Xref Usa Catalogue for Auction
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Page:1 Mar 03, 2019 Lot Type Grading Description Est $A COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - Straits Settlements Postal Agency 1933 to 1937 The Agency opened on or about 20.4.1933 and closed circa March 1937. It was operated by the Cable Company on Direction Island. Lot 2346 2346 CL B 1936 cover with imprint of Captain Irving Johnson (Springfield, Mass) to "John Clunies-Ross/Keeling Cocos Island/Via Singapore" with Bermuda (!) 1½d & 2½d tied by 'ST GEORGES' cds, minor blemishes. A remarkable origin/destination item. [Probably contained a letter of thanks for hospitality extended during the visit to Cocos of the US Schooner 'Yankee' on its 1935 round-the-world voyage] 500T COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - The Late 1930s After closure of the Postal Agency, the same ad hoc postal arrangements as had applied before 1933 were reinstated. Lot 2362 2362 CL B INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER 'GUBA II': 1938 (May 24) Archbold Expedition cover from New York to Hollandia overprinted to commemorate that flight & the 1939 return via Australia, the Indian Ocean & Africa, with Dutch Indies 10c tied by 'HOLLANDIA/10.5.39' cds, Australian 5d Ram tied by 'ROSE BAY EAST/3JE39/NSW-AUST' cds, superb 'C&W LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' b/s & uncancelled Seychelles 6c, autographs of "Richard Archbold", "Russell R Rogers Pilot" & three other crew members, a bit stained on the reverse. The Australian Government contracted the flying boat 'Guba II' to undertake a survey flight from Australia across the Indian Ocean to Africa to assess the feasability of such a route in the event of disruption to the London-Singapore- Sydney route. After having spent a year flying in and around New Guinea, 'Guba' left Port Moresby 12.5.1939 for Sydney & Melbourne for an overhaul of the plane's systems. On 3.6.1939 it flew non-stop Sydney-Port Hedland (WA), then on towards Cocos & beyond. 1,000T Lot 2363 Page:2 www.abacusauctions.com.au Mar 03, 2019 COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - The Late 1930s (continued) Lot Type Grading Description Est $A 2363 CL B - 1939 (May 12) Archbold Expedition cover from Papua to New York via Australia, the Indian Ocean & Africa, with Papua 1/- Air tied by Port Moresby cds, Australian 5d Ram tied by 'ROSE BAY EAST/3JE39/NSW-AUST' cds, 'C&W LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' b/s, Seychelles 2c x3 tied by VICTORIA/JU17/39/SEYCHELLES' cds, KUT 15c tied by 'KISUMU/23JU/39/KENYA' cds, Belgian Congo 50c tied by 'COLQUIHATVILLE/24-6-39' cds & USA 2c tied by New York arrival cancel of AUG4/1939, faint blemishes & small closed tear at top clear of the stamps. [Kim Dwyer's similar cover - with the Cocos cds on the face - sold for $2300] 1,500T Lot 2366 2366 CB - 1939 cover to New York with appropriate stamps & postmarks of Australia, Seychelles (obscuring a superb strike of the 'C&W LTD/COCOS' cds), KUT, Belgian Congo & the USA, minor soiling. 850T Lot 2367 2367 C A- - 1939 (June 3) Sydney-KUT-Sydney boomerang cover with superb 'C&W LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' cds on the reverse, registered for the return flight per Imperial Airways with KUT 50c tied by 'KISUMU/23JU/39/KENYA' cds, Sydney arrival b/s of 6JY39, minor stains on the reverse. [Kim Dwyer's long registered cover sold for $1092] 1,000T COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - World War II Civilian Mails 1939 to 1945 Britain declared war on Germany 4.9.1939. Non-military mail going into or out from Cocos during World War II is extremely scarce. Colin Riddell's items here are the only examples known to us. Kim Dwyer's collection did not include any such items. Lot 2378 2378 CA 1941 (Feb 19) cover from USA at 5c rate with Oakland, CA cancels to "Governor [sic] Ross/Cocos Islands/Indian Ocean", triangular 'PASSED FOR - TRANSMISSION/ 6 ' cachet in violet applied at Singapore on face. 250T Page:3 Mar 03, 2019 Lot Type Grading Description Est $A COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - Colony of Singapore 1946 to 1955 In 1946 administration reverted to Singapore & the islands were incorporated into that Colony. For most of this period, there was again no official post office. From late-1949 until 1951, Esme Ralph Leigh-Parkin, an employee of Cable & Wireless Ltd, was the de facto postmaster. A keen collector, much of the mail to, from or processed by him is nonetheless definitely commercial/social. Unlike the 'Tin Can Mail' taken out to passing ships (see next section), items here were collected by the TSS 'Islander' or naval ships calling infrequently at Cocos with relief staff & supplies. A Royal Australian Air Force PO opened at the end of 1951, from which time most mail was then processed through that facility. Lot 2426 2426 C A- MAIL PER ROYAL NAVAL FRIGATE: 1950 Leigh-Parkin airmail cover to the United States with makeshift 'R COCOS/0002' label & superb 'C&W LTD/ 29NOV50/COCOS' b/s, Singapore 15c & $1 tied by 'MAXWELL ROAD/11DEC50/SINGAPORE' cds & Singapore 'R' label added, three New York backstamps. [A frigate departed Cocos 1.12.1950 for Singapore] Singapore recognised Cocos' de facto postal arrangements when it suited them but drew the line at purporting to register mail from there, requiring that the process be done in Singapore. Such registered covers are rare: makeshift 'R' label #19 is on a cover dated 11JUN51, suggesting an average of fewer than three articles per month. 1,250T Lot 2428 2428 CB - 1950 (Nov 10) cover to "Cable and Wireless Ltd for Cocos/PO Box 146/Singapore/China" (!!) with USA Prexie 3c only, 'T12 CTMS' h/s & 'POSTAGE DUE...CENTS' h/s both in purple, Singapore Postage Due 12c meter impression in green & oval 'COCOS IS/("10 4 51")/PER ("Frigate")' b/s, stained on the face. A most unusual cover. [Delivered 16.4.1951 per frigate en route Singapore-Colombo. There was, of course, no facility for collecting Postage Due on Cocos so the fee was charged to Cable & Wireless Ltd in Singapore &, presumably, recovered through internal accounting] 750T Page:4 www.abacusauctions.com.au Mar 03, 2019 Lot Type Grading Description Est $A COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - Australian External Territory 1955 to 1963 On 23.11.1955, the Cocos Islands were transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia & a new PO opened on that date. Australian stamps and postal stationery were used until 1963 when the first Cocos pictorials were issued. Cocos remains an Australian External Territory to this time. Ex Lot 2486 2486 CPS 1955 Opening Day/Inaugural Flight group all with the flight cachet in violet comprising OHMS cover with 'POSTMASTER-GENERAL' imprint at L/L, unusual illustrated - Arthur Bergen ? - cover, large illustrated (map) cover to GB with Australian-pattern 'COCOS ISLAND' 'R' label, usage of Aerogramme Envelope & Letter Card, cover to New Hebrides with 'AERIAL SERVICE/COMPLETED SYDNEY' h/s, underpaid covers to NSW & USA x2 all with Postage Due affixed, and commemorative cover to Hobart with the cachet in rosine (very scarce: Ex Kim Dwyer). [The cachet shows the flight as being from Cocos to Perth. In fact, the route was Cocos-Darwin] (10) 500T Ex Lot 2487 2487 C/L A - OHMS cover with 'POSTMASTER-GENERAL' imprint at L/L, to USA with Kooka 6d & Lyrebird 1/- x2 tied 'COCOS ISLAND/23NO55' cds paying the 2/- airmail rate + 6d surcharge paid to Qantas. With the enclosed PMG's With Compliments card. (2 items) 250T 2495 CL B 1957-63 1957 airmail cover with 'EDWARD C PARKER JR/BRIGANTINE YANKEE' imprint on the flap & endorsed "Brigantine Yankee/Cocos Keeling Islands", to Michigan with Indonesian 4r tied by 'DENPASAR' cds, minor faults. Rare commercial mail. 150T Page:5 Mar 03, 2019 Lot Type Grading Description Est $A NEW GUINEA - 'G.R.I.' SURCHARGES - Postal History There has been a degree of controversy surrounding the GRIs ever since Postmaster Sgt Moore was court martialled on his return to Sydney. However, he was charged only with selling to himself & another officer stamps of greater value than the imposed limit of 10/- per person. The fact remains that the GRI overprints were properly authorised, properly issued, and properly postally used by both the military and civilian populations of the former German New Guinea. This is by far the largest selection of commercial GRI covers that we have offered. Lot 2604 2604 CB MAIL TO AMERICA: 1915 (Mar 18) cover to Pennsylvania endorsed "OHMS" & sealed with a largely very fine 'KAISERL DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR/STEPHANSORT' wax seal across the flap, 'O.S./1d' on DNG 3pf SG O1 & 'G.R.I./3d. - Rabaul/(Deutsch Neuguinea)' registration label SG 33 tied by oval Rabaul d/s unusually in blue & American 'REGISTERED' h/s in purple, Sydney & Chicago transit & Philadelphia arrival b/s, horizontal fold at the base. [The 1d rate applied only for Forces mail to Empire destinations. The correct rate was 2½d & the cover should have been taxed] 750T Lot 2605 2605 CB - 1915 (May 10) cover to New York State with combination franking of NWPI ½d & 2d plus 'G.R.I./3d. - Rabaul/(Deutsch Neuguinea)' registration label SG 33 tied by oval Rabaul d/s in violet & American 'REGISTERED' h/s in purple, 'CENSORED' h/s in violet of Rabaul & scarce 'PASSED BY CENSOR/25DE15/=CS=' cds of Sydney in rosine (NB: Christmas Day), red/white 'OPENED BY/CENSOR' labels tied to the reverse by the rare 'PASSED/ ("31.12.15")/DCC AUST' cachet of the Deputy Chief Censor, Chicago transit b/s, light horizontal fold at the base & a little aged. 1,000T Page:6 www.abacusauctions.com.au Mar 03, 2019 Lot Type Grading Description Est $A NEW GUINEA - 'N.W./PACIFIC/ISLANDS' Overprints - Mail to Foreign Destinations Lot 2673 2673 CB UNITED STATES: 1915 (Sep 14) cover with 'Hamburgische Sudsee-Aktiengesellschaft/Hauptfiliale Rabaul' imprint at top with ½d type b pair & 1d type c tied by Rabaul cds, 'PASSED BY CENSOR' h/s, violet/white 'OPENED BY CENSOR' tape affixed at Sydney & unusually with 'PASSED BY CENSOR/=CS=' cds in red alongside, corner fault at U/L.