well written letter is from a young man thanking his uncle for acting as a Cautioner in connection with a loan.
Filing crease and a light wrinkle on the front but the stamp printed in the scarcer Intense black shade, Spec AS14
and priced by Gibbons on cover in this shade in excess of £1,100.
Price: £435.00
4d SG153: variety 'large 5' in the plate number
151569. Very fine Registered Envelope from Leith to Prussia, September 3rd 1879.
Leith duplex on the reverse cancelling the embossed ' Registered Two Pence' die.
The unusual franking is made up of a bantam 1/2d and a 4d SG153, Plate 15, lettered 'AA'.
The very fine 4d sage green - superb colour - shows the listed variety, Spec J64d: Stamp 'AA', 'Large '5' in '15'.
The cancellation leaves both plate numbers almost totally clear.
This variety priced by Gibbons in the latest, 2011, Edition of QV Volume 1 at £800 on a stamp not on cover.
The estimated Gibbons price on cover is £1,500 plus.
Although we have handled several examples of this variety, this is the ONLY example we have ever seen used on a cover.
A very rare Exhibition quality item and likely to be a unique survivor with this variety on a registered envelope.
Price: £875.00
NB: the browning around the stamps and on the front of the envelope is NOT present
and neither is it present on the reverse side: tricks of the scanner.
Plate 1b: INTENSE SHADE
151373. 1d plate 1b, 'HJ', INTENSE black shade, SG Spec AS4:
very fine square margined example, affixed over a light bump in the paper before posting.
Tied to a wrapper from Edinburgh to Galashiels by an orange cross which leaves QV's profile virtually clear.
Priced by Gibbons in this scarcer shade at £1,100 on cover.
Edinburgh cds on reverse top flap for January 6th 1841.
Attractive item.
Price: £380.00
Superb 1d black plate 4 from HUNTLY.
S3. 1d black plate 4, 'MA':
superb 4-margined tied to a
clean and uncreased wrapper to
by an orange cross leaving a clear profile.
No date markings but with a single line ‘HUNTLY’ in black on the reverse.
This plate priced by Gibbons at £775 on cover.
Superb item.
Price: £495.00 SOLD
NB: the cover is in a cleaner condition than the scan suggests.
5d SG169 from Glasgow to the US
151560. 5d Indigo, SG169:
fine/very fine example on envelope to Chicago from Glasgow, May 17th 1884.
Chicago cds on the reverse for May 27th 1884.
Gibbons prices this 5d on cover at £325.
Price: £65.00
151507. Wrapper to ARDMADDY, near Oban, ‘Meteorological Instruments’,
Inverness and Oban date stamps on reverse both for April 30th 1857.
The 1d perf 14, defective at the bottom, tied by an exceptional strike of DALMALLY, Scots Local Type 111.
In the 1971 Meridith Sale of Scots Local Cancellations, there was one example, illustrated, on a soiled part-entire.
It realised £22.00: a very good weekly wage at that time!
The example offered here is a finer strike.
Price: £245.00
'First Day' of new rate to India.
Superb used example: SG137
15183. £5 Orange, SG137:
cancelled
with a finely struck 1896 Edinburgh cds and leaving a clear Queen’s profile.
One of the finest we have seen for some time and the scan does not do it justice.
Gibbons priced at £4,750 plus 75% for superb used.
NB: there is NOT a crease under the cancellation as
the scan may be suggesting: it is the watermark.
15121. 1899: Envelope sent to New York City,
vertical strip of four, one with defect, and a single SG197,
paying the 2 1/2d rate to the
USA with FOUR strikes of the scarce Columba Steamer Greenock duplex afternoon service Code B,
August 3rd 1899 and on the reverse the David MacBrayne and The Royal Route motif. This
item is rare sent to an overseas
destination when posted on board the Columba Steamer.
Information available on the internet about The Royal Route and the MacBrayne Company
including a photograph of ‘Columba’ herself. This ship was possibly the most majestic paddle steamer
of all time.
Over 300 feet in length, she had a curved bow and was magnificently fitted out.
Columba had a barbers and a post office on board
and this was unique in Clyde steamer
history. Whilst the post office was closed in the Great War it was later re instated.
All
Columba's distinguished career was on the Tarbert and Ardrishaig route, which was used by the cream
of Victorian and
Edwardian society as part of the "Royal Route" to shoots and lodges in the
Highlands. After fifty eight summers, she was sold to shipbreakers,
Arnott & Young and was
scrapped at Dalmuir in March 1936. Superb and rare item posted on board this memorable R.M.
Paddle Steamer to an overseas destination.
SOLD
A new collection of Dotted Circles added to our stock.
References in the descriptions are to Arundel’s publication: ‘Dotted Circle Cancels’.
Your Wants List is welcomed
15061. Edinburgh A1:
piece with fine 1d star perf 14, tied by a
very fine A1, April 29th 1857, in BLUE.
Arundel notes that this new type of cancellation was
initially struck in blue then, a short time later, in black.
He also notes that examples in
blue, or in black, prior to May 1857
are decidedly rare and we agree with this from our considerable
experience.
Gibbons in QV Volume 1 latest Edition 2011, prices an ordinary blue duplex on piece at
£400.
Superb and rare item.
Price: £110.00
15062. Edinburgh A1: 1d
pink stationery envelope locally used.
Superb strike of this type in BLUE for May 13th 1857
with an Edinburgh cds on reverse for this same date in the same shade of ink.
Arundel notes that
blue ink for this duplex was replaced
with black after a few weeks from the EKD of usage, March 6th
1857,
although isolated examples are known until the end of June.
No examples of this type were
recorded by him on this prepaid envelope.
The image suggests browning around the dater part of
the duplex
but this is not present and the crease is not as pronounced as the scan shows.
Priced by Gibbons by on a 1d red on cover with an ordinary
blue duplex at £1,000 and this type is far
rarer used on items other than the contemporary 1d.
Superb and rare item.
Price:
£290.00
15063. Edinburgh A9:
Very fine entire to Havre, France, October 4th 1872.
Superb strike on fine 3d rose plate 8, SG102.
Unrecorded usage by
Arundel on any surface printed example.
Rare and attractive item.
Price: £130.00
15064. Edinburgh A9:
Fine envelope, locally used, 1d plate 164
placed bottom left with partial double strike but with
a complete superb strike top right where the
1d should have been affixed.
Rare to find such a Contrary to P O Regulations usage with a
complete strike away from the adhesive.
Price: £36.50
15065. Edinburgh A11:
superb original issue 1/2d lilac postcard to Rotterdam, December 28th 1875 cancelled by superb
strike of this type.
Very scarce usage to an overseas destination – message asks for an order
to be shipped on a named vessel.
Examples used in the period November 75 to November 76 are
very scarce
as this canceller saw infrequent usage at that time.
Rare combination of features.
Price: £62.50
15066. Edinburgh A12: superb strike of
this rare type for March 16th 1879. Arundel records only about 12 known examples
including only
three after October 1875, two of these in 1878 and one in July 1879. This 1879 cancel is on a very
fine un-creased
halfpenny brown postcard and is unrecorded by Arundel on any stationery card. There
is an interesting printed message and written
response on the reverse side as per the scan. This
item is made even rarer as March 16th 1879 is a SUNDAY usage.
We know of only one other Sunday
usage on any variety of dotted circle and we sold that a number of years ago.
Exceptional condition
and features.
SOLD
15067. Edinburgh A13:
superb strike, March 12th 1879, of this very scarce/rare type
showing damage to the outer ring of the dater
which appears to have occurred in September 1878.
Halfpenny brown postcard in very fine/superb condition except for a peripheral nibble at the top.
Same printed addressee as in item 15066, with a similar printed
message, and showing two different types of
dotted circle used within a few days of each other.
SOLD
15068.
Edinburgh B1:
printed letter to Glasgow, 1d plate tied by fine/very fine strike of the scarce B1, September 14th 1865.
Arundel suggests this canceller was a reserve put in to service at peak times
with A3 and A5 used to cancel the bulk of the mail.
Not an easy type to get so
clearly struck.
Price: £44.00
15069. Edinburgh C1:
superb strike of this scarce type, March 11th 1879, on equally superb 1/2d brown postcard.
Interesting printed message on scan of reverse.
Unrecorded code and very scarce/rare on
this postcard and in this condition.
See the A12 and A13 examples to the same addressee.
SOLD
15070. Edinburgh C2:
very fine strike of this rare type on fine 1/2d brown postcard, January 22nd 1880.
Unrecorded
stamper and time code and unrecorded usage on a 1/2d postcard.
Printed plumbing message on reverse – scan.
Price: £85.00
15071. Edinburgh C2: superb strike of this rare type tying two
pence halfpenny plate 16, SG 141, on clean envelope to Ontario,
January 7th 1880, Per Canadian Mail
Packet. Cleaner than the scan suggests and an unrecorded usage on any surface printed issue.
Rare combination of features.
SOLD
15072. Edinburgh C2:
very fine strike with an unrecorded usage on 1/2d brown postcard
and with printed plumbing service message on reverse.
Unrecorded code combination and at November 18th 1879
an early usage of this rare type.
£95.00
15073. Edinburgh C3:
superb strike on equally superb 1/2d brown postcard,
June 1st 1881 with hand written message on reverse.
Unrecorded usage on any
postcard.
Price: £65.00
15074. Edinburgh C3:
fine strike on wrapper tying creased 1/2d SG197, February 22nd 1889, locally used in Edinburgh.
Arundel records a latest known usage as September 17th 1881 but the Scottish Postal History Group
records isolated strikes in 1887 and 1890.
Probably Arundel was unable to find any trace of
these later dates and so did not report them.
A rare example of this late usage with an
unrecorded code combination.
15075. Edinburgh C3:
fine strike overall on 1d pink stationery envelope to Belfast, July 6th 1881.
Very scarce/rare
usage.
Price: £40.00
15076: Edinburgh C4:
superb strike on envelope to Glasgow, roughly opened at the top right, and tying a 1d venetian red,
SG166.
A very scarce type infrequently used in its two years of service.
SOLD
15077: Edinburgh C5:
superb strike on UPU 1d brown
postcard July 22nd 1879 to Strasburg.
The EKD for this cancellation is July 21st
1879
so this is very probably the first day of usage to an overseas destination.
Unrecorded variety on this type of postcard as is the code combination.
Rare
item in superb condition and likely to have a unique combination of features.
Price:
£80.00
15078. Edinburgh C6: very fine strike tying fine 1d plate 212
to an envelope, light horizontal creasing, used locally.
The date circle shows the constant
missing cut at the left side and it appears that the date circle is that previously used in Type A13.
This defective cut is evident throughout the whole period of use.
SOLD
15079. Edinburgh C7: the rarest of the C Types.
1d lilac die 2, issued December 12th 1881,
tied to piece by a very fine strike, December 23rd 1881, Codes 22 ‘O’.
Arundel does not record this rare cancellation on the 1d lilac and the code combination is also
unrecorded.
He notes the latest date of usage as February 12th 1881.
However the Scottish
Postmark Group reported isolated examples for 1884 and 1886.
This at December 23rd 1881
is a
new isolated example.
The top horizontal bar shows a small break which appears to be
wear.
Rare item.
Price: £85.00
15080. Edinburgh C7:
Envelope, via Brindisi, to an addressee on board a P and O Steamer at Point De Galle,
Ceylon – map
available on the internet - then redirected to a Poste Restante in Calcutta. The 5d postage
paid by a pair of two pence halfpenny blue, plate 19,
SG 141. The left hand stamp defective
and the other with a couple of trimmed perfs at the top. However, the stamps are tied by two
fine strikes of this rare Type,
October 8th 1880 and an unrecorded combination of codes, ‘4
M’. The envelope has peripheral wear and a tear at the top.
On the reverse is a
reference to a Captain Atkinson – see scan. Despite the wear of the envelope as seen in the
scans,
this is a RARE survivor and the only multiple strike of this rare cancellation we
have seen. It is also the first example, of which we are aware,
used on any surface printed
stamp and to an overseas destination.
A much travelled and full of character item and one of considerable rarity.
SOLD
15081. Greenock Type 2:
Clean entire to Portugal, superb strike, April 26th 1866, tying fine 6d plate 5, ‘KC’, SG97.
Codes ‘DG’ with the unusual serif letter ‘G’ as noted by Arundel.
Recorded usage by Arundel on this
stamp but the first example we have seen on full cover.
Very scarce particularly so fine.
SOLD
15082. Greenock Type 2:
Clean entire to an address in Portugal, superb strike, June 8th 1868,
tying fine (light wrinkle)
6d plate 6, ‘KC’, SG105.
Unrecorded usage by Arundel of this stamp.
Very fine item with a rare usage.
Price: £145.00
15083. Dundee A1: Very
fine strike, April 6th 1863, tying 1d star perf 14 to a clean envelope, opened roughly at the right,
to London with a receiving cds on the reverse for April 7th 1863. The first Type of
Dundee dotted circle and which Arundel records in use from April 20th 1863.
This at April 6th
1863 is a new EARLIEST RECORDED date just four days after the Proof Book Entry of April 2nd 1863 for
this cancellation.
Arundel records only one other April 1863 date, ie 20th April, and no other 1863
date recorded at the time of his publication.
A scarce usage on the 1d star issue as it
is more usually found on the 1d plate numbers.
Rare item.
SOLD
15084. Dundee A2:
Superb strike on an equally superb 1/2d lilac
postcard to RBS in Perth from the Dundee Branch,October 27th 1875.
A scarce Type which Arundel notes was infrequently used in its five year of service.
He notes no recorded examples used in 1875 and 1876
and all examples seen were used on 1d plate numbers with an isolated example on the
1/2d plate 6.
Hence this 1875 date is very scarce and
an unrecorded usage on any postcard variety.
A superb and rare item.
Price: £75.00
15085. Dundee A5:
Double strikes of this scarce Type, August 20th 1888,
on a 1/2d brown postcard to Gosport with a
handwritten message.
Arundel notes its rather infrequent use albeit over a seven year period.
Unrecorded usage on any type of postcard and Code ‘H’ is also not recorded.
Scarce item.
SOLD
15086: Dundee A7:
Fine/very fine strike on a very fine 1d
red UPU postcard, August 5th 1893,
to Holland with a hand written message re vegetable supplies.
An unrecorded usage by Arundel on any postcard type and
in fact
no Dundee dotted circle has been
recorded used on this UPU card.
Very rare item in excellent condition.
Price:
£140.00
S21. Edinburgh type C1 – an exceptional strike of this very scarce cancel for March 8 1878
on a superbly clean and uncreased halfpenny purple post card used locally in Edinburgh.
Exceptional quality and with the cancellation showing an unusual circle in the upper bars
of the numeral section of the duplex which we have not seen previously on any dotted circle.
SOLD
S22. Edinburgh type C7 – a very rare type little used.
This is a superb strike for September 14 1880 on a clean and uncreased 1d pink stationery envelope.
This cancellation is usually found on the 1d Venetian red SG166 and Arundel notes
one recorded usage on the 1d pink envelope and this is that example.
The EARLIEST recorded usage of this rare cancellation is September 14 1880 and this is that usage.
A remarkable and almost certainly unique combination of usages.
SOLD
SS1. 1707 Nov 20:
Letter written in the year of Unification when the Act of Union
united the Parliaments of
Scotland and
Addressed to Coupar and in very fine condition.
Very scarce.
Fine two page
letter to
Postal charge of ‘2’ on front for a letter carried up to 50 miles.
On
the reverse a very fine strike of ‘
Aukland records the earliest known date for this first type
of
so this example pre-dates by 6 months.
Scarce entire.
Price: £125.00
SS4. 1840 1d black plate 2: ‘TA-TB’, very fine 4-margined pair, very small scissor cut at top between them but clear of design, tied to entire from Jedbergh to Selkirk by BLACK crosses. Jedbergh boxed date stamp on reverse for October 7 1842 and similar of Selkirk on the front for the following day. Plate 2 is very scarce on cover with a black cross, Spec AS15m – catalogued at £550 on stamp alone. The stamps ‘TA’ and ‘TB’ are both in the 2nd State: First Repair, Spec AS17. Only eight stamps identified in this State: SD, TA, TB, TC, TE, TF, TG and TH. Hence for this pair of ‘TA-TB’ to be two of these eight and on cover with black crosses is remarkable and a very rare if not a unique usage. A considerable Scottish rarity! SOLD
SS5. 1850 March 20: Fine 4-margined
1d red imperf tied to REGISTERED wrapper from
SS6. 1851 June 18:
Entire from Leith to Edinburgh with a VERTICAL PAIR of 1d red imperfs
from the RARE PLATE 107, ‘LJ-MJ’. MJ is large margined and LJ has 3 plus
margins. Superb colour and this rare
item is made even rarer by the stamps cancelled contrary to regulations by a
superb SINGLE strike of the ‘221’ of
SS7. 1841 2d blue plate 3 SG14:
exceptional strip of three, ‘TA-TC’, cancelled by
Huge to very large margins and printed on un-catalogued thin paper.
Thin paper is catalogued for 2d plate 4 but not as yet on plate 3.
Exhibition quality and rare item so fine.
S1.
Entire
with very fine/fine handstruck 4 of
SECOND DAY of the Uniform Fourpenny Post.
Very scarce.
Price: £265.00
Two 1d blacks, plate 4 ‘CK’ and ‘CB’, former with large to clear margins, orange Maltese crosses and boxed ‘Paid 1d Extra’.
This late fee probably paid by the second 1d black for posting between 6 and 7 pm.
Rare to find this combination of late fee strike and multiple 1d black franking.
Inside the letter reads in part: ‘If you establish a steamer perhaps you might be able to give the Post Office
the use of it once a week for crossing the Mail between Long Isle and Glasgow or Ardrossan
whence there is a Railway communication with Glasgow – such a Packet once a week
would be infinitely preferable to the present nominally more frequent one’.
Superb item already mounted and written up for display.
Kilmarnock Distinctive Cross
2d Plate 3: full margined strip with Double Letter variety
151666. 2d Plate 3, 'SB-SD': a fine full margined strip of three, tied to an
entire from GLASGOW to Birmingham, September 28th 1850, by '159' numerals.
This plate has only FIVE double letter listed varieties and 'SD' is one of them, Spec ES11h.
On reverse is a partial boxed Queen Street and other transit date stamps.
A pair of 2d blues in this plate priced by Gibbons on cover
at £550 in the latest Edition, 2011, QV Volume 1.
Very scarce item.
Price: £350.00
October 1 1863 with 1/- SG71 - the scarcer deep green shade.
Superb and neatly tied leaving at least 90% of the Queen’s head and profile clear.
Gibbons price, £1500 plus allowing the SG premium for such a light cancellation.
Experimental Duplexes
.
S16.
Arnot type 6a – fine/very fine strike on a wrapper to
Dublin Special Cross: superb Type 2 on entire
151549. 1d red, 'TA', Plate 36: superb 4-margined on a financial letter from Dublin to Bagshot,
August 16th 1843, Dublin date stamp on reverse and a Bagshot large date stamp for August 19th 1843.
The stamp is tied by an exceptional strike of the Dublin Special Cross, Type 2, SG Spec B1tf.
'TA' is missing from the Imprimatur sheet for this plate.
The cross is priced by Gibbons in the latest, 2011 Edition, of QV Volume 1
at £300 on cover and illustrated on page 43.
Hard to see how a better strike on such a superb 1d red on cover could be found.
SOLD
NB: the browning from the MX around the top of the cross is very faint and not as pronounced as the scan.
This also applies to the browning on the file crease which is not present - a shadow effect of the scan.
Dublin
Special Cross: superb Type 1
15160. 2d blue, plate 3, ‘AK’:
very fine
square 4-margined example in the scarcer deep full blue shade and
with the catalogued variety ‘guideline in the NE
corner’.
Tied to a wrapper used internally within Ireland from DUBLIN to CORK,
April 16th 1844, by a
superb distinctive DUBLIN Type 1 cross, SG Spec E1ul and
priced on cover by SG in the latest, 2011, QV
Volume 1, at £2,000.
The MX leaves a largely clear profile; Cork receiving cds on reverse for
April 17th 1844.
This cross is seldom found on cover with a full
margined 2d blue.
Very scarce item.
Price: £695.00
Plate 1b on redirected
Irish wrapper.
15161. 1d black plate 1b, ‘IJ’, 3-plus margins:
wrapper from CAVAN to Hastings, January 21st 1841 received in Hastings January 24th 1841.
The 1d black was affixed top left over the boxed ‘Paid at Cavan’, the letter re-addressed to
Mincing Lane,
London and received in London on January 25th.
A very scarce Irish item.
Price: £285.00
Belfast to Holland
15158. 1d red, ‘ML’, 3-plus margined example tied by a BELFAST ‘62’ numeral on a wrapper to
ROTTERDAM.
On
reverse two Belfast EVg for November 8th 1850 Blue single arc cds’s
and other transit date stamps
with a Rotterdam receiver for November 11th.
A rare usage of the 1d red from Ireland to
Holland.
Price: £195.00
15135: 1d Mulready Envelope, A141 Forme 1,
very fine/fine, used within IRELAND, Dublin to Ballymena, Co Antrim July 23rd 1840.
Cancelled by a superb orange first type Dublin cross.Very scarce early Irish usage.
SOLD
Rare mixed Plates 6 and 8: Belfast to Armagh
15143: 1d black, TWO 4-margined examples, ‘TD’ Plate 8 and ‘AD’ Plate 6
tied to a wrapper from Belfast to Armagh, September 29th 1840.
The rear flap raises to show the dates.
Plate 8 is very fine used in an intense black shade and
Plate 6 is fine used,
a RARE MIXED PLATE franking.
The EKD usage of Plate 8 is
September 5th 1840 and this item used on September 29th 1840
is believed to be the earliest
known mixed plate franking with plate 8 in Ireland.
An Irish rarity.
Price: £820.00
1735
Dublin Letter
15108: 1735, Letter from DUBLIN, February
10th 1735, to Bristol which would have been carried on the Dublin to
Holyhead Packet and
then via London to Bristol.
The small straight line ‘Dublin’ (26 x4 mm) is on the reverse top
flap and a
London Bishopmark for February 18th, both struck in black.
The original m/s ‘6’ inscribed at Dublin, covered the normal Dublin to London ‘All-in’ rate of 6d.
On
arrival in London, this was crossed out and replaced by ‘In all 10’.
This 10d charge covered
the previous 6d plus
a further 4d for the 122 miles from London to Bristol, the English rate for
distances over 80 miles.
A rare early Irish item supplied with a full write up used in
a display
with a map showing the route the letter would have taken.
Price:
£225.00
Limerick to Calcutta 1834
15109: 1834, Entire
from LIMERICK addressed to a Captain in Calcutta, April 12th 1834.
Inside is a long letter to the parents and a further letter, on the end page,
to an Aunt and other relatives ending ‘God
Bless you all here and there’.
On the front a fine boxed ‘Paid at Limerick’, a London
Ship letter in red
and on the reverse, a Limerick cds for April 12th 1834 and
Indian GPO and
postal rate markings.
Fine item.
Price: £110.00
15118. 1843: 1d pink envelope cancelled by a
superb characteristic DUBLIN cross, October 16th 1843,
and rarely found so fine on a
stationery envelope.
The envelope was then written across referring to the return of books
and enclosed with the books.
Very unusual but economical with paper!
Price:
£65.00 
15112. 1854: Front,
mounted, to CASTLETOWN- DELVIN
within County West Meath, Ireland February 22nd 1854.
A
pen and ink drawing of a drummer with children.
Struck largely away from the drawing are red cds’s
of KILLUCAN and CASTLE DELVIN.
Very early example of a hand drawn item used internally
within Ireland.
A charming, amusing and very scarce item.
Price: £75.00
WELSH ITEMS
W1. Clean and uncreased wrapper with superb strike of the Uniform Penny Post distinctive ‘Paid 1d’ in red of Aberystwith and a cds of Aberystwith for January 26 1848 also on the front of the wrapper. Attractive and scarce so fine. SOLD
K & C Philatelics
PO Box 5003 Danbury Chelmsford Essex CM3 4JU
Tel: 01245-223120; E-mail: kcphil@usa.net
