FINE AND RARE STAMPS 2008, AUSTRALIAN COLONIES, VICTORIA, POSTAL HISTORY

Lot 213		Estimate: $2,000 1842 (9 May) lengthy entire letter (small fault at front), written horizontally and vertically, from well-educated Tally Sconce while residing with her family the Bunbury's at 'Stanney', Darebin Creek, to her father Robert Clement Sconce, Chief Commissary of Navy, Malta, sent via India (with oval 'INDIA'), endorsed 'post paid 10A' and '6' (pence). Rare origin/destination. [Very informed contemporary comments including wonderful account of capture of nine Bushrangers ('They will certainly be hung' and 'I feel considerably more comfortable now I know that they are in safe custody')]
Lot 214		Estimate: $500 1855 (Mar) entire to England endorsed 'Per Ship James Baines' bearing Imperf 1/- Octagonal singles (4) tied by barred oval '37' cancels of Fiery Creek, endorsed '2/-', backstamps of Castlemaine, Melbourne, Australian Packet and Birmingham, reinforced slits, otherwise an attractive quadruple rate cover
Lot 215		Estimate: $2,500 1856 (16 Feb) entire letter to Scotland bearing Imperf 6d 'Woodblock' (2, one just touched at top) endorsed 'Per 'Hellespont'/Via Singapore'. P&O withdrew Contract ships during the Crimean War, thus the only way in which mail could be routed to UK via the Far East was to link up with the P&O Far East service ships destined for India or the East. The 'Hellespont' and 'Kennington' are the only two voyages identified which made the journey, and as the former off-loaded mail at Singapore (rather than the P&O Ceylon connection), the British P.O. imposed additional charges, indicated by circular 'MORE/TO/PAY' applied below stamps, with adjacent mss. '6' and '8'. A recent discovery of an item carried on this highly important routing, and one of the finest of the very few recorded
Lot 216		Estimate: $1,750 1856 (31 Jul) large part registered entire Williamstown to Bathurst endorsed 'Per First Steamer' bearing Imperf 1/- 'REGISTERED' (three margins and clipped left corner) and 2/- (four margins, concealed tear at left) tied by BN '11', various backstamps. Attractive
Lot 217		Estimate: $2,500 1856 (2 Oct) entire Melbourne to Maryborough bearing C&F Half-length 1d Pink strip of three with squeezed transfer variety, Queen-on-Throne 2d, Woodblock 6d Dull Orange (2) and 6d 'TOO LATE', cancelled by BN '1', backstamps of Melbourne and Maryborough. Adhesives in somewhat variable condition, address partly painted-over, nevertheless a rare cover
Lot 218		Estimate: $3,000 1857 (5 Aug) registered cover to England bearing four-margined 1/- 'REGISTERED' Die 2 (from the third ptg) and Woodblock 6d tied by BN '100' of Windsor, datestamp on reverse, Reading arrival datestamps, rated '6', minor blemishes incl missing flap. [Only four 'Die 2' covers are known to UK]
Lot 219		Estimate: $150 1860 (22 May) entire letter to Melbourne bearing 'Beaded Oval' 4d Rose-Red, SG 92a tied by BN '82' of Wangaratta (RR)
Lot 220		Estimate: $150T Realised Price : $240 1865 (24 Apr) cover to England bearing 6d 'Netted Corners' and Laureated 1d and 2d tied by Melbourne duplex, underpaid by 1d, small circular 'MORE/TO/PAY' and 'Deficient Postage (mss. 1d)/Fine___' in blue, arrival backstamps, minor blemishes
Lot 221		Estimate: $125 1869 (29 Jan) cover to England bearing Laureated 2d strip of three with frame varieties tied by two strikes of BN '40' (type A2) of Echuca, transit and arrival backstamps
Lot 222		Estimate: $250 1869 (21 Sep) opened-out cover Melbourne to Clunes bearing Laureated 2d, weak strikes of 'UNCLAIMED/AT CLUNES' in black and 'DEAD LETTER BRANCH/REGISTERED' in red, mss. details in red, arrival backstamp and DLO datestamp in green
Lot 223		Estimate: $100 1870 (16 Jul) cover Richmond to New Brunswick endorsed 'Via Marseilles/By travelling post' bearing Laureated 6d and 2d DLR, tied by '71' duplex; London Paid in red, Melbourne, Fredericton and Gage Town backstamps
Lot 224		Estimate: $300 Realised Price : $360 1880-1900 covers, mainly to UK, incl very scarce 1890 4d rate (bearing scarce 4d single), 1898 registered to USA bearing 1½d Green (5) and ½d, 1888 front with 6d (3) tied by English Mail TPO duplexes, 1900 registered franked 1/- and 6d, 1884 use at Melbourne of Hibernian-Australasian Catholic Benefit Society illustrated cover, etc (23)
Lot 225		Estimate: $150 1880 (4 Oct) cover 'per the Orient Line Steamer' Melbourne to Italy bearing 6d and 1d, minor faults, soiling, scarce example of 7d rate
Lot 226		Estimate: $150 Realised Price : $115 1881 (16 Feb) cover Melbourne to Boulogne via Brindisi bearing Bell 1/- Deep Blue/blue Perf 12 and ½d Rosine, arrival backstamp
Lot 227		Estimate: $75 1881 (22 Feb)cover to Cambridge, New Brunswick, 'Dominion of Canada' with 8d Brown/purple (cnr fault) tied by Richmond '71' duplex
Lot 228		Estimate: $100 1898 (27 Jul) cover (reduced at base) with 2½d (4) and 6d tied by English Mail TPO '+' duplexes, paying quadruple rate + 6d Late fee to UK, James Hardie & Co handstamp on reverse
Lot 229		Estimate: $600 Realised Price : $650 1909 (11 Aug) use Melbourne to Italy of 'INTERSTATE PARCEL AND REGISTERED PACKET POSTS' black/pink form (210 x 245mm), inscribed 'FORM OF CUSTOMS DECLARATION', bearing 2d and 1d tied by 'P.P.' datestamp, details of contents 'One box with Ostriche fethers [sic]', valued at £2/10/0. [A similar item in our Australasia Sale realised AU$805]
Lot 230		Estimate: $350 1930s-80s cover accumulation (strength in 1970s-1980s), more than half with 'VG' perfins, wide range of stamp issues, noted registered, certified, many Govt Depts, diverse lot and useful quantity for specialist, usual commercial quality (approx 650). Includes 'Victorian Government Punctures' handbook by Toop
Lot 231		Estimate: $125 Realised Price : $95 Literature: 'The Numeral Cancellations of Victoria' (2001), by Freeman and White, 420 pages, hardbound with dust jacket. An outstanding book superseding Purves previous works. New