Sparks Auctions

Newfoundland #8a 1857 8d scarlet vermilion diagonal bisect, with enormous margins at top and left, nicely tied by barred oval handstamp on 1860 folded letter sheet from St. Johns with red "Paid" MR 28 1860 dispatch cds to Baltimore "pr Mail via Halifax" and with AP 9 "Boston Br. Pkt." cds in black, two vertical file folds do not affect the stamp. Extremely fine and a wonderful example of the 8d bisect used to pay the 4d stg. rate to the United States. Accompanied by 1979 BPA certificate. Unitrade CV$6,500.

Canada #1701a 2003 $5 "Missing Moose" Variety, a rare and very dramatic modern error discovered here in Ottawa, shortly after the stamp was issued in 2003. This single is from a pane distributed to a post office in Nova Scotia where the selvedge was removed from a group of about 10 panes and only after this was the error discovered. Removing the selvedge caused irregular perforation and a short thinned perf at lower right. Otherwise the stamp is very fine. Unitrade CV C$7,500.

1853 Nova Scotia #1, 1d red brown Victoria on bluish paper, stunning mint single with nice margins on each side, great colour and original gum (showing offset from the rare 1sh stamp on reverse!), very fine and accompanied by 2007 Richard Gratton AIEP certificate. A lovely example of this rare stamp in a quality that will satisfy the most discriminating collector. Unitrade CV C$9000.

Tanganyika #NL54-NL59 MAFIA ISLAND 1915 Imperial Arms set of 6 with violet or blue-grey overprints, fresh colours, fine-very fine and hinged. Accompanied by 2007 Sismondo Certificate stating "genuine in all respects, unused, with full original gum, fresh colours" and each stamp with his expert signature. A rare set (SG M27-M32 £7,100) Scott CV$5,250.