AUSTRALIAN COLONIES, VICTORIA, 1852-58 QUEEN-ON-THRONE

Lot 42		Estimate: $12,500 Realised Price : $11,000 2d 'Queen-on-Throne' Reprinted Imperforate Plate Proof complete sheet of 50 with imprint produced in 1891, two vertical creases, otherwise fine and fresh. Five sheets were printed, from which this remains the only example in private hands. Ex Gartner, Perry. [Of the original five sheets, two were destroyed in the 1983 Ash Wednesday fire, one is the Australia Post Archives, and the other is in the Royal Collection]
Lot 43		Estimate: $2,500 1852 Recess-printed by Thomas Ham 2d Reddish Brown unused marginal pair [47-48], SG 18, showing tiny portion of printer's imprint at lower left, minor imperfections. The only imprint item recorded in the issued stamp. Ex Kellow
Lot 44		Estimate: $25,000 Realised Price : $19,000 1852 Recess-printed by Thomas Ham 2d Purple-Brown [28] superb large-margined example on 1853 (30 Apr) entire Melbourne to Commissariat at Sandhurst, endorsed 'Escort' and stamp and cover with '32' representing the given number for the Government Gold Escort which carried the article. The most attractive of the three recorded Escort covers and a highlight of Victorian Postal History. Ex Purves, Perry. Regarded by many as the greatest 'Queen-on-Throne' cover
Lot 45		Estimate: $1,000 Realised Price : $850 1854 Lithographed by J.S. Campbell & Co. Stone 1, 2d Dull Lilac-Brown [1], SG 19c, superb unused example, good to large margins. Perhaps two or three known unused
Lot 46		Estimate: $500 Realised Price : $500 1854 Lithographed by J.S. Campbell & Co. Stone 4, 2d Violet-Black [33], SG 20, unused, close at right, a little thinned, very few unused recorded from this stone
Lot 47		Estimate: $500 Realised Price : $380 1854 Lithographed by J.S. Campbell & Co. Stone 6, 2d Dull Brown [47], SG 20c, superb unused example
Lot 48		Estimate: $3,000 Realised Price : $2,400 1854 Lithographed by J.S. Campbell & Co. Stone 6, 2d Violet-Black on toned paper, rare interpane pair [42/2], four-margined except where tapered into lower left, slight creasing. Only eleven such pairs from this printing exist. Ex Kellow
Lot 49		Estimate: $3,500 Realised Price : $3,000 1854 Lithographed by J.S. Campbell & Co. Stone 5, 2d Dull Brown on toned paper, strip of four [21-22-33-34], 'Substituted transfer' [21-22] for [31-32], heavy horizontal crease and associated tears, although not unattractive. The largest multiple containing a substitution. Ex Purves, Perry
Lot 50		Estimate: $1,250 1854 Lithographed by J.S. Campbell & Co. Stone 7, 2d Grey-Black strip of six [5-10] with large margins except at top right corner, small tear at centre top, otherwise attractive and the record multiple for this stone. Ex Harvey, Perry
Lot 51		Estimate: $800 Realised Price : $600 1855-56 Lithographed by Campbell & Fergusson Stone A, 2d Lilac pair [5-6], SG 36, attractive unused with large even margins
Lot 52		Estimate: $7,500 Realised Price : $6,250 1855-56 Lithographed by Campbell & Fergusson Stone D, 2d Dull Grey-Lilac single [7] and pair [13-14], SG 39a, tied to 1856 (16 Feb) cover Geelong to London per 'Hellespont'. After P & O withdrew contract ships during the Crimean War, mail routed to the UK via the Far East had to link up with the P & O Far East service via ships destined for India or the East. The 'Hellespont' and 'Kennington' are the only two voyages identified as making 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 the circular 'MORE/TO/PAY'. An extremely rare and highly important item of Victorian Postal History. Ex Perry