Category: VICTORIA - Postal History

Description: 1850 part-entire to Melbourne with rare franking of Ham Half-Lengths Original State of the Dies 2d lilac-mauve SG 2 (margins just clear to large) unusually tied by a single pen-stroke (a bit smudged), oval 'MELBOURNE/AP4/1850/ PORT PHILLIP' arrival b/s, minor blemishes. Ex Dr Wawn & "Capri Estate". RPSofV Certificate (2006). In John Barwis's Census, this is #9 of only 13 covers bearing SG 2. Gary Diffen's very fine cover sold for £4560.

Internal docketing "John Atkins/30th March 1850/Particulars of Sheep Stn" indicates that this is an up-country item. John Atkins was the Fyansford innkeeper so that may well be the origin of the cover. John Barwis & others have attributed the manuscript marking to Fyansford, near Geelong on the road to Ballarat. The post office there opened only in 1859. However, Atkins also had pastoral interests at Tooradin, Bolwarra, Bacchus Marsh & Charlton. The part-letter states "...the Station was originally selected & taken up by James McArthur for his fine sheep..." This identifies the property as Bolwarra, on the Moorabool River east of Ballarat. In either event, our expectation is that the letter was irregularly posted, not at a post office, but placed aboard a passing mail coach, at which time the manuscript cancel was applied.

Listed in: Postal History , postmarks - manuscript cancellations , Primary Industry - Sheep & Wool , Early Imperforate Stamps , VICTORIA , AUSTRALIAN COLONIES General , AUSTRALIA

Estimate: AUD$ 850.00T

Type: c

Quality: b