Rare Stamps & Postal History of the World
March 8-9, 2022
This 1,338 lot sale features collections formed by the late John Abrams, Dr.M.K. Blumenthal and other prominent collectors. We begin with United States and Possessions, featuring 19th & 20th Century single rarities, graded items, proofs, essays and back of book material. A-Z countries include specialized Bulgaria, Ottoman Bosnia & Herzegovina, China with Liberated Areas covers, Germany with a focus on WWII Occupation Issues, Great Britain and British Commonwealth, including Boer War postal history. There are numerous rarities from Italy, Old States and Italian Colonies, as well as classic covers and individual rarities from South and Central America. This auction concludes with solid section of Large Lots and Collections ranging from single country albums to specialized collections, multi-carton worldwide groups and large cover lots offered intact. For those visiting London 2022, please stop by our both to chat, pick up an auction catalogue or discuss possible sale of your philatelic holdings.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #839 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1899 (12 Dec) advertising cover franked with pair of 1p red and single 1/2p green (partially covered by "Officially Sealed" label, handstamped Durban and used as a censor seal), tied by Point departure, sent via Durban to Delagoa Bay (Mozambique), with Colonial Portuguese arrival pmk on back, fine Boer War usage  | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #840 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1899 (21 Sep) cover from Paddington, London paying 2 1/2p UPU rate to Johannesburg, Transvaal. At the time of sending, the war had not yet commenced, but upon arrival (after 11 October, 1899), the cover was opened and resealed by censor with "Postkantoor Johannesburg" label, one of the very first pieces of mail to be inspected under military censorship, filing fold through the stamps, still fine and rare cover | Price Realized $240.00 |
 | Lot #841 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (5 Sep) registered cover from Standerton, Transvaal to Durban, franked with Great Britain 3p Victoria, paying the Imperial Penny Post single letter rate of one penny and the registered letter fee of two pence, octagonal postmark "Army Post Office Natal Field Force", with "Standerton" below date, A.P.O. 37 at Standerton, Transvaal, minor cover flaws, fine Boer War item | Price Realized $200.00 |
 | Lot #842 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (29 Oct) cover franked with G.B. 1p lilac, tied by Field Post Office 23, British Army South Africa pmk, addressed to Malta, with Nov.29 arrival pmk on back, some toning, fine cover to a scarce destination | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #843 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (21 June) "On Active Service" cover with Field Post Office 30, British Army South Africa Field Post Office pmk, with violet "Canadian Contingent South Africa" July 3, 1900 and Montreal "Free" 30 July arrival pmk alongside, fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #844 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (12 Jan) cover from Ladysmith, Natal to Quetta, "Baloochistan", India, sent unpaid during Siege, endorsed "Stamps Unobtainable", with Postage Due charges "T" and "5" dismissed by blue crayon markings, fine cover to scarce destination, Tuticorin (3 Apr 00) arrival pmk on back | Price Realized $250.00 |
 | Lot #845 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (2 Jan) cover sent unpaid from Ladysmith, Natal to Dublin, Ireland, endorsed "No Stamps Obtainable at Ladysmith", signed by Lieut.C.McNally, 1st K.R. Rifles "Natal Field Force", with "10c" due, obliterated by FB stamp and London "Paid" applied in red below, some cover wear, with arrival pmk (there was a public outcry when in the early part of the Boer War, letters home from Troops on active service, unable to obtain stamp, had their mail Taxed and surcharged on arrival back home. This resulted in the Post Office paying the postage as can be seen on this cover) | Price Realized $170.00 |
 | Lot #846 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 British Field Post Office commemorative envelope to England, franked with V.R.I. 1sh brown, faint toning, with Leicester arrival, faint toning, otherwise fine | Price Realized $140.00 |
 | Lot #847 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (4 Aug) registered letter franked with 1d on 1p V.R.I. horizontal pair, used in combination with pair of Great Britain 1p Victoria, tied by "Army P.C.52 S.Africa" cds, addressed to Maritzburg, Natal, some filing folds, otherwise fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #848 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (24 Apr) cover to Cairo, Egypt, endorsed "On Service No Stamps", but still franked with 2 1/2p in adhesives, probably applied at the Field Post Office, tied by F.P.O. No.24 (at Wepener, with the 8th Division), Alexandria arrival pmk, fine and interesting Boer War usage | Unsold |
 | Lot #849 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (3 Sep) 2p Registered Letter, additionally franked with 2p Victoria, canceled "British Army Field Post Office 17", sent from Johannesburg to Tangier, Morocco, with 5 Oct. 00 arrival pmk on back. Also included is a cover franked with 2 1/2p Victoria, tied by British Army Field Post Office 32 (Bloemfontein) 14 Aug 1900 cds, addressed to Holland, with 8 Sept Wassenaan arrival, fine pair of covers | Unsold |
 | Lot #850 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 cover (faulty at top), sent from the New Zealand contingent, endorsed "On Active Service N.Z.R. No.400", sent to Timaru, franked with 1d V.R.I. adhesive, tied by Army P.O. 55 cancel, with Wellington arrival pmk | Price Realized $140.00 |
 | Lot #851 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (1 Mar) "On Active Service" cover to England, with "Nkandla Zululand" departure, sent via Eshow and Durban, Natal, charged "5c" Postage Due, obliterated by "FB", with red London "Paid" and arrival pmks, some cover wear, interesting usage (there was a public outcry when in the early part of the Boer War, letters home from Troops on active service, unable to obtain stamps, had their mail Taxed and surcharged on arrival back home. This resulted in the Post Office paying the postage as can be seen on this cover) | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #852 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900 (26 Mar) Registered 2p envelope from F.P.O. located at Cape Town, sent to Gibraltar, with additional 2p G.B. postage at London (15 Apr), with arrival on 20th April, scarce destination | Unsold |
 | Lot #853 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1900-01 two covers to England, one franked with 1p V.R.I. tied by "Army Telegraphs" pmk, sent via Pretoria, the other with pair of 1/2p E.R.I. overprints, with oval censor handstamp alongside, fine | Price Realized $140.00 |
 | Lot #854 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1901 (23 March) On Her Majesty's Service cover franked with 1d V.R.I. overprint, tied by Army P.O.4 Africa cds, sent to England, where 1 1/2d Victoria was added in South Farnborough (Apr 14) and redirected to Germany, with Dresden arrival on back, fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #855 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1901 4p Registry envelope, additionally franked with 2 1/2p, both overprinted V.R.I., sent to Germany, with "Opened under Martial Law, On her Majesty's Service", handstamped "Passed by Censor Johannesburg", with Hannover arrival and forwarded to Voipriehausen, fine | Price Realized $140.00 |
 | Lot #856 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1901 two registered covers from Landshut, Bavaria, addressed to Fred Beyer, one as Prisoner of War in Greenpoint Camp, Capetown, the other Poste Restante in Pretoria, with triangular Passed by Press Censor and various transit and arrival pmks, fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #857 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1901 (7 Oct) cover franked with 1p Natal, tied by Eshowe Province of Zululand cds, censored by the Governor of the Central Gaol (manuscript and blue crayon at lower left), sent to Hermannsburg, via Greytown, Natal, triangular "Passed Press Censor" handstamp, backflap mostly missing, with transit and arrival pmks, fine Boer War usage | Price Realized $180.00 |
 | Lot #858 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1901 cover from Winburg to a Boer Prisoner of War at Broad Bottom Camp in St. Helena, franked with 2x2 1/2 Orange River Colony adhesives, tied by departure pmks, with triangular Censor cachet and St. Helena arrival, In addition, there is a 28 Sep 00 cover (toned), from St. Helena to a Prisoner of War in Cape Town, franked with 1p surcharge, showing departure and "Prisoners of War" censor cachet, Green Point and Cape Colony arrival markings on back Catalog #135 | Unsold |
 | Lot #859 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1902 two registered 2p envelopes addressed to Cape Colony, additionally franked with Great Britain 1p adhesives, one canceled "Army P.O. S. Africa", other "Army Post Office Standerton", the former with oval "Krugersdorp" cachet, fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #860 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOUTH AFRICA - BOER WAR 1902 (Jan) cover from Natal, paying 3p with a horizontal strip of 3x1p Victoria, tied by Army Field Post Office Code B, Braamfontein pmks, sent to London, where further 2 1/2d was added on 22 February to pay for transmission to Beirut, arriving "British Post Office March 3, 1902" pmk on back, fine and scarce redirected mail from Natal to Great Britain to Beirut, Boer War usage | Price Realized $200.00 |
