News Archive

Ceylon, India & States and North Borneo - 16 and 17 October 2003

October has traditionally been the month that sees Spink offer their specialised auction devoted to Stamps and Covers of India, and this year is no exception. This year’s auction also encompasses Ceylon and Borneo to form a sale comprising over 1500 lots to be offered over two days.

Thursday 16 October sees both Ceylon and India & States for sale and primarily comprises the fine collections formed by Henry Fothringham, OBE, of Grantully, Perthshire, and a further wonderful array from the Estate of the late William Frazer.

The Ceylon section of over 300 lots features a marvellous selection of essays, die proofs, colour trials, specimens, unissued and issued stamps, most notable being some fine 1866-70 issue mint multiples. This section concludes with fine sections of Booklets and Maldive Islands with Postal Stationery. India commences with a group of Early Letters and Handstamps including a 1681 entire letter from Fort St. George to England, undoubtedly one of the earliest recorded letters written in English to emanate from India, and four soldier’s letters written during various campaigns.

The issues for India are strongly represented commencing with an attractive group of the 1852 Scinde Dawk ½a. values embossed in red, blue and white which were issued after the capture of Sind Province in 1850.

The 1854 issue commences with a range of Essays and Proofs with no less than twenty examples of the ½a. 9½ arches essay prepared by Capt. Thullier and printed in inks obtained both locally and subsequently from England, and fifteen examples of the ½a. proof in red in the issued design.

The issued stamps include a major section of the Half Anna value with studies of the various Dies and Stones employed in the production of this issue.

From 1855 De La Rue obtained the contract to print the stamps of the East India Company and subsequent Empire issues. This sale includes a fantastic offering of the many essays, die proofs and colour trials that this company is famous for. There are also fine sections of Booklets and Officials.

There is a small select section of Airmails which includes a wonderful cover carried by Captain Ross Smith on his epic air race to Australia, one of only a handful of covers recorded from this historic flight bearing Indian adhesives.

The Indian Post Office had many offices outside of the country and the “Used Abroad” section offers items from Aden, Burma, Danish, French and Portuguese Possessions, Somaliland and Tibet.

There is a very fine section of 100 lots of Indian Convention States. These issues, overprinted on stamps of India, following a Postal Convention, include a range of type varieties, the most notable being a Chamba 1887 1r. slate block of six with one stamp miss-spelt “CHMABA” which once graced the collection of Col. Rose-Hutchinson.

Over 200 lots of Feudatory States conclude Thursday’s sale. These include comprehensive offerings from most States, and the remarkable collection of Poonch formed by Frits Staal, FRPSL, of USA.

Friday 17 October sees the remarkable collection of Labuan and North Borneo issues from 1894 formed by Patrick Cassels FRPSL of Bath for sale.

This collection, lovingly put together over many years, includes a wealth of proofs, colour trials and studies of the issued stamps. These issues largely feature the printing work of Bradbury, Wilkinson and although their printing was of a high standard many errors of perforation exist. These are represented in depth.

Postage due stamps offer two items of particular note, the Labuan 8c. value with frame inverted and the North Borneo 1918-30 12c. value in a strip of three, the centre stamp with overprint omitted.

The sale concludes with Japanese Occupation issues for Brunei, Labuan, North Borneo and Sarawak, and a poignant selection of mail to and from Prisoners of War. With estimates from £50 upwards we believe this interesting and unusual auction offers lots for a wide range of collectors.

Please contact David Parsons with any pre-sale enquiries.