Category Archives: Ebay Reports

July 26, 2011 · 11:02 pm

July 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

This cover was sent from London to Barberton (South Africa) during the Boer war, and although the condition is slightly poor (as is often the case with Boer War material), the violet “MAIL SERVICE SUSPENDED” handstamp excited collectors enough to see this reach £83.87.

This wonderful parcel post piece was sent from Matlock Bath to Ilkley, before being returned to the sender. The piece not only bears both the parcel post labels of Matlock Bath and Ilkley, but also the frankings for both sendings! A very interesting item from an increasing popular philatelic subject, it sold for £135.45.

 

 

 

This unusual cover was posted onboard RMS Orizaba, and was put into the mail at Colombo, Ceylon, resulting in the 2 1/2d purple on blue being tied by a Colombo duplex, with “PAQUEBOT” hs alongside. It sold for £73.55.

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June 29, 2011 · 9:44 pm

June 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

This attractive cover was sent at the printed matter rate with a 1/2d vermilion. However, in order to qualify for this rate, the contents weren’t allowed to contain writing or be sealed. This example was obviously found to contain writing and had “OF THE NATURE / OF A LETTER / 131” handstamp applied with a tax “1” (to pay the extra 1/2d for the letter rate plus a 1/2d fine). It sold for £41.00

This unusual cover has the opposite halves of a 1/2d vermilion and a 1/2d green put together to make up a single 1/2d stamp. What is more unusual though is that it appears to have been accepted to pay the printed matter rate! Every other bisect or cut-and-paste stamp I have seen has been taxed as not paying the rate. I slightly regret letting this one go for only £42.75.

Multiples of the Niger Coast issues are very scarce, and certainly sought after. This block of six 1/2d vermilions sold for £48.60 despite having trimmed perfs at the left hand side.

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May 31, 2011 · 10:00 am

May 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

This 1s green as a single franking on cover is quite scarce. However, what makes it more interesting is that it is on a privately printed registered envelope from Stanley Gibbons, along with two of their red wax seals. If I’d had noticed this at the time I would have been more interested, but it fetched a good price at £72.96.

This large piece is unusual not only because it was sent from South Africa during the Boer War, but because it also has the customs declaration form alongside which is the first time I’d seen this before. It bears a 3d and 6d Jubilee tied by a “FIELDPOST OFFICE / BRITISH FORCES S. AFRICA” cds. Strong competition saw this fetch £178.45.

The past couple of months has seen one vendor put up a wonderful collection of cancellations and covers from Niger Coast and the British Levant. This unassuming pair are cancelled by the rubber parcel cancellation of Brass (in violet on the 2d and red on the 2 1/2d). Not only are they scarce cancels, but they’re also very attractive, and fetched £87.00.

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April 30, 2011 · 10:00 am

April 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

This British Levant 4 pi on 10d on cover is rare. This is only one of a few examples that I have seen. The condition is quite poor; it is creased and has a tear affecting one of the 40pa on 2 1/2d, but it is still not a bad looking cover for only £37.00. Expect to pay at least 10 times that for an example on cover in good condition (if you can find one).

This Niger Coast 1s green block of four actually came from the same vendor as the cover above. It is from the 1st setting (no marginal lines) and is cancelled by Old Calabar cds. The colour isn’t as fresh as it could be, but blocks of four of these issues just don’t come around. Sold for £178.50

This cute postcard was sent to France with a 1/2d green, but was declared underpaid by 5c (equivalent to 1/2d) on arrival and taxed with a 10c French postage due (which includes a 5c fine). I was very happy to only pay £4.10.

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March 30, 2011 · 10:00 am

March 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

This cover from Bechuanaland in endorsed “Last Day Cover of postal use”, and bears six Queen Victoria issues tied by a Francistown 31 MAR 38 cds, over 40 years after their issue. I have yet to find out if this actually the last date of legal use. Obviously philatelically inspired, it is not unique, as I bought one several months ago for $80. This one sold for $141.00.

This parcel post label bears a 1 1/2d and 9d Jubilee issue with the “GOVT PARCELS” overprint and is very scarce as such. The creasing slightly lets this one down, but considering its scarcity, it was a good buy at £82.00.

The British Levant 80pa on 5d is quite difficult to find on cover, with the 40pa on 2 1/2d being much more common. However, what differentiates this on is the “ORIENT EXPRESS” handstamp. The rarest covers from the British Levant bear stamp-like labels for the Orient Express, but this is the first time that I have seen this cachet, although I presume it to be privately made. Bidding reached £68.00 on this one.

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February 28, 2011 · 10:00 am

Febuary 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

This interesting piece sold for £37.05. It is a opposite halves of a bisect of a 2d and a 1 1/2d together on piece tied by a Bletchinton cds. There a few of these types of items around, all philatelically inspired of course, and they were not permitted by the Post Office at the time. As you can see, the words “not accepted” appear below the stamps. It is now up for sale by Arthur Ryan & Co. for £95.

This cover from Niger Coast also bears bisects and was sold for £765.75. A very similar cover, sent to the same address, but addressed to “Mr. Britain”, was sold by Spink in the John Sacher collection in Novermber 2009 for £850 plus 20% commission, so this was a good purchase for the winning bidder.

This unmounted mint set of specimen overprints on the Zululand set sold for £359.35

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January 30, 2011 · 10:00 am

January 2011 Ebay Report

Top 3 Items of the Month

Zululand covers bearing the overprinted Jubilee issue are rare, and seldom appear at auction let alone on ebay. The 5d is more scarce than the rest on cover, and although this is from a known philatellic correspondence, only one person was willing to bid $678.50, which seems like a steal to me.

This parcel tag to Jerusalem bears an 1883-84 2s6d as well as 1s green, 3d purple on yellow and 2d green and red Jubilees. The item was won by Andrew Lajer for £117.39, who then placed it on his website for £395. In fact, the ebay vendor bought the tag from David Feldman SA as part of the “Severn” collection in November 2010 for €100 plus 20% commission.

This attractive cover with USA 10c postage due was sold for $21.85. Covers with foreign postage due are quite scarce and make an interesting addition to a collection.

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