Tag Archives: Niger Coast

September 11, 2011 · 9:12 pm

Upcoming Grosvenor sale includes Niger Coast

On September 28th, Grosvenor are having a British Empire sale including some Niger Coast and Boer War items. Of note is lot 1399, an envelope from Niger Coast franked with three 1s green overprinted stamps. The cover was last sold at the John Sacher collection of West Africa only as recently as November 2009 and realised £1’200+20%. The estimate is £2’000-2’500… Also in this section there are a selection of mint and used provisional overprints on the Jubilee issue.

The other item of note is lot 1644, a cover sent during the Boer War, showing violet straight line ”CENSORED G.B. BEAK”, incl. the original letter with the message: ”We were supposed to be creating a diversion whilst Hunter and Clements attacked the Burghers from the north. The diversion part of the scheme appears to have been entirely successful, but as yet we have got no news from Hunter”. The cover (address faded) bears a 1/2d vermilion pair unaccepted firstly at Ficksburg where framed ”TE BETALEN” was applied before entering the military post with F.P.O. cancellations. Unusual.

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June 29, 2011 · 9:44 pm

June 2011 Ebay Report

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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

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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

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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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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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