2579 MARVELLOUS STRIKE OF THE DISTINCTIVE & RARE COGWHEEL-FRAMED "EAST/(Crown)/GRINSTEAD" MARK; Spectacular 29 Aug. 1793 E (minor toning and edge-wear do not detract) to London charged "8" (double rate) with a superb strike of the rare fancy framed black "EAST/(Crown)/GRINSTEAD" mark (SX485; only known 1792-7) nicely placed on the front. Exhibition Item. PHOTO £300
2580 THE VERY RARE PLAIN-FRAMED DISTINCTIVE "EAST/(Crown)/GRINSTEAD" MARK ON COVER REFERRING TO AN IMMINENT FRENCH INVASION; 27 Aug. 1794 EL from "Lindfield" to London charged "4" (single rate) with a very fine plain circular framed "EAST/(Crown)/GRINSTEAD" mark (SX487; only known in 1794 and so even rarer than the cogwheel-framed type) nicely placed on the front. The letter includes; "The report now is that the French invasion (if it takes place) will be near Brighton; there is a most formidable Camp [there], and near four thousand horse, although the neighbourhood do not seem at all allarmed..." Rare postal mark on a Historically Interesting letter. PHOTO £300
WARWICKSHIRE - BIRMINGHAM
2581 MISCELLANY of E/EL's, etc. inc. 1797 EL with s/l "BIRMINGHAM", 1832 EL ex Oldbury to Moira near Ashby with s/l "OLDBURY" & boxed "P.P.4/UNPD", 1842 printed circular with 1d red tied by MC & with additional boxed "PY P/No.15", 1846 env. with scarce red boxed "GREAT BARR PP", UDC's inc. Harborne & Handsworth, spectacular 1860 front from India with two-line "MISSENT TO/BIRMINGHAM", etc. (Approx. 40 items). £200
WARWICKSHIRE
2582 BIRMINGHAM: 1802-28 A selection of covers with various mileage marks of Birmingham inc. 1802 & "BIRMINGHAM/120", 1806 large "BIRMINGHAM/120" c.d.s. with "TOO LATE" UDC, 1815-28 "BIRMINGHAM/109" c.d.s. a 14 in red and one in green with "TOO LATE". Mostly readable strikes. (19 covers). £100
YORKSHIRE
2583 RARE 1d POST PERIOD MONEY LETTER WITH "MILLBRIDGE PENNY POST" MARKING: 1831 (31 Aug.) E to Leeds endorsed "Money Letter" with m/s "2" and a fine strike of the black boxed "Millbridge/Penny Post". Rare thus. PHOTO £100
2584 SOUTH CAVE-YORK TURNED COVER: 1857 (2 Dec.) env. from South Cave to Hull franked with LC14 1d tied by a blue numeral and on reverse also in blue "SOUTH CAVE" UDC. The cover has been turned and used again from York to S. Cave franked with LC14 1d tied by a fine York "spoon". The cover is creased but an unusual item. £80
GUERNSEY POSTAL HISTORY
2585 MISCELLANY inc. "GUERNSEY/JY18/1831" backstamp on large piece from Middlesex, three Line-engraved covers from Guernsey & two PC's from the Isxland bearing KEVII adhesives. (6). £75
2586 THE VERY RARE MANUSCRIPT "FROM GUERNSEY" MARKING ON COVER FROM THE BRITISH DEFENCE FORCE; 11 Dec. 1799 EL (worn reinforced fold at top just clear of marking barely detracts) from "Guernsey" to Dublin with a bold Manuscript "from Guernsey" on the front, beside a light concave "WEYMOUTH" mark and the "10" charge; there is a London transit c.d.s. of 13 Dec. on the top flap. This is the earlier of only two recorded examples of this very rare manuscript "from Guernsey" marking which predates the similar handstruck "FROM GUERNSEY" (1810-37 but very rare) by over 10 years. The letter was written by an Army Officer with the British Army protecting the islands against the threat of French invasion; he discusses the prices and qualitiy of wines available in Guernsey and then mentions that; "...we had the whole Island to ourselves for near three weeks, but have now plenty of troops; 4,000 Russians and two other Reg[imen]ts (Sir Vere Hunt's & his Limerick blades one)...". Important Exhibition Item. PHOTO £1500
JERSEY POSTAL HISTORY
2587 MISCELLANY comprising four line-engraved covers & three PC's, all used from Jersey, the adhesives tied by Island numeral, duplex or Squared Circle cancellations. Also an Italian PC used to Jersey. (8). £60
2588 VERY EARLY EXAMPLE OF THE 3d PACKET-RATE ON "JERSEY" COVER TO A SHIP AT PORTSMOUTH, SENT PER THE "X POST"; 19 Mar. 1805 EL (fine; from a British naval Captain?) to "Capt. Wainwright, H.M.S. Royal William, Portsmouth" endorsed "X Post" on the front, charged "11" with a mostly very fine "JERSEY" mark on the front. The postal rates had changed on 12 Mar. 1805, and so this was one of the first letters sent from the Channel Isles that was charged at the new 3d Packet rate, rather than the previous 2d Packet rate. The previous month this letter would only have been charged 9d.PHOTO £150
2589 VERY RARE 2d MULREADY ENVELOPE USED FROM JERSEY WITH MALTESE CROSS IN "EMERGENCY" BLACK INK; 18 Jan. 1841 usage of the Stereo a200 2d Blue Mulready envelope (minor wear and some toning mostly inside and on the reverse) to Ilchester correctly cancelled by a mostly very fine Maltese Cross in the wrong colour of ink, namely black, matching the very fine "JERSEY/JA 18/18[4]1" c.d.s. across the join on the reverse. The use of black ink for Maltese Crosses was not permitted until Feb. 1841 (except in London where an expeeriment with that colour was carried out from Aug. 1840). At least one other cover with the "Emergency" use of the black M.C. in Jersey is recorded, from Dec. 1840, so it appears that the island had run out of red ink by then, but it did not worry about obtaining more red ink. Doubly rare; the Emergency Cancellation, and one of only two 2d Mulreadys recorded used from Jersey (the other being cancelled in red in July 1840). Exceptional. PHOTO £1500
SCOTTISH MAINLAND POSTAL HISTORY
2590 MISCELLANY comprising 1796 E bearing early Edinburgh Inspector's red 'crown' mark, later red 'crown' marks, 1817 printed notice re. theft of bills and bank notes either from the Red Lion Inn in Berwick-upon-Tweed or from the Mail Coach, scarce black unframed "MORE TO PAY" of Glasgow on 1839 E, four different types of "POSTAGE/TO/EDINBURGH/NOT PAID" in black (2) & red (2 - scarce), "POST/ PAID" & Bishop mark of Edinburgh both in red, "PAID in the/COUNTRY" also of Edinburgh on 1827 E, 1826 black framed "PAID" of Arbroath, small oval-framed "PAID-AT-GLASGOW" on 1816 EL to Ayr, "MORE/TO PAY" & "Above/‡OZ" marks in black, small framed "CONTRARY TO/REGULATIONS" on a local Edinburgh E and pair of 1904/6 PPCs with Iona steamer double-ring c.d.s.'s. (20 items). £150
2591 DISTINCTIVE UPPER AND LOWER CASE "DunS" MARK: Fine 1759 EL to Edinburgh with a very fine strike of this unusual mark (in a style entirely unique to this small rural P.O. in Berwickshire) well placed on the back. A scarce and seldom seen mark. £90
2592 PERTH & DISTRICT COVERS - RARE RED 1803 STRAIGHT-LINE, LOCALS, ETC.; 1766-1938 selection inc. fine 1766/7 pair of curved "PERTH", mostly fine RED 1803 "PERTH", v. fine 1840 red "1", v. fine 1840/4 pair of boxed "PAID AT/PERTH" marks in red & black, fine 1849 "METHVEN", mostly fine 1847/54 "ALMOND BANK" & "REDGORTON" (blue) UDC's, 5 Exp. Duplexes (one with fine boxed "TIBBERMUIR" & one with 2d Blue), 1866/80 trio to Australia/Baden Baden/USA ("T" mark and 10c US P. Due), v. fine 1886 Edinr. boxed "NOT KNOWN/131", etc. Good lot. (44 covers). £120
2593 1795 (9 March) EL to Dunfermline with (on reverse) a good example of the scarce black s/l mark of "Mufselburgh". £75
2594 ADDITIONAL HALF MARKS: Quartet of E/EL's comprising 1817 E to Kirkcaldy with boxed Edinburgh "Addl./‡" in a rusty red colour, 1826 E ex Leith to Glasgow with unboxed "Addl./‡" in green, 1837 E ex Markinch to Kirkcaldy with extremely fine boxed "‡" & an E to Edinburgh (date unclear) with boxed "‡" mark of Falmouth in green. (4). PHOTO £100
2595 SCOTTISH TOO LATE & LATE FEES: July, 1840 E to Ayr franked with 1d black (3 margins) to left of which is boxed red "PAID/1d EXTRA" (scarce mark on a 1d black cover), 1842 EL to Charlestown franked with imperf. 1d red with scarce black boxed "DUNDEE/TOO LATE" on top flap, redirected 1844 EL identically franked with scarce red boxed "PAID/6d/EXTRA" nearby and 1867 env. sent within Edinburgh bearing on back fine black scroll type "TOO LATE". (4 covers). PHOTO - see plate no. £150
2596 RARE GLASGOW "V (crown)/R" MARK: 1844 (3 Dec.) EL from Glasgow to Carlisle (mainly very fine arrival mark of the next day) franked with 1d red on blued paper (3 margins) tied by "159" numerals cancellation with fine strike of "V(crown)/ R" in black alongside. It is thought that this mark was used on almost overweight letters. It is recorded used in red & black until 1842 so this is a very late usage indeed. PHOTO £150
2597 KELSO MALTESE CROSS: 1844 EL from Kelso to Berwick frankedwith 1d reds x 2 cancelled with fair strikes of the distinctive Kelso MC. £50
2598 EDINBURGH 1d POST RED TIME MARKS inc. 1796 EL with m/s '1' & partly fine "MORNING/P.P. DELIVERY", oval-shaped unframed "4 O'CLOCK/P.P./AFTERNOON" on 1796 E & "…ONE O CLOCK AFTERNOON/P.P./EDINBURGH…" on 1796 E complete with original enclosure, "…ONE O'CLOCK/P P/ AFTERNOON…" on 1799 E, "SEVEN O'CLOCK/P.P./EVENING" on 1797 EL, matching trio of "ONE", "4" & "7/P.P./O…CLOCK" marks, double-oval framed "5 O.CLOCK…/P.P./NIGHT" and corresponding "8" marks, boxed s/l "‡ PAST…12" on 1808 EL, "6/EVENING" & "SIX/EVENG." on matching 1807/8 pair, "8/NIGHT" on 1807 EL, "MORNING/8" & scarce "NOON/12/‡" on 1807 EL/E, "Penny Post/UNPAID /8 MORNING" and this mark + corresponding "NIGHT" mark on same 1804 EL. (18 covers). PHOTO £200
SCOTTISH ISLANDS P.H.
2599 MISCELLANY comprising a privately shipped pre-adhesive cover from Kirkwall, two Line-engraved covers from Kirkwall, two others from Stornoway & a PPC with KEVII ‡d tied by "KIRKWALL" c.d.s. (6). £60
ORKNEY ISLANDS
2600 STROMNESS - INGOING 4d-POSTAGE PERIOD COVER WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SEND MAIL AFTER THE START OF UNIFORM PENNY POSTAGE ON 10th JAN. 1840; Fine 6 Jan. 1840 EL from Edinburgh (v. fine backstamp) to Stromness endorsred "Under ‡ Ounce" with a very fine Edinburgh Handstruck "4" mark on the front; the printed "BANK OF SCOTLAND" contents give the Orkney bank manager instructions on how to avoid unnecessary Postage Due charges once Uniform Penny Postage had been introduced on 10 Jan. 1840. This letter - the only recorded example example of this Circular - probably did not reach the Orkneys until that famous date. Fascinating Historical item connected to both Uniform 4d and Uniform 1d Postages. PHOTO £300
SCOTTISH LOCAL CANCELLATIONS
2601 MISCELLANY of 1d "Stars" covers with mostly fine to very fine Meredith Type III Broomielaw, Type VIII Hillhead & a matched pair of Types III & XX Rutherglen. Mixed condition. All Meredith Rarity "C" except for the Hillhead which is Rarity "D". (4). £150
TYPE III
2602 GLENDARUEL: 1858 Env. to Dunoon bearing 1d "Stars" (perfs. clipped at base) tied by Local cancellation of Glendaruel in blue - this being one of the few known Scots Locals struck in that colour. Meredith Rarity "D". £100
2603 NEWTONMEARNS: 1857 (11 Jan.) env. to Paisley bearing 1d "Stars" tied by "NEWTONMEARNS" Local cancellation. Light filing crease. A scarce mark - Meredith Rarity "C". PHOTO £120
TYPE V
2604 WHITLETTS: 1856 Env. to Paisley with off-centre 1d "Stars" tied by rare "WHITLETTS" (Under Ayr)Local cancellation in green. Backstamped Paisley, 26 August 1856. Filing crease affects the adhesive - but an extremely rare mark - Meredith Rarity "F". PHOTO £260
2605 WHITLETTS: 1857 (28 Oct.) env. to the Inspector of Poor, Paisley, bearing 1d "Stars" tied by the elusive "WHITLETTS" (Under Ayr) Local cancellation. Backstamped Paisley in blue. Filing crease affects the adhesive but a rare mark - Meredith Rarity "E". PHOTO £260
TYPE VIII
2606 BLACKHALL STREET: 1855 large piece bearing 1d "Stars" tied by a very fine strike of the boxed "BLACKHALL ST[REET]" (Greenock) Local cancellation in blue. Meredith Rarity "F". Ex Charless Hahn. PHOTO £120
2607 BLACKHALL STREET: 1856 (3 July) cover bearing 1d "Stars" tied by a very fine strike of the rare "BLACKHALL STRE[ET]" Local cancellation in black. Meredith Rarity "E". Ex Charless Hahn. PHOTO £300
2608 BLACKHALL STREET: 1857 (11 Nov.) EL (Receipt with Draft stamp oversigned, turned for post) to Glasgow bearing 1d "Stars" tied by the scarce boxed "BLACKHALL STRE[ET]" (Greenock) Local cancellation in green. Filing crease through stamp but a scarce mark - Meredith Rarity "F". Ex Charless Hahn. PHOTO £150
2609 EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF THE "HILLHEAD" SCOTTISH LOCAL CANCELLATION: 1855 env. to a Professor at "The College" bearing 1d "Stars" tied by boxed "HILLHEAD" local cancellation. Backstamped 20 Nov. 1855 - the earliest recorded date of same. £120
2610 KILNINVER: 1847 (20 Aug.) env. bearing 1d "Stars" tied by a fine strike of the boxed "KILNINVER" (sub-office of Oban) Local cancellation in bluish-green. Cover faults but a very rare mark - Meredith Rarity "F" in both black & blue - unrecorded in green. Ex Charless Hahn. PHOTO £400
2611 NEWCASTLETON: 1857 (11 Dec.) envelope to Demerara bearing 6d lilac tied by black boxed "NEWCASTLE[TON]" (sub-office of Canonbia) Local cancellation. Meredith Rarity "E". PHOTO £200
2612 OLD KILPATRICK: 1857 (24 Nov.) env. bearing 1d "Stars" tied by fine boxed "OLD KILPATRICK" (Dumbarton) Local cancellation in blue. Filing crease through adhesive but a very scarce mark. Ex Charless Hahn. PHOTO £180
2613 OLD KILPATRICK: 1859 (11 May) env. bearing 1d "Stars" tied by fine boxed "OLD KILPATRICK" (Dumbarton) Local cancel in black. Cover faults but a scarce mark. Rx Charless Hahn. PHOTO £120
2614 STRACHUR: 1857 (6 Nov.) env. to Dunoon bearing 1d "Stars" tied by boxed "STRACHUR" (sub-office of Cairndow) Local cancellation in black. Small cover faults & adhesive rubbed at upper right but a scarce mark - Meredith Rarity "D". PHOTO £120
TYPE XX
2615 CAMBUSLANG: 1855 (30 June) env. to Peebles bearing 1d "Stars" tied by undated double-ring "CAMBUSLANG" (sub-office of Glasgow) Local cancellation in black. Meredith Rarity "D". PHOTO £100
2616 NEWTON: 1854 (20 Nov.) E bearing 1d "Stars" tied by the rare undated double-ring Local cancellation of "NEWTON" (sub-office of Glasgow). Meredith Rarity "F" (maximum) in black. Ex Charless Hahn. PHOTO £400
WELSH POSTAL HISTORY
2617 RARE LLAUGHARNE 5th CLAUSE POST COVER; 1826 E (closed tear well clear of mark) to Llandilo charged "7" with a mostly very fine strike of the rare framed "Llaugharne/5" Clause Post" mark on the front. £75
2618 1864 Env. addressed to London with 1864 1d red pl. 90, FA, tied by two "PEMBROKE DOCK/B/OC 16/61" numeral 368 duplex cancels. Handstruck "2" applied in error, cancelled with m/s crosses (in form of grid). Very scarce. PHOTO £140
ISLE OF MAN POSTAL HISTORY
2619 THE VERY RARE BLUE HORSESHOE "ISLE OF MAN" MARK ON COVER TO SCOTLAND; 2 Oct. 1801 E from "Isle of Man" (filing note) to Glasgow charged "3" and then "1/-" with a very fine rare BLUE horseshoe "ISLE OF MAN" mark (OM3; only known 1796-1802 in this colour) nicely placed on the side-flap. Exhibition Item. PHOTO £500
** 2620 I.O.M. STEAM PACKET COMPANY: 1937 Pair of covers with Douglas machine cancellations (June / November) and very fine strikes of the rubber 'MONA'S QUEEN' & 'LADY OF MANN' cachets of the IOMSPC. (2 items). £50
IRISH POSTAL HISTORY - PRE 1922
2621 PRE-STAMP MISCELLANY comprising 1823 EL ex Cork (red mileage mark) to Dublin with matching red "CORK EVG. MAIL", 1828 EL with red "CORK/*124*" on the front & red "MID.DAY. MAIL" in scalloped frame across flap on rear, 1839 EL from Bristol but posted from London with mainly fine "Postage to/Dublin/not paid" in black on the front, red "POST-PAID/PORTARLINGTON(?)" on 1827 front also bearing red partly overstruck framed "MORE/+TO/PAY", 1831 EL with boxed red "P. PAID" of Belfast and 1849 E with partly very fine "PAID AT DROGHEDA/1d" in red. (6 items). £100
2622 CORK: 1712 EL written in Flemish from Cork to Bruges with m/s "ps pd 1s8d" & "6" (stuyvers?) showing a good example of the s/l "CORK" (applied upside down but rare so early - especially to the Continent). Horizontal filing crease well clear of s/l mark. £120
2623 CORK: 1768-98 quintet of EL's comprising 1768 to Holland with a good strike of the scarce large s/l "CORK", 1768 to Rotterdam endorsed "Post Paid 10d" and with a good strike of the large s/l "CORK", 1796 to Belfast with 26mm s/l "CORK" (rated "8" in m/s), 1797 EL to London with 24 x 5mm s/l "CORK" & a 1798 EL to Edinburgh with a further strike of same (rated "2/8" in m/s). A good group. (5). £120
2624 CORK - "PAID AT" AND PENNY POST MARKS: 1832-38 group of E/EL's & fronts comprising 1832 Free Front from London to Black Rock with two-line "CORK/PENNY POST" in black, 1835 Free Front with fine two-line "CORK/PENNY POST" in red, 1836 EL to London with boxed "PAID/AT/CORK" in red, 1838 EL with two-line "Cork/Penny Post", 1838 wrapper to Dublin with red boxed "PAID/AT/CORK", etc. (6 items). £100
2625 CORK: 1839-49 group of E/EL's inc. 1839 EL to Dublin with boxed black "B" Receiving House mark, 1840 EL to Plymouth redirected to Lynmouth with Cork d.s. of 27 April plus boxed black "PAID" & "C" marks, 1840-43 E/EL's (3) with two-line "CORK/TOO LATE" marks in black, etc. (15). £100
2626 INSPECTOR'S CROWN MARKS: 1815-23 quartet of E/EL's with various Inspector's Crown markings with 1815 printed circular to the Norwich Union Office, Dublin with ornate black Crown, 1817 (?) printed circular to the same address with a similar Crown in red, 1819 printed circular to Dublin with black Crown showing "D" in centre & 1823 circular (again to the Norwich Union) with red Crown showing "B" in centre. A good group. (4). £120
2627 "TOO LATE" MARKS etc.: 1830 'Free' front from Dublin to Southampton bearing superb red scroll type "TOO…LATE" of Dublin, 1841 (Jan. 17) EL franked with 1d black (3‡ margins - late use) on EL to Dublin with fine red "B/LATE MAIL" plus matching stampless 1841 E with "C" code & boxed "PAID AT/SLIGO" both in orange-red, "LATE MAIL" in red (night mail) and black (day mail) on 1831/46 pair of stampless ELs from Ballymena and Cork, 1848 EL with scarce framed green "TOO LATE" of Newtown Ards, 1853 orange-red "LATE MAIL" & 1856 green "POSTED SINCE 6 P.M./LAST NIGHT" both of Dublin, 1904 env. franked with 3 x ‡d KEVII adhesives each cancelled with single ring "DUBLIN/LATE FEE" c.d.s. and 1938 env. bearing superb double-ring "BELFAST/LATE FEE" c.d.s. (10 items). PHOTO £150
2628 LAST DAY COVER OF MILEAGE-BASED RATES - 4th DEC. 1839 LETTER FROM "BERE ISLAND"; 4th Dec. 1839 EL posted on the Last Day of Mileage-based Postage Rates, headed from Bere Island, Castletown, County Cork, Ireland" (neatly folded to show the internal heading beside the address-panel) and sent to "Machynlleth" with a very fine "CASTLETOWN" straight-line mark on the lower flap, beside a fine red 5th Dec. 1839 Dublin transit diamond d.s. (applied on the First Day of Uniform 4d Postage) and a very fine red Liverpool "*" Inspector's Mark. The letter was charged "1/5", made up of 1s-2d inland for 426 miles total from Castletown to Howth & from Holyhead to Machynlleth (actually sent further via Liverpool but from 1825 the charge could not exceed the shortest possible route), plus 2d Irish Sea Packet rate and 1d for the Menai Bridge charge. If posted the next day, this letter would only have cost 4d! Rare thus and the earliest recorded letter from the tiny Bere Island. PHOTO £400
2629 BOXED "PAID AT DERRY" ON COVER TO THE U.S.; Attractive 7 Feb. 1840 EL from "Londonderry" to "New York , South America" (!!) and endorsed "Pre paid via Falmouth", with a very fine red boxed "PAID AT/DERRY" nicely placed on the front beside red m/s "1/-" and red "20" US arrival charge, having a mostly fine "BOSTON/SHIP" transit c.d.s. on the front. Rare thus. PHOTO £100
2630 DERRY 1d BLACK COVER UPRATED FOR THE 2d RATE WITH THE "PAID AT DERRY/1d" MARK; 18 Jan. 1841 env. to Dublin franked by a 1d Black (KA; 3‡ margins) tied by a fine orange-red Maltese Cross, with a matching partly fine Handstruck "PAID AT DERRY/1d" mark alongside. Rare; few 1d Black covers have been recorded that were uprated with handstruck U.P.P. 1d marks. PHOTO £150
2631 LATE USE OF MULREADY 2d ENVELOPE FROM DUBLIN TO KILKENNY: 1847 2d env. (stereo obscured by wax seal) with a Dublin numeral "186" cancellation. Kilkenny backstamp of 22 May in blue on reverse. Slight folding faults, otherwise fine & scarce. PHOTO £400
2632 SPIKE ISLAND - PRESTAMP COVER PREPAID TO GIBRALTAR; Remarkable 5-14 Jan. 1850 env. (+ long love-letter - 35‡ sides mostly cross-written!) from "Spike Island" (the tiny island off Cove near Cork) endorsed "Spike" and "Via Southampton, Paid", addressed to Gibraltar with fine blue "QUEENSTOWN" c.d.s. (of nearby Great Island's P.O.) and red manuscript "1/-". Rare and unusual early letter from this tiny island which had a population of only a few hundred British soldiers at this date. PHOTO £100
2633 UNIQUE(?) IRISH USAGE OF A "REGISTERED LETTER" GREEN WRAPPER; Complete 5/19 Sept. 1851 Post Office GREEN WRAPPER (faults beside address and edge-wear, etc.) for a letter sent from Dublin to "ENNISTIMON" (with relevant c.d.s.'s of both P.O.'s inside; the latter's also on the address side); endorsed "Not called for by the party to whom addressed" and therefore doubly unique in our opinion. These Green Wrappers were wrapped round every registered letter in transit from 1841 to c.1860, but they were always strictly retained by the P.O. as proof of delivery (being designed with a space for the addressee's signature, acknowledging delivery, inside) and so only very few have survived; Vivien Sussex had only a handful in her collection (see Cavendish's 6 Mar. 2002 handbook-catalogue), but we do not recall ever having seen an Irish example before and likewise we have not seen one endorsed as not called for. The text inside is printed for Dublin P.O. with "INLAND DEPARTMENT, General Post Office, Dublin" imprint. In spite of its faults, this is an Important Exhibition Item for any Irish P.H. Collection. PHOTO £300
2634 COVER TO AUSTRALIA: 1863 Env. (contents missing but part of message written on inside of env.!) addressed to Melbourne, Australia franked with 3d rose & 6d adhesives neatly tied by "BELTURBET.65" duplex type cancellations under which there is a well placed and mainly v. fine "DEFICIENT-POSTAGE 1d/FINE____6d) 7d" handstuck instructional mark in black with very fine blue London transit & red Melbourne receiving marks on the back. PHOTO £120
2635 RARE LONDON & DOVER T.P.O. "C68" NUMERAL CANCELLING "PD" MARK ON COVER TO FRANCE: Unusual 27th July 1873 env. to Bordeaux franked by 3d rose-red (crease) tied by a "KINGSTOWN" duplex having a fine red "PD" in circle mark on the front cancelled by a mostly fine rare "C68" vertical oval numeral of the London & Dover T.P.O. and so also with a mostly fine matching "INSUFFICIENTLY/STAMPED" mark and a French "9" h.s. arrival charge. Rare; this "C68" numeral is very seldom seen on cover. £100
2636 c1880 Env. to Burma bearing Lilac & green 2‡d tied by "DUBLIN & BELFAST/R.P.O." c.d.s. (scarce), endorsed "Via Brindisi" with violet boxed "VALUE OF STAMPS 2‡D/DEFICIENCY 2&Mac189;D" marking. PHOTO £150
2637 LIMERICK: 1836 EL from Limerick to India with black boxed "PAID AT/LIMERICK" & red "PAID SHIP LETTER/(Crown)/LONDON" & 1836 E to Dublin with black boxed "PAID AT/LIMERICK". A scarce pair (the former ex John Gunn). £75
Index
1957-2018
2019-2098
2099-2178
2179-2258
2259-2338
2339-2418
2419-2498
2499-2578
2579-2637