Auction 99 PAPUA 1885-1901 The Queensland Stamps Period
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| Lot | Type | Quality | Description | Estimate | Realised |
| 232 | C | B | 1889 Musgrave cover to Nova Scotia via Brisbane (b/s) with Queensland Lined Background 1d (faded) & 6d cancelled with exceptional strike of the 'N.G'-in-bars obliterator, remarkably fine strike of the rare 'GRANVILLE/JY20/89/B.N.G' cds alongside, 'WINDSOR-ONT/CANADA' transit b/s, the stamps have presumably been lifted & repositioned as the cover has been reduced at the top by 30mm. One of the most famous of all Papuan covers. With Robson Lowe opinion (1968) stating his conclusion that the stamps do belong to this cover. [Illustrated by Lee on the dust jacket, where it is stated that this is one of only two pre-1891 'N.G' covers & that it bears "the clearest of the three 'GRANVILLE' datestamps found on cover"] | 20000 T | 17920 |
| 233 | C | B | 1889 (Aug 2) cover from Germany to "Butaritari/Macin Gilbert Inseln" via Singapore (OC13/89) & Sydney (NO17/89) with the address crossed-out & re-addressed to "British New/Guinea" where it received the 'GRANVILLE/24DE/99/B.N.G' b/s (Lee #4; rated F). Forwarded to 'FINSCHHAFEN/24 4/90/*', then to Weltevreden (20/6/1890) & Singapore (JU26/90), then back to 'PORT MORESBY/SP17/90/NEW GUINEA' (Lee #1; rated F), & 'SAMARAI/30DEC90/B.N.G' (Lee #24; rated E). At various points it received straight-line 'UNCLAIMED' (poor strike on face, possibly at Port Moresby), boxed 'NON RECLAME/ UNCLAIMED' & unframed 'RETOUR' (both of Queensland pattern so could have been applied at Port Moresby &/or Samarai) & boxed 'REBUT/À L'ORIGINE' (European?). Finally returned to Germany with 'MEISSEN/10.1.99' & 'CÖLLN/11.1.99' b/s (!). Not surprisingly the cover eventually fell apart but has been expertly repaired. [Without doubt, the most significant Pacific Islands cover we have ever offered. It is the earliest recorded cover to the Gilbert & Ellice Islands, where the first post office opened only in 1911; the 'PORT MORESBY/NEW GUINEA' cds is the only example recorded on cover; and the Granville cds is the latest of only 4 recorded on cover. With historical notes supplied by Roger Lee who acquired this & two 1890s covers from Butaritari - see our Rarities Auction on 25/1/2003 - from a descendant of the addressee] | 25000 T | 18000 |
| 234 | C | D | 1892 stained double-rate cover to Sydney (Manly b/s) with Queensland Lined Background 2d pair (partly excised), two strikes of 9-bar 'BNG' canceller & very fine 'SAMARAI/13FEB92/B.N.G.' b/s (Lee #24; ERD), Cooktown transit b/s, piece missing from flap. Ex Gill. [The earliest recorded cover from Samarai: in the hand of Governor MacGregor to his wife. Illustrated by Lee at page 21] | 1000 T | 950 |
| 235 | C | B | 1893 (June 6) Musgrave cover to Nova Scotia with Queensland Two Corners 2½d carmine-pink tied by 8-bar 'B.N.G' obliterator, very fine 'PORT MORESBY/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds (Lee #6) alongside, transit b/s of 'THURSDAY ISLAND', London, & 'HALIFAX CANADA' and arrival of 'AUBURN/NS', vertical fold & minor fault at top. | 1250 T | 1400 |
| 236 | C | B | 1895 (Oct 12) commercial double-rate cover to Brisbane (b/s) with Queensland Lined Background 1d orange block of 4 tied by two strikes 8-bar 'B.N.G' obliterator, 'PORT MORESBY/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds (Lee #6) at lower-left, Cooktown transit b/s, minor soiling mostly on the reverse. | 1250 T | 1050 |
| 237 | C | B | 1896 cover to Sydney (b/s) with rare franking of Queensland 5d purple-brown with part-strike 9-bars 'BNG' cancel, very fine 'SAMARAI/22JUN96/B.N.G.' & fine 'REGISTERED/SAMARAI B.N.G' h/s (Lee #26) alongside, large-part impression of 'H.M.CUSTOMS/[crown]B.N.G./[SA]MA[RAI]' seal in red wax on flap, Cooktown transit b/s, a trifle soiled. A highly significant item, being the earliest recorded registered cover from British New Guinea. [Only one other 5d solo franking on a registered cover has been recorded] | 15000 T | 14500 |
| 238 | CL | B | 1896 (Sep 14) OHMS cover to Brisbane (b/s) with Queensland Lined Background 6d green tied by one of two strikes 'PORT MORESBY/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds (Lee #6), Thursday Island transit b/s, minor soiling & slightly truncated at both ends. [Only one other triple-rate Queensland Period cover with a single stamp has been recorded] | 1500 T | 1100 |
| 239 | C | B | 1897 (Sep 15) cover from GB to "Port Moresby/British New Guinea" (arrival b/s of 7DE97) via Brisbane & Cooktown (transit b/s), endorsed "not here" at lower-left & with light but clear strike of the rare straight-line 'UNCLAIMED' h/s (Lee #104; the only recorded example on cover), held for 10 months then with 'DEAD LETTER OFFICE/ A /18OC98/BRISBANE' b/s in purple, flap torn. [The only instructional h/s recorded in the Queensland Period] | 2500 T | 1800 |
| 241 | C | B | 1898 (Sep 26) part-OHMS wrapper front to Solomon Islands with Queensland Four Corners 1d tied by one of two fair strikes 'PORT MORESBY/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds (Lee #6). | 500 T | 600 |
| 242 | C | B | 1899 part-cover front with South British Fire & Marine Insurance imprint to Townsville with rare franking of Large Chalon 5/- rose-carmine tied by 9-bars 'BNG' cancel of Samarai. [Believed to be the only BNG item franked with this value. Illustrated by Lee at page 8] | 1500 T | 1050 |
| 243 | C | D | 1899 defective cover-front & small-part rear panel with Cooktown arrival b/s, Four Figures 2d tied by poor 9-bars 'BNG' cancel of 'SAMARAI/B.N.G' (Lee #24 cds alongside; rated E), good strike of the rare boxed 'DEFICIENT POSTAGE ("2")/FINE ("2 - 4")' h/s (Lee #103; unlisted for Samarai) at upper-left affected by fault. Ugly but rare. Ex Croaker. [Lee speculates that these h/s were applied in Queensland. However, the standard practice was to indicate postage due at the point of origin. It is probable that every BNG office was issued with a boxed h/s of this generic type. From a practical perspective these were Queensland offices] | 500 T | 360 |
| 244 | C | B | 1899 (Dec 2) Union Bank cover to Brisbane (b/s) with Queensland Four Corners 1d & 2d pair tied by two fair strikes 8-bars 'B.N.G', almost fine strike 'PORT MORESBY/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds (Lee #6) below & 'REGISTERED/PORT MORESBY.NG' h/s (Lee #3) at left, opened-out. [Vendor states only five registered covers from Port Moresby are recorded in the Queensland Period. Croaker's rather similar cover with the same combination of markings sold for £8050 in 1998] | 15000 T | 19000 |
| 245 | C | C | 1899 cover to Cooktown (b/s) with Four Figures 1d x2 tied by 9-bars 'BNG' cancel of 'SAMARAI/B.N.G' (Lee #24 cds below; rated E), fine strike of the rare boxed 'DEFICIENT POSTAGE ("2")/FINE ("2")' h/s (Lee #103; unlisted for Samarai) alongside & mss "4d" below, central stain from adhesive tape used to seal the flap & repaired tear across the flap. | 1500 T | 2100 |
| 246 | C | B | 1900 triple-rate cover with OHMS heading obliterated, to Brisbane (b/s) with Queensland Four Corners 1d & 5d tied by two fine to superb strikes 9-bars 'BNG' cancel, 'SAMARAI/14MAY00/B.N.G' cds (Lee #24) below, double-circle 'QUEENSLAND CLUB/MY 28 00/BRISBANE' private arrival d/s in violet on face & reverse, vertical fold, slightly reduced at left & opened-out. Ex Gill. [The superb cancel on the 1d is illustrated in the Robson Lowe "Encyclopaedia...: Australasia"] | 2500 T | 2400 |
| 247 | C | B | 1900 commercial cover to Ireland with Four Corners 1d strip of 3 tied by fine 10-bars 'B.N.G' cancels (Lee #49; rated F) & fair 'TAMATA/ 2P /SP10/99/B.N.G' cds (Lee #48; date error for 1900; very fine strike on the reverse; rated F) below all in violet, a further two 1d stamps added in transit at 'SAMARAI' (b/s) to pay the double-rate & tied by the 9-bars 'BNG' h/s (Lee #25), further transit b/s of Cooktown & Brisbane & 'ARMAGH' arrival b/s, minor blemishes. A remarkable cover and one of the jewels of the collection. BPA Certificate (1971). [Believed to be the only cover from Tamata with the postmarks in violet. Illustrated by Lee at page 15] | 15000 T | 21000 |
| 248 | PS | A- | 1900 commercial usage of Queensland 1½d Postal Card ("Bullock-ploughing...") to Java with cross-written message in Dutch headed "Daru 2 November 1900" but presumably despatched at some distance from the settlement as it bears 'DARU/NO10/ /B.N.G' cds (Lee #41; ERD for no year slug) & 10-bars 'B.N.G' cancel (Lee #42; rated E) both in an unusual and distinctive bright-blue ink, 'THURSDAY ISLAND' transit & 'SOEKABOEM' squared-circle arrival both on the face, a few very minor blemishes that in no way detract from this extraordinary item of postal history. [The earliest recorded entire from Daru, written by a Dutch official pursuing murderous tribesmen. Only two other examples of Queensland Postal Cards used in BNG have been recorded] | 7500 T | 26000 |
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