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Auction: 25015 - Stamps and Covers of the World
Lot: 3049

(x) Australian Commonwealth
1912 (2 April) Type 3, imperforate, single Kangaroo vignette, 5/-, 10/- and 20/- se-tenant sheetlet on unwatermarked white wove paper (113x90mm.), the frames and single kangaroo vignette in violet, the 5/- with vignette in black, the 10/- vignette in brown and the 20/- vignette in bright green, fine. A spectacular Kangaroo essay rarity. BW KE24Fa, $70,000

Note: According to BW, "these essays were distributed to the press on 2 April 1912 as examples of the approved design, and this distribution may be the source of most examples extant". The use of bi-coloured printing for the high value essay suggests that an early decision had been made that these denominations would be bi-coloured for the issued designs. A number of colour combinations were used, but there is no evidence that these sheetlets were used for selection of the issued colours. There are only eight intact high value sheetlets recorded, each in different colour combinations, one being in the Australia Post archival collection.

provenance:
Spink, Vestey, October 2014, Lot 7
Spink, Morgan, November 2012, lot 35

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£15,000 to £20,000