RARITIES AUCTION EUROPHILEX LONDON 2015

9 d. purple-brown, nice fresh colour, outer frame line touched at bottom with tiny nick at right, otherwise clear margins, the lower right corner little rounded, unused with large part original gum, a fine copy of this extremely rare stamp, certificat RPS (1953)rnProvenance: Gordon P. Bailey (1962), Joseph Hackmey (2010)

9 d. purple-brown, outer frame line cut at left, otherwise good margins, with 1 d. blue and 2 d. yellow-green, tied by oval of bars to cover front to Dover, here franked with GB 1854/57, 1 d. red, tied by duplex "DOVER JY 14 60" and re-directed to Sandgate; a fine and scarce combination franking, certificate BPA (1989)rnProvenance: Joseph Hackmey (2009)

1 shilling slate-violet, just touched at upper left, otherwise clear to good margins, together with somewhat touched 1 d. blue, tied by oval of bars to small envelope 1860 to Alexandria, Egypt, and re-directed "Poste restante Marseille"; the name in the address blackened and large part of reverse flap missing; still an attractive cover with scarce destination, certificate BPArnProvenance: Joseph Hackmey (2010)

1 shilling slate-violet, 3 single stamps, one clear to good margins, the other two slightly touched to wide margins, together with 6 d. purple-brown with good to wide margins all around, tied by oval of bars to double-rate letter sheet, backstamped "COLOMBO POST-PAID FE 29 1860" to London with arrival mark on front; the stamps lifted for inspection and replaced; a marvelous letter, certificates Philatelic foundation (1975) and RPS (1999),...

1861/64, watermark 'star', intermediate perf. 14:15½ : 1 d. dull blue with part strike of "CANCELLED" obliterator, pos. 3 of the horizontal block of 6; a tear in the upper right corner fixed almost invisibly, extremely rare, one of two recorded copies, the other one being in the Royal Collection (SG £ 10.000,-)rnProvenance: Ernest B. Lye (1951), Peter Jaffé (2006), Joseph Hackmey (2009)

1863/65, wm 'crown CC' perforated 12½: 1 d. dull mauve in horizontal pair with 1 d. deep blue, horizontal pair and single and 6 d. sepia, all cancelled by oval of bars (additional pen marks faded) to envelope, backstamped "COLOMBO PAID JA .. 65" to London with arrival marks; the stamps were lifted for inspection and replaced; an attractive and scarce franking, certificate RPS (1975)rnProvenance: Lawrence Shenfield (1975)

1867/70, 4 d. rose-carmine, horizontal block of 6, unused with fresh original gum, 2 stamps unmounted mint; the bottom right stamp pulled perf, otherwise very fine and fresh

1867/70, 1 shilling reddish-lilac and 6 d. blackish-brown, 2 pairs and single stamp, in combination with 1866/68, 1 d. blue, all tied by "A" in bars to triple-rate registered letter sheet with adjacent red "COLOMBO PAID JU 11 70" via London to Glasgow with transit and arrival marks; recipient's notation on front slightly affecting the franking; certificate RPS (2002) stating "Creases removed by ironing"; an attractive and rare...

1869, De La Rue day book: "L"-shaped piece, bearing imperforated ½ d. dull mauve, 2 d. bistre and 5 d. olive-green and perforated 4 d. rose-carmine, 8 d. slade-brown, 9 d. brown and 10 d. dull vermilion and typographed issued 1 d. blue, some with perforation partly clipped, the piece dated in the top margin "Aug 19th"; a rare and interesting piecernProvenance: Joseph Hackmey (2009)

1858 (ca.), envelope endorsed "H.M.S. 'Diamond' TRINCOMALEE CEYLON" and (signature) "Officer Commanding" to Dorset, bearing GB 1 d. red, cancelled in transit at London; the stamp with 2 pulled perfs, otherwise fine; a scarce cover

Sperati Forgeries: The beautifully written up collection on 11 pages showing all four Sperati types, with Queen Victoria 1894 45 pi. grey-purple & blue imperforate in Die Proof format signed 'Jean de Sperati', Duty Plate stamp size photograph in black & white and further example of the CYPRUS / 45 PIASTRES each handstamped 'Reproduction' on reverse, together with the 'issued' Sperati 45 pi. cancelled by Nicosia squared circle...