Lot
2659 
Great Britain, 1841, 1d red brown, printed from "black" plates, Lettered QA /TD, a mint corner marginal block of sixteen showing Plate Number "10" and marginal inscription, variety Check Letters "P" converted into "R" by hand engraving on RA, RB, RC and RD, and TA re-entry, QA, QD and RA with large part, others with full original gum, Very Fine, a very fresh, stunning and important mint multiple; with 2013 B.P.A. certificate.SG No. 7; £50,000 as blocks of 4 ($66,500) Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
Provenance:
EH Williams Collection, Harmer, Feb 1938 (sheet) Robson Lowe, July 1950 (as the block of 16)
Sir Frederick Gwatkin, Robson Lowe, Feb 1960
"Chartwell" Collection, Spink, Dec 2012.
Realized: $5,000
Lot
2660 S
Great Britain, 1841, 1d red brown, handstamped "Specimen" overprint, Plate 90, Lettered AA/BI, Corner Sheet Marginal Block of 18, showing marginal inscription and plate number "90", block showing the characteristic re-cut frame lines on this plate and the blind A's in the first vertical column, excellent vibrant color, with large part or unmounted original gum, two vertical creases as can be expected and a few minor thins not affecting the dramatic appearance, otherwise Very Fine, Illustrated (as a block AA/CI) in Specimen Stamps & Postal Stationery of Great Britain by Marcus Samuel and Alan Huggins (page 17), a spectacular and wonderful multiple.SG No. 8s; £36,000 ($47,880) Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
The existence of the 1841, 1d red-brown and 2d blue handstamped SPECIMEN was first reported in "The British Philatelist" in March 1934 when…"quite recently a block of thirty-one of the One Penny and a block of thirty of the Two Pence, plate 3, turned up…which have not hitherto been known overprinted specimen". "Specimen" overprinted sheets of the 1d and 2d have been sent on request of the Prussian, Austrian and Neapolitan Post Offices in 1849 as samples, when these countries were planning to issue first adhesive postage stamps similar as the British Post Office. Entire sheets of the 1d red-brown, plate 88, and 2d blue, plate 3, overprinted SPECIMEN sent to Prussia are still in the National Heritage Stamp Collection of the National Postal Museum in Berlin.
Provenance:
Spink, Jun 1999 (as a block of 27)
"Besancon", Corinphila, Sep 2020 (as a block of 27).
Lot
2661 S
Great Britain, 1841, 2d blue, "white lines", Handstamped "Specimen" Overprint, Mint Block of Eight (Plate 3, Lettered FA/GD), ample to large margins all round, sheet marginal at left with imprint "Back be careful not to remove the Ce(ment)", GD with double letter variety, of outstanding color and freshness, full unmounted original gum, Extremely Fine, a truly magnificent and spectacular multiple for the Line Engraved connoisseur, many of the surviving copies are heavily creased and/or oxidized, this block is the nicest multiple the collector could find and had the desire to own. Scott No. 4.SG No. 14s; £44,000 as singles ($58,520) Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
The existence of the 1841, 1d. red-brown and 2d. blue handstamped SPECIMEN was first reported in "The British Philatelist" in March 1934 when…"quite recently a block of thirty-one of the One Penny and a block of thirty of the Two Pence, plate 3, turned up…which have not hitherto been known overprinted specimen". Specimen overprinted sheets of the 1d. and 2d. have been sent on request of the Prussian, Austrian and Neapolitan Post Offices in 1849 as samples, when these countries were planning to issue first adhesive postage stamps similar as the British Post Office. Entire sheets of the 1 d. red-brown, plate 88, and 2d. blue, plate 3, overprinted SPECIMEN sent to Prussia is still in the National Heritage Stamp Collection of the National Postal Museum in Berlin.
Provenance:
Heinrich Koher, Sep 2006
"Forrester" Collection (2008).
Lot
2662
Great Britain, 1841, 2d blue, "white lines", Block of Four (Plate 3, Lettered MA/NB), large regular margins all round and full deckle edge sheet margin on the left with inscription, unused with large part original gum (slight diagonal gum crease not visible on front), Very Fine, a very fresh and attractive multiple; with 2006 Brandon certificate.SG No. 14; £35,000 ($46,550) Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
Provenance:
Christies, 6 September 1988, lot 1346
Sir Gawaine Baillie Collection, Sotheby's, 29 Sept.-1 Oct. 2004, lot 133.
Realized: $5,000
Lot
2663
Great Britain, 1847, Queen Victoria (embossed), 1s green, left margin single, fresh original gum, margins full and clear of embossing at top and right and huge at bottom showing portion of adjacent stamp, silk thread offset shows in left margin, bold color and very fresh, Extremely Fine; signed H. Bloch, with 1975 A. Diena & 2026 P.T.S. certificates. SG No. 55 £24,000 ($31,920).Scott No. 5a $20,000.
A WONDERFULLY CHOICE MINT ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1847 1SH QUEEN VICTORIA EMBOSSED ISSUE.
Realized: $4,000
Lot
2664
Great Britain, 1848, Queen Victoria (embossed), 10d brown, Die 4, o.g., clear to mostly full margins, rich color and crisp impression and embossing, Very Fine and choice, a very scarce unused high value from the rarer Die 4; with 1993 R.P.S.L. certificate. SG No. 57 £13,000 ($17,290).Scott No. 6 $11,500.
A CHOICE MINT ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1848 10D EMBOSSED ISSUE.
Realized: $1,400
Lot
2665
Great Britain, 1854, Queen Victoria (embossed), 6d dull lilac, watermark upright, o.g., margins large to just touching at left and top, strong vibrant color and bold embossing, Very Fine; with 1986 Brandon certificate. SG No. 59 £19,500 ($25,940).Scott No. 7a $18,000.
A LOVELY MINT ORIGINAL GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1854 6D QUEEN VICTORIA EMBOSSED ISSUE.
Realized: $1,450
Lot 2666 P
Great Britain, 1864, 1d rose red, letters in all four corners, imperforate proof on Dr. Perkins blued paper, Plate 121, lettered SL, large margins all round, usual minor gum creases, Very Fine appearance, very fresh and rare.SG No. 43P; £4,500 ($5,980) Estimate $500 - 750.
Provenance (as a pair SK-SL):
Charles Williams Collection, Harmer, 10-18 November 1947, lot 278
Stothert Collection, Robson Lowe, 9 September 1975, lot 50; Stanley Gibbons, 17 May 1984, lot 209
Christies, 18 June 1996, lot 205
Ake Rietz Collection, Corinphila, 7 June 2023, lot 3611.
Realized: $375
Lot
2667
Great Britain, 1870, ½d rose red, imperforate, with inverted watermark, Plate 1, lettered SW-SX, horizontal pair, large margins all round, large part or full original gum, very fresh and rare, Very Fine.SG No. 48h; £6,000 ($7,980) Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
According to J.B.Seymour in the Kohl Handbook (1930), a part perforated sheet was released having two rows completely imperforate. Most stamps were cut from the sheet as singles, only very few pairs recorded.
Provenance:
"Verus" Collection, Stanley Gibbons, August 2015.
Realized: $700
Lot
2668
Great Britain, 1870, 1½d rose red, imperforate, Plate 1, Lettered AB, a much paler shade of rose-red than the printing on Dr. Perkins chemically prepared paper, large part original gum, Very Fine; with 1989 Brandon certificate.SG No. 51; £7,500 ($9,980) Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
While all stamps from the generally regarded 1d, plate 1, imperforate on Dr. Perkins chemically prepared paper only originate from a lower half sheet (M- to T- rows), nine imperforate stamps from plate 1 originate from the A- to D- rows. None of these have ever been described as being on Dr. Perkins Paper.
Provenance:
Phillips, 16 November 1989, lot 229
Phillips, 26 October 1995, lot 262.
Realized: $800