News Archive

Australian States and Australian Booklets Sale - 18 September 2003

This fine auction of over 800 lots primarily comprises the Australian States collection formed by the late William Frazer and offers collectors a wonderful opportunity to add a wealth of interesting and unusual items to their collections.

New South Wales commences with a fine range of over 80 lots of the famous Sydney view issue, the first stamps printed in Australia. These include a copy of the Colonial Secretary’s official circular to Postmasters advising them of the new issue and how it should be adopted. The notice has proof examples of the 1d. and 3d. values affixed to it.

The Diaden Issue of 1856 - 72 includes a rarely offered selection of marginal examples showing the convolvulous pattern printed in the margins. It is unknown why these intricate designs, which also appear in a somewhat cruder design on the earlier Laureated issue, were used, but they are certainly very popular with collectors today. Later issues of New South Wales include a number of rare high values, varieties and a fine selection of Official stamps.

Queensland offers a select group of lots including the 1862-67 2d. vertical strip of four imperforate between, a wonderful unused example of the 1881 lithographed 20/- rose and some attractive 1882 - 1912 high values.

South Australia comprises the largest section of the sale and features a fine group of the engraved issues commencing with those printed by Perkins Bacon in London and followed by a fine array of those printed locally with surcharge errors. The “Tall” stamps of 1886 - 1912 are well represented and include a selection of the 1886 - 96 issue specimens and cancelled-to-order stamps originally offered in the Australia Post archive auction, the issued £10 bronze mint and a very rare used example of the 1902 - 04 8d. ultramarine showing “EIGHT” miss-spelt “EIGNT”.

South Australia concludes with a wonderful offering of the Departmental Stamps introduced in 1886 following suspected abuses involving stamps supplied for official use. Each Department used an overprint with a letter or letters indicating the department of the administration to which stamps had been invoiced. Nearly all examples in this section are unused and offer an attractive and colourful assembly of these unusual stamps which are rarely offered in such numbers.

Tasmania commences with a range of the 1853 - 55 1d and 4d. values printed at the “Courier” Newspaper of Hobart and follows with a fine selection of the famous Chalon head issues printed in both London and locally with both proofs and some of the unusual separations. The Sideface and later issues include essays, proofs and varieties.

Victoria offers a fine range of issues. These include a comprehensive group of the famous “Half Length” values from the various printings, Laureated issues with a very rare 8d. usused block of four, high values up to £100 including a selection of the most attractive 1886 - 96 bi-coloured values up to £9 and a seldom offered group of the rare 1901 - 10 compound and mixed perforations.

Western Australia features a small select group of the famous “Swan” issues including 1854 - 55 unused 4d. slate blue and used 1/- salmon.

The sale concludes with a fine array of Australian Booklets. This is the first offering from a fine all world collection formed by an English collector which will be offered in a range of future auctions. This group includes five examples containing, States values with one being the very rare large £1format type for Western Australia.

The Australian Commonwealth group offers a comprehensive range, many complete, with the modern period including a colourful mock-up for the first self-adhesive issue.

There is a fine selection of New Zealand including items from the Bradbury Wilkinson archive, and the sale concludes with items from the smaller Pacific Islands including rare Fiji issues.

Further offerings from the William Frazer Estate will follow in our Ceylon, India and States sale for 18 October and West Indies sale of 30 October 2003.