Australian 1882 Large Chalons & Proofs

IMPERFORATE PLATE PROOFS ON CARD

10/- blue-green imperforate pair on thick wove paper handstamped 'SPECIMEN.' in rosine across the two units, with a higher faint impression that was probably applied first. [Basset Hull at page 159 refers to a single of the 10/- in blue-green "overprinted [sic] 'SPECIMEN' horizontally in black in large sans-serif capitals, probably extending over three stamps". This may well have been derived from the same sheet as this item & the h/s may be the same, as its length of 27mm is sufficient to appear on 3 units]

AUD$ 1000.00

IMPERFORATE PLATE PROOFS ON CARD

10/- blue-green complete imperforate sheet of 30 (5x6) with 'BRADBURY, WILKINSON & CO BANK NOTE ENGRAVERS &c. LONDON' imprint below units 2-4 on the bottom row, "on yellowish wove paper of medium thickness" (Basset Hull's terminology) & affixed to a piece of thin board. An exceptional exhibition item that fits neatly on a standard page. It appears that the imprints were burnished-off the plates before the main print-runs commenced in Brisbane. Apart from the imperforate proofs, only a few perforated stamps handstamped 'SPECIMEN' are recorded with part-imprint.One of the most outstanding items from the Bradbury Wilkinson Archives and the only such sheet in the sale: sold for £5175 at auction in 2000. The Robson Lowe "Encyclopaedia" states "Plate proof sheets of the 2/- 5/- 10/- & £1 appear also to have been included in the consignment forwarding the steel plates." Clearly, this particular sheet was retained by the printers & may have been the only such sheet kept for their archives. Very few other complete proof sheets have survived: Sir Gawaine Baillie's set of sheets were all defective.

AUD$ 12500.00

2/- die proof in black on thin card

reduced to stamp-size with margins good to large.

[Basset Hull recorded the 10/- only but states

"Similar die proofs may exist for the other values"]

AUD$ 5000.00

DIE PROOFS

Master die proof with blank value tablets below the Queen's portrait

& in the four corners, in black on thin card (55x60mm) recessed behind a

larger piece of grey card (120x114mm) to which is attached a printed
'ENGRAVED BY BRADBURY, WILKINSON & CO. LTD.' label, a few insignificant

tonespots on the Queen's neck otherwise very fine.

A dramatic item of the highest level of importance. Ex Bradbury Wilkinson Archives.

[This most beautiful of all Australian Colonial designs was engraved by Herbert Bourne]

Superb Very Rare aprox value AUD$ 15000.00

Australian Essays & Proofs

APPROVED DESIGN PLATE PROOFS

6d Die II imperforate marginal block of 6 (2x3) in

bright yellow-green on thin card, margins good to huge.

APPROVED DESIGN PLATE PROOFS

4d Die II imperforate marginal block of 12 (4x3) from the

lower-right of the sheet in yellow-orange on thin card, margins close to large.

Ex Wm Knight, JH Chapman & Colonel Harrie Evans: sold for $2688.

Multiples of this size - and quality - are rare.

APPROVED DESIGN PLATE PROOFS

2d Die II imperforate marginal block of 4 from the base of the sheet on crudely gummed watermarked paper, margins close to huge, endorsed "[E]lectrotyp[e]" in red pencil in the margin, minor stain & small scissor-cuts between the units at top & right. Ex Wm Knight, JT Chapman & Colonel Harrie Evans: sold for $784.

APPROVED DESIGN PLATE PROOFS

2d imperforate pair in bright ultramarine on thick wove paper,

margins good to large. Rare colour.

APPROVED DESIGN PLATE PROOFS

2d imperforate block of 4 in dull blue on thin card,

good even margins. Ex Slade-Slade.

Australian Essays & Proofs

WILLIAM BELL ESSAYS

1880 essay for a ½d+½d reply postal card with two impressions of Bell's ½d essay Type C (with void background and corrected 'Q') both on the face, the divided address panel endorsed 'NAME & ADDRESS OF PERSON TO WHOM SENT' at left & 'NAME & ADDRESS OF SENDER' at right and also 'Before reposting please obliterate this address' at lower-left & "Over" at lower-right, the reverse also divided & headed 'MESSAGE TO BE SENT' at left & 'REPLY' at right and also 'When no reply is required both Spaces may be occupied' at lower-left & 'The Card must not be cut' at lower-right, manuscript "Essay 1880" in the upper margin, a couple of insignificant blemishes on the reverse in no way detract from this extraordinary item. Ex Ron Butler: sold for £3525 at auction in 2005. Almost certainly modeled on a private essay for a British ½d+½d reply postal card on which both stamp impressions were also on the face. Neither of these innovative, but confusing, ideas was adopted.

WILLIAM BELL ESSAYS

1877 Void Background with Corrected 'Q'

(Type C) ½d imperforate plate proof in carmine-pink

on ungummed watermarked paper, margins close to large,

'SPECIMEN' handstamp diagonally in blue.

[The only colour recorded by Robson Lowe,

who also recorded the h/s in violet only]

WILLIAM BELL ESSAYS

1877 Void Background/Vertically-Lined Background

both with Reversed 'Q' (Types B/A) ½d imperforate

plate proof se-tenant pair in blue on ungummed watermarked paper,

margins close to large. [This colour unrecorded by Robson Lowe]

WILLIAM BELL ESSAYS

1877 Void Background/Vertically-Lined Background

both with Reversed 'Q' (Types B/A) ½d imperforate
plate proof se-tenant pair in plum on ungummed watermarked paper,

margins close to large except at upper-right where a little cut-into.

[Such pairs were unrecorded by Robson Lowe,
and he also had not noted the Reversed 'Q' on Types A & B]

WILLIAM BELL ESSAYS

1880 Vertically-Lined Background

with Reversed 'Q' (Type A) ½d imperforate plate proof

in orange on ungummed watermarked paper

(unusually with the Watermark Upright),

marginal example from the top of the sheet,

margins large to humungous. [Unrecorded by Robson Lowe]

WILLIAM BELL ESSAY

1880 Vertically-Lined Background with

Reversed 'Q' ½d imperforate plate proof in plum

on ungummed watermarked paper,

large even margins.

[Robson Lowe recorded Type A proofs in black & purple only]

WILLIAM BELL ESSAYS

1880 Vertically-Lined Background with

Reversed 'Q' (Type A) ½d imperforate plate proof in black

on thick wove paper, margins good to large.

WATERLOW & SONS PRINTERS SAMPLES

1878 2d plate proofs in pale turquoise

or purple-brown on white wove paper, close even margins,

both affixed to small pieces of thin card.

The first is Ex Sir Gawaine Baillie

WATERLOW & SONS PRINTERS SAMPLES

1878 2d plate proofs in black-brown on buff

or in dark blue on blue wove paper, close even margins.

[Coloured papers not recorded by Robson Lowe]

WATERLOW & SONS PRINTERS SAMPLES

1878 2d plate proof in black on white wove paper,

Very Unusual proof.

WATERLOW & SONS PRINTERS SAMPLES

1878 2d die proof in a delicate shade of grey-purple on thin wove paper (30x32mm). Ex Sir Gawaine Baillie . [This colour is unrecorded by Robson Lowe]