Great Britain
Friday 26 September 2003
SALE 645
* = ONLY lots with their lot numbers prefixed by one star are subject to V.A.T. at 17·5%. ** = ONLY lots with their lot numbers prefixed by two stars are subject to V.A.T. at 5%. PLEASE NOTE: All lots in this auction are subject to the Buyers’ Premium of 15% (plus V.A.T. where appropriate) on their hammer prices. ALL BIDS WILL BE TAKEN AS EXCLUSIVE OF THIS PREMIUM
CARTONS AND BOXES
1957 TWO CARTONS containing an extensive accumulation of stamps & covers inc. FDC's & Presentation Packs. Some Channel Islands & IOM noted. Total "Face" value of the decimal mint issues is £195. (Large Qty.). ## £180
1958 THREE CARTONS containing the extensive & varied collection/accumulation of stamps, covers, etc. in various albums, stockbooks, etc. Well worth careful inspection. (Qty.). £150
1959 TWO CARTONS containing the extensive unused & used collection of PHQ cards with issues almost up to the present day. (Approx. 800). £150
1960 TWO CARTONS containing the extensive early to modern collection in various albums, stockbooks, cover albums, etc.(Qty.). £120
1961 LARGE CARTON containing the extensive accumulation on leaves, in two cover albums, loose, etc. (Qty.). £75
1962 CARTON containing the untouched stock of a retired dealer. We note 2 x 1840 1d blacks (faults) and much strength in QV Surface-printed, Jubilee & KEVII used issues, some Sea horses and other KGV interest, later with much KGVI & pre-decimal QEII. A number of useful mint items noted from all QV Jubilee values & with much useful KGV in evidence. Some fiscals noted. Very disorganised - as received by us. (Qty.). £600
1963 CARTON containing the extensive collection housed in five albums. Major interest in mint QEII decimal issues with a total "Face" value of £558. (Qty.). ## £450
1964 CARTON containing the extensive collection of stamps & covers including a 3‡ margin 1d black on cover but with main emphasis on pre-decimal QEII. (Qty.). £150
1965 CARTON containing an extensive accumulation of FDC's (c80) & modern mint issues (total "Face" value £187) in packets. (Qty.). ## £140
1966 CARTON: Miscellaneous accumulation inc, substantial group of 19th century telegrams (many Worcestershire items), 17pp coach road plans ex Cary's Itinerary (1812), 1843 PO inter-office memo, binder of Coffee House material plus another of unused postal stationery, 1890s 'Philatelic Chronicle' (2), 'Stamford Mercury' cut-outs with scarce historical booklet etc. Useful. (Qty). £80
1967 SHOEBOX containing the untidy mint & used range on stockcards, etc. Strength in KEVII/KGV period with some useful items noted (Seahorses to 10/- used, KGVI 10/- dark blue mint, etc.). Rather messy but potentially rewarding. (Qty.). £300
ALBUMS AND STOCKBOOKS
1968 TWO ALBUMS comtaining a wide-ranging 1840-1976 mint and used written up collection with much of interest inc. two good used 1d blacks & 2d blues, other useful line engraved, good surface printed section, mint QV Jubilee basic set lacking only 1/- dull green, very useful KEVII inc. high values, strong KGV section inc. a good group of used 'Sea horses' and wmk. varieties, useful KGVI inc. 10/- dark blue mint & 1951 high value set, fine early QEII particularly high values and wmk./printing varieties inc. mint blocks, many early cylinder blocks, wartime Channel Islands, good groups of 'regional' issues and much besides. (Several 100's). £1200
1969 TWO ALBUMS containing the QV-QEII mint & used collection from a fair 1840 1d including useful surface-printed issues, KEVII 5/- used (fair), KGV to 10/- used (2, fair), KGVI to £1 used (2), RSW £1 mint, etc. Fair to fine. (Qty.). £150
1970 THREE SG MINOR ALBUMS containing the KGV to QEII mainly used collection inc. 1934 re-engraved set x 2, 1951-69 p dues to £1, 1942 3d propaganda forgery and a good range of QEII commemorative issues. (Small Qty.). £120
1971 THREE STOCKBOOKS containing the extensive accumulation of QV to QEII issues. Strength in the latter with £102 worth of decimal "Face" value but with a few useful QV types noted. (Qty.). £100
1972 TWO ALBUMS containing the early to modern mint & used collection. Strength in mint QEII decimal issues with a "Face" value of £110. (Qty.). £90
1973 ALBUM containing the untidy mint and used collection inc.mint/unused 1841 1d 1864 1d plate 158 marginal block of twelve, 1912-22 ‡d to 1/-, 1922-24 ‡d to 1/-, 1902-10 values to 1/- inc. 10d 1911 corner pair with "cuts", 1913 1d, 1934-36 photogravure set, 1924 & 1925 Wembley sets, 1937-47 ‡d to 1/-, 1939-48 2/6d to £1, 1951 2/6d to £1 and 1948 RSW £1. The used inc. 1867 2/- brown (poor), 1867 5/- and 1883-85 10/-, 1d plates to 224, and a duplicated KEVII to KGVI selection with some watermark varieties. (Qty.). £500
1974 ALBUM containing the extenisve Qv-QEII chiefly used collection from 1840 1d (good margins all round) & 2d (fair only) with useful later Line-engraved & an extensive selection of Surface-printed values including many useful types, QV £1 green (boxed Telegraphic cancel), KEVII to £1 (small closed tear) and extensive later ranges to 1970. Poor to fine. (Sev. 100's). £500
1975 STOCKBOOK containing the extensive QV-QEII duplicated accumulation. Largely defins. inc. 1840 1d (4, poor to fair) & 2d (2, faults) with a number of high values noted throughout. Condition mixed but a useful lot which warrants careful examination. (Many 100's). £300
1976 STOCKBOOK containing the chiefly used accumulation/collection inc. much QV-KGVI period with a number of high values and useful "Back of the Book" items. (Qty.). £240
1977 STOCKBOOK containing the interesting QV-QEII accumulation/collection inc. 1840 1d (2, faults), a good range of later QV issues, useful KGV/KGVI, etc. Well worth close perusal. (Qty.). £200
1978 ALBUM containing the mint collection of decimal issues with a total "Face" value of £172.81. (Qty.). £150
1979 STOCKBOOK containing the mint & used accumulation with strength inn KGVI inc. 1939-48 set to £1, Festival sets (2) to £1 & RSW £1. (Small Qty.). £100
1980 SG. PRINTED ALBUM containing a used collection of Twentieth Century issues with some useful bits & pieces in evidence. (Few 100's). £60
1981 MINT COLLECTION on leaves with much of interest including KGV to 1/- (3), KGVI to 1/-, a good range of Wildings including graphites and phosphor-graphites, useful commems., etc. (Few 100's). £150
SMALLER COLLECTIONS
1982 MISCELLANY INC. 1d BLACK PIECE, MINT 1d REDS BLOCK & KGVI "SPECIMEN" 2s-6d GREEN; Apr. 1841 piece with fine 4m 1d Black tied by black MC with v. fine red "WIRKSWORTH" (Derbys.) c.d.s. alongside, 1855 LC14 Die II Alph. III 1d Red mounted mint Block of Eight (QK-TL; 3 creased), and KGVI 1942 2/6 yellow-green o.p. "SPECIMEN" (type 23) with minor foxing. Scarce trio. (3 items). PHOTO £100
1983 RETIRED DEALER'S STOCK of 1d reds with the emphasis on 1841 imperfs and a lesser quantity of perforated issues. Some 38 (Mainly imperfs) covers and a lot of postmark and potential plating interest. A great lot for the student - unsorted by us. (Some 100's). £240
1984 MISCELLANY: The assorted used mixture inc. advertising rings (4 cut round), perfins, underprints and overprints with Company names, telegraphs inc. a fair £1 & £5 and revenues to 6d. Very mixed condition. (60+). £150
1985 COLLECTION of line-engraved issues on album leaves inc. fourteen 1841 1d reds printed from the black plates and a wide range of perforated 1d reds from different plates. (Approx. 150). £120
1986 MISCELLANY of "better" QV items on stockcards comprising 1840 2d blue used (2, both with 3‡ margins), 1867 9d wing margined examples (one with "LIVERPOOL EXCHANGE" c.d.s. & 1878 6d used with c.d.s.. cancel. Fair to fine. (5). £100
1987 MISCELLANY on stockcards inc. 1925 Wembleys mint & KGVI 10/- dark blue mint. (Small Qty.). £75
1988 MISCELLANY comprising 1924 Wembley sets (15) mint (some with black offset on reverse & some foxed), a sheet of 1/- brown Telephone stamps and a small group of Harrison & Sons presentation cards (Victory, Olympics x 2 & QEII Coronation). An interesting little lot. (Small Qty.). £75
1989 MISCELLANY on stockleaves, etc. inc. useful QV (with a few Officials noted), KEVII 2/6d, 5/- & 10/- used (faults), KGV Sea Horses (7, very mixed condition), etc. (Small Qty.). £75
1990 1840-87 Small mint and used selection inc. 1840 1d plate 4 , CA cancelled in black, 2d plate 1, FA fair only, 1847-54 cut-square embossed 6d to 1/-, 1867 10d "SPECIMEN" and a regummed unused example (thinned). Very mixed condition but worth examination. (32). £180
1991 1853-59 The used collection with much in above average condition inc. 1841-54 1d (23, inc. examples with "7" in MC and blue MC cancels), 2d (3), 1d plate 100 QK perf 16 by Archer, 2d plate 4 SC16 (2) & perf 14, 2d plate 5 SC16, SC14, LC14 & LC16, 2d plate 6 LC14 & LC16 and a good range of 1d shades. The cancellations inc. "Opera Glass" (adhesive poor), Liverpool "pin" c.d.s, Salisbury "683/E" and large "W". An interesting lot. (70+). £400
1992 1912-36 The small mint selection inc. 1917 7d sage block of four, 1929 PUC ‡d to 1‡d control strips & 1939 10/- dark blue. Mostly fine. (80+). £50
1993 1939-58 The small mint and used selection inc. mint 1939-48 2/6d green block of four, 2/6d brown, 5/-, 10/- ultramarine and £1, 1951 2/6d to £1, 1948 RSW £1, 1959 Graphite line 1‡d booklet pane with inv. watermark (trimmed at foot), 1957 and 1958 Graphites plus 1959 phosphor graphites. Mostly fine some unmounted. (Small Qty.). £100
1994 LONDON NUMBERS IN MALTESE CROSS: A complete set of numbers cancelling 1841 1d reds; adhesives are in mixed condition but cancellations are mainly very clear. (12). £90
POSTAL REFORMS
1995 EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH POSTAL RATE FOR PRE-1800 MAIL; 10 May 1765 EL (minor flap tears and some wear at corners, neatly folded clear of address panel) from "Paris" to Edinburgh "via London" and so with the amazingly high postal charge of "2‡ [Oz] In [All] 13N4" on the front, being 8s-4d from Paris to London (10 times the ºoz rate of 10d) plus 5s-0d on to Edinburgh from London (10 times the 6d ºoz rate), having a mostly fine "MA/13" London Foreign Branch arrival Bishop Mark across the join on the reverse. Believed to be the highest recorded pre-1790 British Postal Charge. [Ex Edith Faulstitch.] PHOTO £150
1996 FIRST DAY COVER OF THE NEW 1801 POSTAL RATES SENT FROM SALISBURY TO LONDON; Remarkable 5th April 1801 EL (clearly dated filing note; folded for diplay with the fine 6 April London arrival c.d.s. and very fine "SALISBUIRY" mark on the reverse) posted from Salisbury to London on the day that the new Postal Rates under the 1801 Postal Act came into force, viz. 5th April 1801. The postal rate on 4th April 1801 was 6d for distances of 61-100 miles but 7d from 5th April 1801 for distances from 81-120 miles (Salisbury was measured at 84/85 miles to the capital at the time); perhaps the P.O. was kind to Postmasters who got the new rates wrong for the first day after their introduction?! The only Prestamp Postal Rates FDC that we can recall having seen. Important P.H. item. PHOTO £200
1997 VERY RARE £1+ INLAND POSTAL RATE ON 7-OUNCE (28 TIMES ºOz RATE!) COVER FROM YORKSHIRE TO LONDON; 30 Aug. 1812 E (filing note that it was the "Cover of Papers recd. 31st Aug. 1812" from Thornthwaite parish; usual filing creases but just fits an album-page) addressed to London with a faint red "OTLEY/209" mileage mark on the front and a fine red 2-ring London 31 Aug. arrival c.d.s. on the top flap; the letter was endorsed "7oz" and charged "£1.5s.8d" postage, being 28 times the single ºoz rate of 11d! This would equate to some £400 for this single letter in today's money!! This is one of only a handful of recorded inland British Prestamp covers charged above £1 in postage. It proves just how outrageous the high "War Rates" of postage had become by 1812, that were to be so criticised by Rowland Hill and his followers in the 1830s. [Ex Martin Willcocks & James Grimwood-Taylor.] PHOTO - see plate no. £300
1998 THE HIGHEST RECORDED PRESTAMP POSTAL RATE FROM THE WEST INDIES - "£5-8-4" CHARGE ON COVER FROM JAMAICA; 17 Aug. 1817 E (toned fold across middle - complete paper wrapper for some legal documents, 22x20 cms. - just fits an abum-page) to London endorsed "p. the Duke of York Packet" and "12‡ Oz"; having a very fine (for this) "JAMAICA/17AU17/1817" Fleuron c.d.s. on the reverse, beside a 25 Oct. 1812 London arrival c.d.s. (tear) and so charged "£5.8.4" (reduced from "£5.8.6" with authorising Inspector's signature "Jn. E. Bryan"!) Astonishingly high postal rate (50 times the 2s-2d ºoz Packet rate!); we have recorded only two higher Prestamp rates on mail to or from G.B., and this is the highest Postal Rate of any West Indies cover that we have seen. Dramatic Exhibition Item. [Ex Patrick & Bob Swarbrick.] PHOTO £500
1999 "WATERFORD/SHIP LETTER" 1d-RATE NEWSPAPER WRAPPER ADDRESSED TO THE POSTAL REFORMER, ROBERT WALLACE; Unusual 26 Apr. 1837 open-ended wrapper (minor toning; presumably originally containing a newspaper) - country of origin not known - addressed to "Wallace Esqr., M.P., House of Commons, London", having a very fine "WATERFORD/SHIP-LETTER" mark on the front, matching the very fine 26 April "WATERFORD/E" c.d.s. on the flap, beside a very fine 29 April London arrival c.d.s. The cover was charged "2" in error and then "1d", which suggests that it originally contained a newspaper sent by private ship, from a country which had a reciprocal arrangment with Britain for similarly favourable rates for international newspaper postage. [See David Robinson's "For the Port & Carriage of Letters", p.203. Similar incoming newpapers from countries without the reciprocal arrangements were subject to 2d postage instead of 1d, hence (presumably) the confusion over this item's postal rate.] Very rare example of a pre-1840 1d Postage Rate for international mail, which may have been kept by Robert Wallace among his papers relating to Postal Reform research. PHOTO £300
2000 RARE AUCHTERARDER USAGE OF THE SCOTTISH "POSTAGE RETURN" SENT FREE WITH PRINTED LISTS OF POSTAL RATE REDUCTIONS DUE TO PRESSURE FROM POSTAL REFORMERS; 10 Dec. 1838 partly printed EL sent Free with totally printed "Postage Return./C.F. REEVES, Esq./GLASGOW" address, having a very fine boxed "AUCHTERARDER" d.s. on the flap. The contents are completed with a manuscript list of all the other Scottish P.O.'s to which the postal rates charged from Auchterarder have recently been (or are soon to be) reduced, thanks to pressure from Postal Reformers! As the printed heading puts it:- "Postage on letters shall in future be calculated according to the distance by the nearest [= shortest] travelled Carriage Road...."!! Some 22 destinations are listed, all of which were to have their postal rates significantly reduced; 4 had already been reduced inc. that to Kinross (from 7d to 5d!). It was a real Postal Reform and this is a rare internal P.O. Free item. [We have only seen one other example of this return; which was sold in Cavendish's July 2003 aucrion, lot 277, for £299.] £200
2001 THE VERY RARE RED MERCANTILE PAPERS SMALL RED WINDOW-POSTER PRINTED BY CHARLES WHITING; April 1839 fancy window-pane-sized (29x22.5 cms.; just fits an album-page) Poster printed in red (with small "WHITING, LONDON" imprint below the text at each side) produced in a very limited quanity by the Mercantile Committee on Postage (under Henry Cole's direction) to encourage people to put pressure on Parliament to vote for Penny Postage:- "PETITIONS TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS & COMMONS FOR THE UNIFORM PENNY POSTAGE, Recommended by the Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, LIE HERE FOR SIGNATURES." The M.C.P. only printed 500 of these posters and only a handful have survived in the sets of "Mercantile Papers" given to each Committee member after the successful end of the Campaign. Superb and Highly Important Exhibition Item in marvellous condition; one of only three examples in private hands. [Ex the George Moffatt set of the 'Mercantile Papers'.] PHOTO £1500
2002 VERY RARE PRINTED "PENNY POSTAGE" NOTICE SENT BY POST WITH "Bedale/Penny Post" MARK; 26 April 1839 EL (fault at top left of contents just clear of text) to "Jno. Hammond Esq., Burton West", having a very fine rare script-type "Bedale/Penny Post" mark on the front with manuscript "1" charge, having a fine boxed "No.1" RH mark of Leyburn on the top flap. The contents are an album-page size printed notice (published by "FALL" of Leyburn who also happened to be the Postmaster of this north Yorkshire town!), promoting the petitioning of Parliament in favour of Penny Postage. The text reads as follows:- "PENNY POSTAGE. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A MEETING IF Gentlemen, Tradesmen, Farmers, and others, WILL BE HELD IN THE TOWN HALL, LEYBURN, On FRIDAY next, the 3rd of MAY, AT 2 O'CLOCK, To take into consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament to adopt MR. ROWLAND HILL'S PLAN OF A GENERAL PENNY POSTAGE. LEYBURN, Friday, 26th April, 1839." Spectacular Exhibition Item. Very rare privately produced pro-Postal Reform item from the months before Penny Postage was adopted by Parliament. The only such circular that has been recorded. [Ex James Grimwood-Taylor; illustrated in his 1990 "British Postal Reforms", p.36..] PHOTO - see plate no. £750
2003 'THE TIMES' for 4th-12th July, 1839: Six complete issues of the newspaper containing the text of the Mercantile Papers, an outline of Rowland Hill's plans, letters from Hill 'On the Collection of Postage by means of Stamps', financial statements to the House of Commons etc. Some edge wear and 'magic' tape repairs but generally fine. (6). £70
2004 'THE TIMES' for 18th & 29th July, 1839: Two complete issues of the newspaper containing the text of John Dickinson's letter entitled "Remarks on the mode of carrying into effect the Reduction of Postage" plus further letters from Dickinson and Sir James Williams continuing the debate. The odd edge fault and 'magic' tape repair but generally fine. (2). £70
2005 'THE TIMES' between 13th July & 6th August, 1839: Five issues of the newspaper during this period with much concerning the Penny Post debate incl. reports of the Lords' and Commons' debates on postal duties and penny postage. Generally fine though with the occasional repair as in previous lots. (2). £70
2006 'THE TIMES' for 6th Sept. & 31st Oct., 1839: Two compete issues containing the Treasury Minute announcing adoption of the concept of Uniform Penny Postage and launching the Treasury Competition with a statement in the later issue that 2,000 replies had been received by the deadline. Some paper ageing but generally fine. (2). £70
2007 'THE TIMES' for 12th November, 1839 which includes a detailed three column "Report on the French Post Office' by Rowland Hill setting out his findings after a visit to Paris to investigate the French system and incl. statistical tables setting out comparative receipts etc. Fine. £60
2008 'THE TIMES' between 10th & 24th December, 1839: Three issues of the newspaper from this period which include various letters on aspects of postal reform such as the lack of security, local delivery, arguing against double-rate postage due charges, postmen leaving letters under door knockers etc. Some paper ageing but generally fine. £70
2009 'THE TIMES' for 27th December, 1839: Complete issue containing a full column report on Introduction of the Penny Post including the various options to be put before the public such as stamped sheets, labels & envelopes, the new rates, late fees, continuing privileges, ship letter fees etc.+ a short letter re. problems caused by the abolition of the franking privilege. Some paper ageing but mainly fine. £70
2010 PREPAID FIRST DAY COVER OF UNIFORM PENNY POSTAGE WITH LONDON HANDSTRUCK "1" MARKING; 9 Jan. 1840 EL (written on the 9th but wisely held back for posting until the 10th Jan. to save postage) posted on the First Day of Uniform 1d Postage, 10 Jan. 1840, with a very fine large red Handstruck "1" of London (faint "1py P. Paid" mark also on the front) on the front, slightly overlapping a mostly very fine matching "PAID/10 JA 10/1840 " tombstone datestamp (both just crossed by fold) on the front. Rare; very few Handstruck "1" Covers of any kind have been recorded posted on this Famous First Day. [Ex Hugh Feldman.] PHOTO £500
2011 FIRST DAY OF UNIFORM 1d POSTAGE - PREPAID OUTGOING 1s-4d RATE COVER TO BELGIUM; 6th-10th Jan. 1840 EL (interesting contents, almost a week in the writing) sent from London to Brussels, prepaid "1/4" with a fine London Foreign Branch "LONDON" c.d.s. of 10 Jan. 1840 (the First Day of Uniform Penny Postage) on the top flap, with 11/12 Jan. 1840 datestamps of Ostende & Brussels alongside; charged a further "10" on arrival. The writer comments that he started the letter on Monday but could not finish it until "Friday...this is the first of the Penny Post days". Rare thus; we have only recorded one other outgoing overseas letter posted on this famous date. Important Exhibition Item. PHOTO £750
2012 VERY RARE FIRST DAY USAGE OF THE 1d "HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT" ENVELOPE; 16 Jan. 1840 usage of the front of the 1d Black "To be posted at the Houses of Parliament only./Post Paid.--One Penny.--Weight not to exceed ‡ oz." envelope (minor creasing and slightly reduced) to Wolverhampton signed "Tho. Thornely", with a fine red London crowned Official Paid "PAID/16 JA 16/1840/+" c.d.s. One of only a handful of recorded Houses of Parliament Envelope First Day Usages, posted on the first day of the new Parliamentary Session after the start of Uniform Penny Postage, 16 Jan. 1840, which was the first day on which these Houses of Parliament envelopes could be used. The First Day of All British First Days - this form of Official Postal Stationery being issued more than three months earlier than the 1d Black and Mulready! PHOTO £750
2013 THE VERY RARE 2d BLACK "HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT" ENVELOPE; 21 (?) Feb. 1840 usage of the front of the very rare "To be posted at the Houses of Paliament only./Post Paid.--Two-Pence.--Weight not to exceed 1 oz." envelope (reduced around edges, but with rare "HARRIS/&/[T]REMLETT/1839" wmk.) addressed to Perth with a light red London crowned "PAID" c.d.s. on the front. All the 2d values of these envelopes are incredibly rare. [A complete example was sold by Cavendish in Dec. 1995 for £14,300.] PHOTO £850
2014 HOUSE OF LORDS 1d RED ENVELOPE - THE UNIQUE "MORE TO PAY" USAGE; Exceptional 3 March 1840 usage of the very rare "(Temporary.)/To be posted at the HOUSE OF LORDS only./Post Paid.--ONE PENNY.-- Weight not to exceed ‡ oz." 1d Red envelope (light creasing along top, barely affecting heading), addressed to Durham and correctly initialled "JRC" by the sender, the Bishop of Durham (sealed with his red wax seal). The envelope has a very fine red London crowned Official Paid "PAID" c.d.s. on the front, but also has a very fine matching 2-ring "MORE/TO/PAY" mark with manuscript "More to pay", a bold manuscript "1" charge and tiny Inspector's initials alongside. The enclosures in the envelope clearly meant that it weighed above ‡oz and so the charge was made. One or two examples of the 2d House of Lords envelope have been recorded, but this is the only Underpaid example of any of the special Parliamentary envelopes that we have recorded. Marvellous Exhibition Item. PHOTO £5000
2015 ROWLAND HILL - AUTOGRAPH MEMORANDUM REF. THE LACK OF UNIVERSAL 1d POSTAGE IN 1840/1; 18 Jan. 1841 small slip of paper with an Important memo. written in Rowland Hill's distinctive hand-writing regarding the impossibility of knowing just how many people were not living in areas that had "P.O. deliveries" (and so had to pay extra to local enterprise for delivery of their letters beyond the official postal system). Rare insight into the fact that Penny Postage was not as Universal as is usually thought in the first year of its operation. The note reads as follows:- "18 Jan. 1841, previous No. 24573/40. P.M.G. has called on Surveyor for further information & will forward report as soon as it is received. Future reports will include, as far as possible, the information desired. Can give no information as to the probable amount of population in Eng[land] & Wales not included in P.O. deliveries, except by a Stat[istical] Survey, which would be enormously expensive." Plus a 17 Jan. 1840 EL posted from Wakefield to "Penistone" with red manuscript "1" but also with black manuscript "2" extra charge - due on delivery - for private enterprise delivery because Penistone was not included in the P.O. delivery area at this time. Rowland Hill's diary entries for Dec. 1840/Jan. 1841 reveal that he was putting continual pressure on the Treasury to increase the numbers of people to be included on the P.O. delivery system. Marvellous matched pair. [See also the 1898 item below.] (2 items). [Memo ex Martin Willcocks.] PHOTO - see plate no. £300
2016 THE VERY RARE JOHN GADSBY "THANKS FOR CHEAP POSTAGE" PROPAGANDA SEAL ON 1d BLACK COVER; 13 Feb. 1841 large-part E (side-flaps removed, one flap cut for display & repaired at left clear of seal, address, stamp & marks) sent locally in London with a 1d Black (QB; 4 close to good margins) tied by a fine black Maltese Cross, having a very rare yellow John Gadsby diamond-shaped Wafer-seal tied by the London d.s. on the reverse. The label's wording is; "Thanks for cheap postage. May we soon get cheap bread. Free communication with all parts is good, but free trade with all parts of the world will be still better." One of only a handful of recorded 1d Black covers with this Impoirtnat Propaganda label. [Ex David Trapnell.] PHOTO £300
2017 THE "NATIONAL TESTIMONIAL TO ROWLAND HILL" CIRCULAR LETTER WITH LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS, ETC.; Rare 26 Aug. 1844 EL (stamp removed but with complete unaffected printed contents, signed by the Secretary, seeking contributions to the nation's "Thank You" to Rowland Hill; referring to the enclosed long printed list of existing subscribers) sent from London to Rotherham. Plus the original enclosed list headed "NATIONAL TESTIMONIAL TO MR. ROWLAND HILL, Under the Management of the City of London Mercantile Committee on Postage", listing hundreds of individuals and firms by name with their contributions ranging from 10 guineas down to a single £1. There are also a few anonymous amounts (inc. £1 from "The Ghost of Mr. Palmer, by an Octogenarian of Kew, Surrey"!!) and some from town collections (ranging from Aberystwith to Wincanton). By 1846 the Fund had raised £13,000 for Hill's personal use! Important and attractive documents of which only three or four pairs are known in private hands. (2 items). PHOTO - see plate no. £240
2018 THE RARE ENGLISH USAGE OF THE U.S. "CHEAP POSTAGE" PICTORIAL PROPAGANDA ENVELOPE; 24 Feb. 1852 usage of the rare "WE ASK OF CONGRESS CHEAP INLAND and OCEAN POSTAGE" env. (flap faults and with some surface wear at right and foot well clear of stamps and design) within London, addressed to "Henry Stevens Esq." and franked by a vertical pair of 1d Reds (4 & 3 margins) tied by very fine "73" numerals, with a v. fine "Piccadilly W" mark and the "BARNABAS BATES" imprint on the reverse. Very rare design depicting the American eagle, a "U.S. MAIL" steamer and a Mail Train; only a handful of this rare envelope are known used in the US and we have only traced one other example used in GB (in a Museum collection). Important Exhbition Item showing the direct connection between the American & British Postal Reform Campaigns of the 1850s. PHOTO £400
Index
1957-2018
2019-2098
2099-2178
2179-2258
2259-2338
2339-2418
2419-2498
2499-2578
2579-2637