382nd Auction

3d. on 25 pfg. black and red/yellow, fresh color and good perforation, position 4, used with oval "RABAUL" cds., fine

3d. on 30 pfg., position 2, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine, signed Holcombe with opinion (1998)

3d. on 30 pfg., position 2, fresh color and good perforation, with variety "no stop after d", unused, very fine and scarce, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke and certificate Gibbs (2009)

4d. on 40 pdf. carmine/black, 5d. on 50 pfg. black and purple/buff and 8d. on 80 pfg. black and carmine/rose, positions 5,2 and 7, all fresh color and good perforation, tied by oval "RABAUL JAN 26 1915" to small piece, fine

5d. on 50 pfg. with variety "d omitted", fresh color and good perforation, without gum, very fine and rare, signed Kilian BPP and Holcombe with certificate (1988)

8d. on 80 pfg. black and carmine/rose, fresh color and good perforation, position 1, showing faint kiss-print of "8" and unattributed printed bards in reverse, tied by oval "RABAUL" to piece (lifted), very fine and interesting, certificate BPA (1996)

1d. on 2d. on 10 pfg., horizontal pair, positions 5-6, fresh color and good perforation, used with clear oval "RABAUL", fine

1915, 1 on 2d. on 20 pfg. ultramarine, left marginal single, fresh color and good perforation, position 1, used with part of oval "(RABAUL) NEW BRITAIN" cancellation, a fine and very attractive example of this rare stamp, signed with certificate Holcombe (1994) (enclosed a picture showing the original piece of mail with another SG 64 on it)

1915, 1 on 2d. on 20 pfg. ultramarine with inverted large superimposed "1", position 4, fresh color and good perforation, used with, most likely forged, oval "RABAUL" cancellation, very fine, only two stamps with inverted overprint known, this is the sole "used" example, very fine and attractive, signed Holcombe with certificate (1989)

 Provenance: Collection Marquess of Bute (Robson Lowe, 1959)

5d. on 50pfg., position 9, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine, signed

1d. on 2d. on 10 pfg, position 8 with overprint variety "small 1", mint never hinged, very fine

6mm Spacing: 2½ on 10 pfg. in combination with Marshall-Islands 1d. on 5 pfg. with 5mm spacing, both positions 4 resp. 3, tied by cds. "MANUS 7 JA 15" to small piece, stamps printed from the fourth setting with 5mm spacing are quite rare, fine and attractive, opinion Holcombe (1998)

2½d. on 20 pfg., block of four, positions 9-10, fresh color and good perforation, mint never hinged, fine

SETTING 4/5: 2d. on 20 pfg. with variety "inverted R in GRI", fresh color and good perforation, tied by cds. "(STEPH)ANS(ORT" to small piece, a very fine example of this striking variety, a true rarity with only a total of 5 copies printed, signed Kosack and certificate BPA (1949)

3d. on 30 pfg., originally block of four, two vertical pairs, positions 8-9, fresh color and good perforation, mint never hinged, otherwise fine and attractive multiple

5d. on 50pfg., position 5, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine, signed

1d. on 5 pfg., horizontal strip of four, positions 6-9, fresh color and good perforation, unused, slight seperations, a scarce and fine positional piece

Reference: top half of block of eight depicted in G.R.I. by Robert M. Gibbs, page 32

2½d on 10 pfg., left marginal single with overprint on the margin, thus showing position 2 of the setting on the stamp, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine and attractive, signed and opinion Holcombe (1989)

2½d. on 20 pfg., position 10, fresh color and good centering, used with part oval "RABAUL", few nibbed perfs, small stain on reverse not detracting, otherwise fine, a rare stamp, certificate Holcombe (1997)

3d. on 30 pfg., right marginal single with overprint on the margin, thus showing position 10 of the setting on the margin, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine and attractive, copy of certificate for former pair BPA (1955)

8d. on 80pfg., position 3, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine, signed with certicate Sismondo (2007)

3d. on 30 pfg., position 5, fresh color and good perforation, unused, fine, scarce from this setting, opinion Holcombe (1993)

1d. on 3 pfg. with clear double print, position 5, fresh color and good perforation, mint never hinged, a very fine copy of this rare stamp with according to Gibbs only about 35 printed, signed Bothe BPP

3d. on 30 pfg. with double overprint, one inverted, positions 1 resp. 6 for the inverted, fresh color and good centering, unused, small, not distracting, paper fault at top, otherwise fine and attractive, a scarce stamp, signed Holcombe with certificate (1992)

4d. on 40pfg. with double overprint, dry print, showing variety "broken 4 resembling a 1", position 2, unused with part original gum, rather toned and pulled perf at upper right, still attractive and a major rarity with only 3 recorded copies, this being the sole unused example, signed Holcombe with certificate (1993)