Lot 514, Canada 1945 registered cover Vancouver to China, War Issue, franked $10.60

Lot 514, Canada 1945 registered cover Vancouver to China, War Issue, franked $10.60Lot 514 Canada #257/262 1945 Vancouver Registered to China, War Issue Franking, mailed Vancouver BC on MAR 3.1945 (several blackout c.d.s. cancels, plus blank registration box) and addressed to China (Chungking) through Eastern route of Montreal, then Miami and West Africa (no markings for these except a MAR.6 Montreal c.d.s. on back, still endorsed via this route). Also endorsed “By C.N.A.C. from Calcutta”. Medium sized cover is franked with ten $1 Destroyers, one 50c Munitions and a 10c Parliament, all from the War issue set, paying a total of $10.60. Censor tape from DB / 196. A few opening tears at left and some light creases, still a great cover for the War issue collector, wartime postal historian, etc. Estimate C$200.

Lot 1, Canada 1851 three penny orange red beaver imperforate on laid paper, mint

Lot 1, Canada 1851 three penny orange red beaver imperforate on laid paper, mintLot 1 Canada #1a 1851 3d orange red Beaver Imperforate on Laid Paper. Canada’s first stamp, a three penny value paying the domestic rate and showing a beaver was engraved by Alfred Jones using a very similar design proposed by (later Sir) Sanford Fleming. One census of unused mint laid paper three penny beavers put the number at 18. Although this might be a little bit low, unfortunately many of these are cut into or have faults and some are in institutional collections. It is likely that fewer than a handful of very fine four margin number ones are in private collections.

This stamp has two Certificates of Authenticity: A 1985 Greene Foundation Certificate states”…Mint, O.G., genuine…” and a 2015 Greene Foundation Certificate states …”#1a, unused, on laid paper, orange red shade, genuine in all respects”. It is unclear to us what happened to the gum after 1985 but assume that the authenticity of the “original gum” was questioned and a previous owner soaked off the gum. For the record there is a tiny faint crease entirely in the lower right margin which was not mentioned in either certificate; this could be literally cut away and there would still be four full large margins.

This stamp with fresh colour and full margins is a very rare example of a very fine Canada’s first stamp. From the Outaouais Collection.

1985 V. G. Greene Foundation certificate2015 V. G. Greene Foundation certificate

UNITRADE #1a $60,000
SCOTT #1a USD $40,000
S.G. #1a £38,000

Lot 312, Falkland Islands 1933 King George V set perforated SPECIMEN

Lot 312, 1933 Falkland Islands King George V set perforated SPECIMENLot 312 Falkland Islands #65S-76S 1933 ½d to £1 Set Perforated SPECIMEN, the full iconic King George V set for the Centenary of British Administration. All are fresh mint and never hinged, with no trace of blemishes nor toning on the gum. Overall very fine centering (a few are fine-very fine). Archive records indicate 473 sets were perforated SPECIMEN, very few of which are in private hands, making these much scarcer than the regular set. Scott Classic catalogue value is for a set of hinged SPECIMEN overprints only. S.G. catalogue value of £4,250 is for a hinged perforated set. Scott CV U$4,500.
Lot 312, 1933 Falkland Islands King George V set perforated SPECIMEN