G.B. OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS 874 ADEN: 1863-87 trio of covers to Aden comprising 1863 with 2d & 4d adhesives, 1881 with 2_d blue pair and 1887 with 5d indigo. Faults but unusual thus. £100 875 FRANCE - REGISTERED MAIL: 1870 (15 June) Cover ex London to Marseille franked at 3/10d (4d orange, 6d lilac x 5, 1/- green - another stamp seems to have been removed) with barred ''R'' obliterations; Calais entry mark and boxed T.P.O. 'cachet descriptif'. Also an 1873 EL with oval Newcastle on Tyne Registration d.s. and franked at 11d rate (1d red, 4d orange & 6d buff); London 'dumb-bell' type registration d.s., Calais entry, s/l ''CHARGÉ'' & ambulant 'cachet descriptif'. Attractive. (2 covers). £85 876 ITALY/USA/FRANCE: 1865 (1st. Feb) EL from London to Sicily franked with 1/- plate 4 pair IK-IJ. 1866 EL from London to N. York franked with 1/- plate 4 IG with circular framed "X", "5/CENTS" and "PAID" h.s. in red. 1869 EL from Liverpool to Paris franked with 4d plate 11 PJ with circular framed "PD" in red and (on reverse) a senders' h.s. £50 877 RUSSIA (BAKU): 1861 (31 Jan.) env. addressed to the Baron de Tornauw at Baku endorsed ''via St Petersburg'', franked with 1/- green cancelled by London duplex, with large ''7_d'' h.s., '' AUS ENGLAND PER AACHEN'' transit mark and Baku arrival c.d.s. all on the front. Faults but a rare destination. [Ex Willcocks]. £75 878 TUNISIA: 1871-75 Quartet of covers addressed to Tunis by the French & Belgian routes and franked with 6d lilac or grey, one has an additional 1d red and boxed ''L1'' late-fee. The two covers sent via France have ambulant entry marks of Calais. An interesting group. (4 covers). £120 879 UNITED STATES: 1864 (1 Oct.) env. registered from London "p Steamer via Cork" to N. York franked with 1862-64 6d & 1/- with framed "LOMBARD STREET/A/REGISTERED LETTER" and a poor "Crown/REGISTERED" h.s. in red. The cover also has oval framed "NEW YORK POST OFFICE/ADVERTISED" & "CANNOT BE FOUND" h.s. plus m/s "2a Notice Oct 24th/3 " " 31", "No Value" and on reverse Cannot be found". Some faults but an interesting and "busy" item. £80 880 WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1876 env. from Portrush to W. Australia franked with 4d vermilion plate 16 x 4. 1876 env. (damaged at top) from Guernsey to W. Australia franked with 6d grey plate 15 GD with a very fine duplex cancel. 1877 env. from Dawlish to W. Australia franked with 8d orange NG (trimmed at left) and an 1880 mourning env. from Dawlish to W. Australia franked with 3d plate 20 RB and 4d sage plate 16 II. Also five other poor items, most of the covers are addressed to Lt. Col. E.D. Harvest who was the Military commandant of W. Australia from 1872-78. £85 881 WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1877 env. from Devonport to Perth, W. Australia franked with 1d plate 183 x 6 tied by Devonport duplex. 1879 env. from Guernsey to W. Australia franked with 1d plate 199 x 6 tied by "324" numeral. 1880 env. from Guernsey to W. Australia franked with 1870 _d plate 19 block of four, OG-PH and 2_d blue plate 19 pair EB-FB with fine Guernsey duplex cancels. All have recipients notes on face and other faults. The items are addressed to Lt. Col. Harvest who arrived in W.A. with his wife and six children on the 15 Aug. 1872 on the Robert Morrison to take up the position of military commandant leaving on the Rob Roy on 17 Nov. 1878. PHOTO - see plate no. 14 £65 882 WORLD-WIDE: 1842-77 small selection of covers inc. 1859 mourning env. from Oswestry to Canada franked with 1855 6d. tied by a fine Oswestry "Spoon" duplex with "d5" struck nearby together with a part "10" h.s. 1864 mourning env. from London to France bearing 1d. plate 83 x 4 with oval framed "PD" in red cancelled with "56" numeral with "INSUFFICIENTLY/STAMPED" struck nearby & 1862 env. from London via Paris and Madrid to Cartagena franked with 1856 6d. (7 items). £100 883 WORLD-WIDE: 1862-80 stamped covers to France, Italy, Switzerland & Argentina, all with Liverpool origins and cancellations, inc. 1862 EL with 4d orange, ''INSUFFICIENTLY/ PREPAID'' h.s. and ''PD'' cancelled by red obliterator; other covers sent with 6d lilac inc. double-weight pair, 1865 8d rate to Buenos Ayres (2d blue + 6d lilac) etc. (6 items). £100 G.B. SPECIAL POSTAL HISTORY CATEGORIES 885 EARLY LETTERS - 1642 PARLIAMENTARY WARRANT FOR CAPTAINS' ARREST: Letter written on board the ship ''Mercury'' ordering the Earl of Warwick, Lord Admiral, to arrest the captains of two ships on guard duty off the coast of Ireland who ''have lately departed that Charge whereby they have opposed his Mats. good subjects in that Kingdome to create danger in this tyme of Rebellion''. Also another letter from 1642 petitioning the Earl of Manchester on behalf of two men summoned to appear before Parliament on a different matter. No address panels but an interesting pair. (2 items). [Ex Willcocks]. £100 886 EXHIBITIONS - 1890 JUBILEE FIRST DAY CANCELLATION with small c.d.s. & star d.s. on part of P.O. Savings Bank book page. Rare thus. [Ex Willcocks]. PHOTO - see plate no. 12 £75 887 EXHIBITIONS - 1924-25 WEMBLEY: An interesting selection of covers (9) and cards (10) with slogans advertising the Exhibition inc. an example of the scarce 1924 Penang type, 1924 India and Bermuda. Fair to fine. £120 888 EXPRESS DESPATCHES: 1880 Permit card & covering letter allowing The Daily Express to collect all foreign despatches in red covers from the London Chief Office, by day or night; card with corner crease otherwise v.fine. Very unusual. (2 items). [Ex Willcocks]. PHOTO - see plate no. 3 £100 889 FREE MAIL - OHMS ARMY OFFICIAL, 1835: EL sent in the name of Lord Fitzroy Somerset from Horse Guards to Versailles, concerning the appointment of an officer; endorsed ''On His Majesty's Service'' &''Commr. in Chief's Office'' and struck with two crowned circle ''FREE'' d.s. French entry and transit marks inc. the circular ''ANGLETERRE PAR CALAIS'' etc. An interesting and unusual lot. PHOTO - see plate no. 14 £100 890 INSTRUCTIONAL HANDSTAMPS: 1852 large env. from Yeovil to Chester franked with 2d. blues x 7 and on reverse is a readable strike of the scarce "Received open and resealed/at the General Post Office" h.s. Scarce but cover damaged. £55 891 LATE FEE: 1860 Paid EL ex London to Sicily at 11d rate with 1d red affixed as late fee and the whole payment recorded as m/s ''1/-'' in red with ''PD'' h.s. alongside; also an 1872 cover to Paris with 3d rose & 1d red pairs and m/s ''double late fee''. An attractive pair. (2 covers). £75 892 LATE FEE: 1875 Env. (corner fault) to Paris with 3d rose and 2d blue as Late Fee payment, boxed ''L2'' nearby; also 1877 EL to Le Hâvre with 2_d mauve (Hambro perfin) and 1d red tied by London ''L1'' hexagonal duplex cancellation. Both with fine entry marks. (2 covers). £65 893 NEWSPAPERS: ''The Evening Post'' several issues of 1715 with articles reporting the Scottish Rising; all are scarce posted examples with Bishop Marks, several have printed Tax Stamps, two were sent under ''Free Frank''. (7 items, one torn). [Ex Willcocks]. £100 894 NEWSPAPERS: 1858 Copy of the ILN addressed to France franked by fine 1d red pair lightly cancelled by London numeral obliterator, with single-circle ''BRIXTON/ACRE LANE'' office h.s. and double-circle ''PD'' mark; Calais entry mark and Bergerac arrival c.d.s. Scarce 2d Foreign Newspaper rate item. £75 895 OFFICIAL MAIL (ADMIRALTY) : 1868 Env. to France with fine blue strike of ''CONTROLLER OF THE NAVYADMIRALTY'' anchor cachet and red ''OFFICIAL PAID/XX'' c.d.s.; red entry c.d.s. of Boulogne. Attractive and scarce. PHOTO - see plate no. 4 £75 896 POSTAL STATIONERY: 1875-76 Pair of 1_d Foreign PCs sent to France before and after she became a member of the GPU - the earlier was uprated with two 1d reds as a consequence. The later card has two tiny holes in one margin, the earlier has soft creasing otherwise condition is very fine; both have French entry marks. A scarce rate. (2 cards). PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £100 897 1911 (22 June) _d Green postal stat. card uprated with _d green & 1d red (2) adhesives ex Notting Hill to Dresden showing First Day of issue cancellations. Fine & scarce. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £100 898 POSTAL STATIONERY - ''SCHOOL SPECIMEN'' OPTS. : c1950-68 Group of postcards, letter-cards, envs. etc. with KGVI/QEII imprints all overprinted or handstamped with ''SCHOOL SPECIMEN''; inc. three ''used'' examples & one with _d stamp (barred opt.) added. Unusual material. (11 items). £80 899 RAILWAY MAIL - T.P.O. INSPECTORS' MARKS: 1859-74 Group of 1d red covers with a range of rare Inspectors' stars; also a 1932 env. showing use of star h.s. to obliterate uncancelled stamp. (8 items). [Ex Willcocks]. £75 900 RAILWAY MAIL - RED ENVELOPES: 1901 P.O. notice regarding the use of red envelopes for non-official purposes and a group of used & unused Newspaper Despatch envs. inc. a 1903 Yorkshire Daily Observer env. to Bradford with GNR News Letter stamp, 1910 red PPC with surcharge etc. plus an article and some letters relevant to the subject. Ex Stitt-Dibden Collection. (12 items etc.) [Ex Willcocks]. £100 901 RAILWAY MAIL: 1902 env. ex Bakewell addressed to Newport (Monmouthshire) franked with KEVII 1d pen-cancelled and overstruck with Derby c.d.s.; pen-cancelled 2d green Midland Railway letter stamp adjacent (faults). £60 902 RAILWAYS: c1903 special red envelope ex Leeds to the Editor of the Observer, Bradford with Midland Railway blue 2d News Correspondence Label. Most attractive. [Ex Willcocks]. £75 903 RAILWAYS - METROPOLITAN RAILWAY: 1928 "Wilson" env. franked with 1925 Wembley Exhibition 1d and 1924-26 _d plus a h.s "3" on 4d scarlet letter stamp tied by a fine "31 JAN 1928" d.s. in the same bright blue colour as the "3". Fine and a scarce railway stamp on cover. PHOTO - see plate no. 14 £100 904 ROYALTY - DUKE OF CUMBERLAND: 1743 EL headed ''Prinz Wilhelm von Engelland'' written in German (by a secretary) and addressed to his grandfather, the Margrave of Brandenburg at Onolzbach; signed ''William''. Impressively-addressed wrapper separated from the letter for display; seal cut away otherwise fine. [Ex Willcocks]. £75 REGISTERED MAIL 905 REGISTERED MAIL: The fascinating accumulation of QV to QEII Registered mail inc. 1918 "Week End Telegram" env. bearing 3d adhesive, 1926 "Ocean Letter" env. with contents, Postage Due covers, 1939 cover to Quebec bearing Coronation 1_d block of 4 plus 2d & 10d defins. with "Yankee Clipper" commemorative cachet, 1939 cover to Sweden with red/white "WAR OFFICE/PERMIT No. C16", instructional, etc. (Approx. 50). £100 906 THE EARLIEST RECORDED 2nd-TYPE LONDON FOREIGN BRANCH "REGISTERED/CROWN" MARK: 1819 (19 Sept.)E (one flap slightly reduced) from Frankfurt (poor red c.d.s. & "CHARGE" on front) to London via Calais with fair red London "REGISTERED/CROWN" (Jay L1127 - previously only recorded from 1820-32 in this colour) and fine red transit "Charge" marks at bottom left of the address. Scarce thus. [Ex Willcocks]. PHOTO - see plate no. 4 £180 907 REGISTERED MAIL: 1830-1908 quartet of registered covers comprising 1830 Money Letter (with contents) from Port Dinorwic to Westmorland, 1864 Parliamentary Notice from Liverpool to Dewsbury bearing 2d & 6d to pay the special Parliamentary rate, 1881 registered cover to New York bearing 1d pair & 2_d blue pair and 1908 postcard to a passenger on the "Lusitania" at Queenstown bearing KEVII _d and 2d plus Registration label cancelled by "YELVERTON" undated circle. (4 covers/cards). £100 908 SCARCE INCOMING DANISH "REGISTERED/CROWN" COVERS: 1844-50 covers (2) from Altona (fine c.d.s.'s) to London with fine orange-red small "CROWN/REGISTERED" marks of London (different types) on the front; charged "4/4" & "6" respectively. A fine pair. [Ex Willcocks]. £120 909 LONDON CASH-PAID MAIL: 1847-8 trio of covers with m/s "Registered" and prepaid rates of "1/1" (with Leigh Street), "1/4" (with Piccadilly C.O.) and "1/6" (with Chancery Lane); plus large EL written from the "N. & S. America Coffee House, City". (4). [Ex Willcocks]. £50 910 BRISTOL SIDEWAYS DUPLEX COVER WITH 6d EMBOSSED: 1855 (Dec.) env. (closed tears do not detract) to London with cut-square 6d Embossed & 1d "Stars" (corner fault, both lightly creased) tied by fine "BRISTOL/134" sideways duplexes. Scarce thus. Also 1d "Stars" off-cover (perf. faults) cancelled by a 66% strike of the black "CROWN/REGISTERED" mark. [Ex Willcocks]. £75 911 THE SCARCE LONDON VERTICAL OVAL "LS/EC" CANCELS, ETC.; 1865-66 pair of covers to India (faults) and the USA with 1865-67 1/- + 4d or 1/- (2) + 4d tied by mostly fine strikes of the scarce "LS/EC" cancels; plus 1873 "OPTICIAN" cover to India with 4d + 1/- tied by fine scarce "WC/39" cancel & 1884-93 regtd. envs. to Europe with the scarce oval "LS" cancels (5, 6 & 8). A good group. (6). [Ex Willcocks]. £80 912 CONTRASTED REGISTERED LETTER RATES TO THE MEDITERRANEAN - SOLDIERS' & FULL RATE: 1857 (Dec.) env. (grubby & 6d stamp lost) from Devonport to a "Band Master, HMS Vulture, Malta or elsewhere", sent at the 1d Concession rate + 6d fee (scarce thus); plus colourful 1859 E (top flap lost & some creasing) to Italy "Via Marsiglia" endorsed "Registered" and so with 1855-57 4d, 6d & 1/- (latter with cut wing margin) tied by fine North Shields "573" numerals (11d postage + 11d fee!) with sanserif London "CROWN/REGISTERED" (Jay L1133; earliest recorded date) and two different "CHARGE" marks. Clear demonstration of benefits of Soldiers' Concession Rate. (2 covers). [Ex Willcocks]. £120 913 STAMPLESS REGISTERED COVER FROM WALES TO CUBA: 1857 Env. (faults) from Wrexham to Havana "Per Steamer" with various rates (confusion at Wrexham) and a fine red London "CROWN/REGISTERED" on the front. Most unusual. [Ex Willcocks]. £60 914 RARE POST-1840 MONEY LETTER ENDORSEMENT ON LOCAL LONDON P.O. O.H.M.S. COVER: 1857 (9 Feb.) long "O.H.M.S. Mail Office" env. with "G.P.O./INSPECTOR GENERAL OF MAILS" imprint on flap, addressed to "J.R. Mowatt Esq., Great Northern Railway Office, King's Cross, N" with neat "Money Letter" endorsement at top left and fine local London "5EV5/FE 9/1857/D" d.s. on the flap. Very late usage of this endorsement. [Ex Willcocks]. £100 915 Similar O.H.M.S. env. from the G.P.O. INSPECTOR OF MAILS to G.N.R. with bold "Money Letter" endorsement on the front and red local London "3An3/MY 2/1857/H" on the flap. [Ex Willcocks]. £100 916 LONDON'S BOXED "NOTICE" & RED "3" MARKS: 1859 Pair of large part notices with fine red London boxed "NOTICE" and matching "3" marks, barely affected by filing cuts. [Ex Willcocks]. £55 917 REGISTERED COVER FROM JOHN RUSKIN TO ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING: 1860 (5 Nov.) env. (slightly grubby) from London to Florence franked by 1855-57 wing margin 1/- green (perf. stains) with sanserif London "CROWN/REGISTERED" alongside; there is a pencil note that the address is in "Ruskin's writing" & a further note assures us that this was "the Mrs. Robert Browning". [Ex Willcocks]. £50 918 SHROPSHIRE NOTICES WITH 3d ROSE-REDS: 1863-65 group of Notice EL's (2 poor) with various 3d adhesives (mostly with faults) ex Shrewsbury (2) & Wellington (3). One endorsed "Dead" & one (poor) with printed "Parliamentary Notice". Scarce group. (5 covers). [Ex Willcocks]. £60 919 1/6d RATES FROM LIVERPOOL TO ITALY: 1864-66 pair of covers to Turin/Genoa "per direct Mail" and "Via France", both at the 1/6d rates but franked with 1d reds (2) plus 1862-4 4d + 1/- or 1865-67 6d's (3; pl.5), all tied by "466" numerals; the first with fine London "CROWN/REGISTERED", the other with fine dumb-bell "REGISTERED/PD/LONDON" d.s. Scarce pair. [Ex Willcocks]. £80 920 NORFOLK NOTICES: 1865 local Lynn Notice EL (stains) with 1d red strip of 3 (one creased) endorsed "Left Lynn 12 months..." on flap, 1880 EL with 3d rose-red (faults) tied by "SWAFFHAM" c.d.s. and 1880 local Swaffham Notice with strip of three 1d Venetian reds (two torn) tied by duplexes. Scarce trio. [Ex Willcocks]. £60 921 EARLY UPRATED 2d REGISTERED ENVELOPES TO S./N AMERICA AND EUROPE: 1878-83 usages to Peru (some staining but rare - from Liverpool with scarce 4d grey-brown), N.York (perfin 3d rose-red ex London), Austria (ex London with 2_d blue), Belgium (1881-83 ex London/Newcastle with 2_d blues; latter with early red "Belgique R" label applied on arrival) & Germany (ex Liverpool x 2, ex London x 2 & ex Stockport with fine squared circle on 2_d blue). A useful lot. (10). [Ex Willcocks]. £80 922 SCOTTISH JUBILEE ISSUE COVERS: 1887 usage of the 2d reg. env. to Belgium (red "R" label) with dumb cork cancels on 2_d Jubilees (2) having fine crowned oval "REGISTERED/AT GLASGOW" d.s.'s in red & in black on the front; plus attractive April 1902 env. to the USA with 4_d Jubilee (2) + 3d tied by fine "HADDINGTON" c.d.s. (2). [Ex Willcocks]. £60 923 THE PARCEL POST "R" IN OVAL LABELS USED ON LETTERS, ETC.: 1896-1900 covers (8, mostly ex London) with various "R/Fee paid" labels (forerunners of the 1907 introduction of G.B. "R" labels) plus one front & c.50 loose labels. [Ex Willcocks]. £50 924 KGV BLUE-LINED 4_d REGISTERED ENVELOPE MINT & USED: Fine pair of Huggins RP(43)F mint & used registered envelopes. Rated by Whitworth at £175 unused & £75 used. (2). [Ex Willcocks]. £50 UNIFORM 4d POSTAGE PERIOD 926 5th DECEMBER 1839 - FIRST DAY COVER CHARGED AT LOW DISTANCE 2d RATE; 5th Dec. 1839 EL (clearly dated at head of contents) from "MERE" (partial UDC across wax seal) to Shaftesbury with a mostly very fine "HINDON/DE 5/1839" c.d.s. on the top flap, charged "2" in black manuscript on the front (for the "up to 8 miles" distance, and the same rate as would have been charged the day before) because rates below 4d were unchanged upon the introduction of Uniform 4d Postage on 5th Dec. 1839. Remarkable First Day cover showing the old low rate. Very rare. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £150 927 THE ENGLISH HANDSTRUCK "4" MARK OF LEOMINSTER ; Very fine 27th Dec. 1839 EL to Birmingham with a very fine strike of the Distinctive Handstruck "4" Mark of Leominster (Willcocks/Jay HF309) nicely placed on the front, having a mostly fine "LEOMINSTER/DE27/1839" c.d.s. on the reverse across the join. Very few examples known; a most attractive Exhibition Quality cover. [Ex Barrie Jay.] PHOTO – INSIDE FRONT COVER £1500 928 IRELAND - BELFAST COVER TO SCOTLAND WITH GLASGOW HANDSTRUCK "4" & OVAL FRAMED "Ship Letter/(crown)/GLASGOW" MARKS; Exceptional 28th Dec. 1839 EL (turned and re-used, having been sent by private means to Belfast) from "Belfast" to Edinburgh, carried by private ship to Glasgow and posted there. Under the new regulations, there was no extra charge for the "SHIP LETTER" fee; this was because of the 4d MAXIMUM RATE for any letter (that did not exceed _oz in weight) sent within the British Isles at this date. Rare; one of only a handful of known examples Exhibition Piece. [c.f. Cavendish's 6th Dec. 1997 auction, lot 946 from the same correspondence, which sold for £460.] PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £300 929 THE DUNDEE HANDSTRUCK "4" MARK; 27th Dec. 1839 E to Balerno with a fine Dundee Handstruck "4" (light fold & just clear of a crease in need of ironing), having a partly fine "DUNDEE" boxed d.s. (overstruck by Edinburgh arrival c.d.s.) on the top flap. Seldom seen; this is a much rarer mark than those of Edinburgh & Glasgow. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £120 930 EDINBURGH HANDSTRUCK "4" ON SPECTACULAR RETURNED COVER; Attractive 7th Jan. 1840 EL from Edinburgh to Markinch with a very fine black Edinburgh h.s. "4" (hint of a horiz. fold does not detract) on the front, beside the bright red P.O. endorsement; "Every enquiry been made but no such gentleman known at or about Markinch. W.C., Pmr." Rare thus and a fine Exhibition Piece. PHOTO - see plate no. 4 £150 931 GLASGOW HANDSTRUCK "4" & PAIR OF STRANRAER SUPPOSEDLY H.S. "4" COVERS; 16th Dec. 1839 EL from Glasgow to Kirkcaldy with v. fine large Glasgow h.s. "4"; plus 17th/22nd Dec. 1839 pair of EL's from New Luce & "Byne" () to nearby "Culhorn House by Stranraer" with no postal marks except for faint reddish-brown "4" marks of different shapes and sizes, but WITH NO OTHER POSTAL MARKS, and so presumably privately carried covers that have been enhanced with the addition of supposedly "handstruck" four marks. [No Stranraer h.s. "4" mark has yet been recorded.] (3 covers). £75 932 DUBLIN HANDSTRUCK "4" COVER; 16th Dec. 1839 internal Irish EL from Dublin (fine red diamond d.s. on top flap) to "Horseleap, Kilbeggan" with a very fine large Dublin Handstruck "4" mark (horiz. crease) on the front and a very fine "KILBEGGAN" arrival c.d.s. nicely placed on the top flap. Attractive example of this very scarce 4d-Post mark, and unusual on an internal Irish cover. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £150 933 4d-POST PERIOD COVER WITH "RETURND. FROM/WOODBRIDGE" & "Bridgewater/Penny Post" MARKS; Exceptional 10th Dec. 1839 E to "Melford, Suffolk" with a black manuscript "4" on the front and fine "Bridgewater/Penny Post" on the top flap, also having a mostly very fine strike of the rare Missent Mail "RETURND FROM/WOODBRIDGE" mark on the front. The only 4d-Post "RETURNED" mark that we can recall having seen and an amazing combination of scarce marks. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £150 934 SCOTTISH MANUSCRIPT "4" COVER ENDORSED "Dead" PLUS ALMOST CONTEMPORARY "DEAD LETTER OFFICE" WRAPPER; 3rd Jan. 1840 E from Elgin to Stonehaven with red manuscript "Dead" on the front with the black m/s "4" charge; plus 17th Jan. 1840 "G.P.O. EDINBURGH" "Dead Letter Office Returned Letter" wrapper charged "4" and addressed to Blairgowrie. Rare pair. (2 covers). £75 935 Similar "Not Known" cover sent within Shropshire with the matching London "Returned Letter/Dead Letter Office" wrapper; 27th Nov./3rd Dec. 1839 EL charged "4" (just before the 4d-Post Period; the rate for 8 to 15 miles) from "ELLESMERE" (partly fine UDC on lower flap) to "Fron" with fine 3rd Dec. "OSWESTRY" c.d.s. and red m/s "Not Known"; plus the matching 19th Dec. 1839 returned letter wrapper sent from London to the sender in Ellesmere and charged "4"(d). Rare matched pair spanning the introduction of Uniform Postage. (2 covers). £75 936 Similar matched pair; 14th Dec. 1839 EL from "WELLS SOMERSET" (fine c.d.s. across join) to Windsor (fine 21st Dec. 1839 c.d.s.) charged "4" but with manuscript "Gone Away" on the front; plus the matching 13th Jan. 1840 London "Returned Letter/Dead Letter Office" wrapper addressed back to the sender in Wells and charged "4". A rare pair spanning the 4d-Post & 1d-Post Periods. £75 937 SCOTLAND - LOCAL 1d-RATE COVERS OF THE 4d-POSTAGE PERIOD; 5th Jan. 1840 EL from "STONEHAVEN" to Aberdeen with red crayon "P1", 23rd Dec. 1839 E with local Edinr. handstruck "1" in black, and remarkable matched pair of local Edinr. covers posted on the same day (31st Dec. 1839) unpaid (v. fine black h.s. "1") and prepaid (red m/s "1" with "PAID at EDINR" c.d.s.). (4 covers). £75 938 LEGAL & "ILLEGAL" 2d-POST COVERS OF THE 4d-POST PERIOD; 27th Dec. 1839 EL (spike-hole in address panel) from Stafford to Stone only charged "2" being less than 8 miles distance, 7th Jan. 1840 EL from London to Penistone via Leeds charged "4" and then "6" being the extra local Postmaster's 2d charge, and similarly charged (extra 2d) Penistone covers of 1833, 11th Jan. 1840 (rare 2nd Day of 1d Postage) and 6th March 1840. (5 covers). £100 939 IRELAND - 4d POSTAGE PERIOD 3d-RATE LETTER FROM "ABBEYLEIX"; Unusual 9th/10th Dec. 1839 EL (small closed tear in address panel clear of marks) to "Castlecomer" with a fine straight line "ABBEYLEIX" on the lower flap and charged "3" in black on the front (the 7 to 15 miles rate that was peculiar to Ireland and which was unaffected by the 4d Post Period), having mostly fine 10th Dec. c.d.s.'s of "DURROW" & "CASTLECOMER" also on the lower flap. Rare thus; few examples of the non-London 3d-rate are known from the 4d Postage Period. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £85 940 PREPAID DOUBLE RATE COVER WITH LIVERPOOL "" INSPECTOR's MARK; 31st Dec. 1839 E to Macclesfield with boxed "PAID AT/LIVERPOOL" and red manuscript "8" (over _oz & up to 1oz rate) on the front, having a fine Liverpool c.d.s. and matching orange-red "" mark on the flaps. Few heavier letters such as this were prepaid during the 4d Postage Period. Rare thus. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £120 941 SCOTLAND - Similar prepaid 8d-rate cover; 28th Dec. 1839 E to Edinburgh with red m/s "8" and fair red boxed "PAID at/GREENOCK" on the front for the over _oz & up to 1oz rate. £60 942 ISLE OF WIGHT - COWES SHIP LETTER WITH F.A.C.; Oct. 1839 EL (closed tear in flap) from Rio (Brazil) to London per "Alwine", charged "1/-" (8d Ship Letter rate plus Uniform 4d Inland Postage) with superb black oval "FORWARDED/BY/WM. STUART DAY/COWES" F.A.C. on the top flap, beside a very fine orange-red downward step-type "SHIP LETTER/COWES" (Rob.S4; very scarce - just affected by closed tear). Spectacular and a rare example of the 4d-Post Period 1/- Ship Letter rate. PHOTO - see plate no. 4 £150 943 INNER HEBRIDES - THE RARE OVER 1oz 2s-8d UNPAID RATE; 16th Dec. 1839 EL from "Bowmore" (Islay island) to Inverary with a poor black "BOWMORE" mileage removed mark on the top flap, charged "2/8" in black manuscript being unpaid and weighing over 1oz & up to 2oz. If prepaid, this letter would only have cost 1s-4d. Rare; surprisingly few such heavier unpaid letters have been recorded from the Uniform 4d Postage Period. PHOTO - see plate no. 16 £100