Auction #136 - Public Auction

Hello fellow Collectors!,

Welcome to our 136th consecutive specialized British Colonial Public Auction featuring, as always, a marvelous range of rarities from all points of the compass.

An overview of some of what you will find in this catalogue:

Great Britain & British Europe:

GB commences with a strong section of scarce and key items and includes most of the “big square” Q Victoria high values – in unusually nice quality. Cypress shows several rare early plate numbers, and a £5.  Gibraltar has £5 both mint and used plus Malta rare 10/- both mint and used.

British Africa (always a house favorite!):

British Central Africa has the first set, to the £10, and a rare 1895 £10 arms unwatermarked postally used! . Cape of Good Hope shows a mint 1/-yellow-green, 4d “wood block” with retouched corner, and the rare ½d on 3d Crown CC mint.  East Africa and Uganda features K Edward VII 50R plus a K George V 100R mint.  Gold Coast has a spectacular rare used £2 K George V.  Kenya and Uganda has a 50R K George V (wmkd Script CA!).  Madagascar shines with a spectacular range of “large ones” – 50 lots!  Mauritius highlights include a 4a (8) 1849-54 used 2d – SUPERB, and the unissed 1876 ½d on 9d red surcharge!  New Republic 18 lots!  Niger Coast  SG 2a – reversed overprint on a 1d mint!  Rhodesia has 2 each £10 and £5 values.  St. Helena is highlighted by the Tristan Relief set – mint and also used blocks!  Sierra Leone  has 2/- Postal Fiscal, K George V - both £5 values.  Togo (British Occupation) shows values to the 1M.  Zanzibar with strong provisional overprints, Dhows to the 200R, and a few rare Postage Dues.

British West Indies

Bahamas shines with a 1863 6d rose-lilac.  Bermuda has a scarce 1873 3d orange and British Guiana with a nice 1853 deep blue 4¢, mint, an 1878 2¢ on 8¢, mint, and a $4 large “4” (Type II).  Cayman Island shows wonderful examples of the 1908 2½d on 4d, mint and used.  The large Falkland Islands section features the 1933 £1:  Specimen, mint & used! Sprinkled among many never hinged items. 

British Asia / Oceania:

New South Wales has a nice mint 1850 1d reddish rose Sydney View.  Tasmania features a choice 1853 pale blue Van Diemen’s land (mint & VF).  Australia highlights include six (!) £2 Kangaroos, as well as a 20/ “slash” Postage Due (the “key” stamp of the country!). Ceylon features a scarce used 1859 dull rose imperf QV plus an 1857 ½d on blue glazed paper, mint;  India includes nice early items and a lovely 1909 K Edward VII 25R, mint.  Iraq includes the rarest used stamp of the area:  1931 25R K Faisal Official!  Jordan shows many nice items including a very rare SG 83b; used.  Malacca has a nice NH Occupation overprint (SG JD16). A strong New Britain overprints including 3 Mark values.  New Zealand shows a nice #2, mint, and a strong section of “O.P.S.O.”s (9 values!).  Penrhyn Island features many scarce 1d varieties (many as pairs); Straits Settlements has a nice 1911 $25 K Edward VII, mint, and Tonga  finishes off the area with a rare “hafl-“ typewritten error

Did I forget some other good stamps or sections?  No doubt!  As always:

Happy hunting and much success to all the bidders!