INDIAN PROOFS AND WATERMARKED PAPERS FROM THE PORTALS ARCHIVE

Portals Paper was set up by French papermaker Henri (later Henry) Portal in the early 1700s. Due to its ability to produce sizeable quantities of a superb quality paper, and in a location relatively close to the Bank of England printing works, Portals was chosen to produce watermarked security paper for their banknotes. The rst order was received in 1724, and Portals continued to supply almost every piece of paper for all Bank of England notes for the next three centuries. At the height of the British Empire, Portals was producing paper for all three of the major British banknote printers - Bradbury Wilkinson, Waterlow & Sons, and De Le Rue - who together provided banknotes for a huge swathe of countries across the world.

When the government of India decided to print its own banknotes in the late 1850s, Portals was chosen to provide this paper. There were many similarities between the proposed designs and the existing Bank of England notes; the new notes, featuring a portrait of Queen Victoria, were printed and released in the early 1860s. Featured in this auction are some exquisite and exceedingly rare early examples of the paper used for these notes. Over the course of the following decade, counterfeiting became a serious concern in India, and Portals worked closely with the Bank of England printers to increase the security of a new issue that was to be released in the early 1870s. This auction includes several proofs, specimens, and paper samples for this rst of the ‘black and green’ India series. This type of paper design was a success, and remained in continual use for over fty years, before gradually being replaced by notes featuring the portraits of King George V. In this auction appears a complete set of George V watermarks, as well as several that were never used, alongside various other important items. Portals continued making Indian watermarked paper throughout the reign of George VI and into the era of independence, and many such examples can be seen across the following pages.

It is important to state that this is the rst and only time that most of these items will ever be o ered for auction. This is the entirety of the material of this kind that has remained in the Portals archives, and no more will ever come from this source. We hope you all enjoy the remarkable o ering of this unique material, and wish you the best of luck with your bids.

A Group Of Designs And Trials For The Victoria Portrait Notes Of The 1860s

281 †

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , the original pencil design for the watermark of the Victoria portrait 10 Rupees of 1863, along with 22 early trials for the watermark itself on a variety of di erent paper stock, and a couple of slightly di erent designs, all housed in a number of paper folders, dated 1860, and with annotations explaining the contents, some of the papers are folded one or more times, many are exactly as produced, these are the earliest known paper trials for the rst Government of India issue, and are extremely important, and are sold here in their entirety, with none held back for later auctions, a superb group (23 papers, 5 folders)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , archival examples of watermarked paper from the 5, 10, 20 and 50 Rupees, Victoria Portrait, with three sheets of two notes for each denomination, as well as three sheets of non-denominated paper, all paper with large cancellation holes to prevent use by forgers, because this is the actual paper used to make the notes, all housed in a blue paper folder, some ragged edges and folds, in general all paper white and clean as the day it was produced over 150 years ago, exceptionally rare, and the only paper of this type in the Portals archive, thus a completely unique opportunity (15 sheets of two notes each, 1 folder)

BNB B101-B104, Pick AA1, A1, A1A, PNL £5,000-£7,000

ONE OF THE EARLIEST KNOWN FULLY PRINTED DESIGNS FOR THE 5 RUPEES OF 1871 AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY

283 †

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , a printers design for 5 Rupees, Lahore or Calcutta, 20 January 18- (1871), serial number L/8 00000, six cancellation holes, ink and crayon annotations on face, and a note on reverse stating that this is the ‘1st approximate trial of position of printing’ with the date 1 June 1871, staple holes and a small tear, in PMG holder 50, about uncirculated, and while at rst it may appear the same as the issued notes, this is actually very di erent in almost all respects, such as the size and positioning of elements of the design, the same of several of them, and the colour of the printing, an absolutely remarkable piece, and probably a unique survivor

BNB B108p for similar, Pick A2pd, Razack 2A.1.1 £12,000-£16,000

A GROUP OF BLACK AND WHITE PROOFS FOR AN UNADOPTED 5 RUPEES OF 1871

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , printers design for 5 Rupees on watermarked paper, ND (1871), no signature or serial number, ink and pencil printers annotations, in PMG holder 63 EPQ, choice uncirculated, extremely rare and clearly an early design for the 5 Rupees of 1871, although in much larger format which was likely shrunk down later

BNB B108p for similar, Pick A2pd, Razack 2A.1.1 £5,000-£7,000

PROOFS AND WATERMARKED PAPERS FROM THE PORTALS ARCHIVE

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , printers design for 5 Rupees, ND (1871), no signature or serial number, ink annotations, in PMG holder 63 EPQ, choice uncirculated, extremely rare and clearly an early design for the 5 Rupees of 1871, although in much larger format which was likely shrunk down later

BNB B108p for similar, Pick A2pd, Razack 2A.1.1 £5,000-£7,000

All lots are subject to extra charges which may be viewed in Terms and Conditions 3, 4 and 10 at the back of this catalogue.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , printers design for 5 Rupees, ND (1871), no signature or serial number, ink annotations, minor stains, in PMG holder 45, choice extremely ne, extremely rare and clearly an early design for the 5 Rupees of 1871, although in much larger format which was likely shrunk down later

BNB B108p for similar, Pick A2pd, Razack 2A.1.1

£4,000-£5,000

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , printers design for 5 Rupees on large format watermarked paper, ND (1871), no signature or serial number, crayon annotations, in PMG holder 45 EPQ, choice extremely ne, extremely rare and clearly an early design for the 5 Rupees of 1871, although in much larger format which was likely shrunk down later

BNB B108p for similar, Pick A2pd, Razack 2A.1.1

£5,000-£7,000

AN EXTREMELY RARE PROOF FROM THE ALLAHABAD OR CALCUTTA CIRCLE

288 †

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , proof 5 Rupees on larger format un-watermarked paper, Allahabad or Calcutta, 20 January 1872, no signature or serial number, four cancellation holes, printers annotations in pencil and coloured crayon, and additonal design elements on the extra

A TRIO OF FULLY PRINTED PROOFS FOR THE 5 RUPEES OF 1871

PORTALS

290 †

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , proof 5 Rupees on watermarked paper, Kurrachee or Bombay, 20 January 1871, no signature or serial number, four cancellation holes, ink, pencil and crayon printers annotations, in PMG holder 64, choice uncirculated, extremely rare

BNB B108p for type, Pick A2p1, Razack 2A.1.1 £8,000-£10,000

WATERMARKED PAPERS

291 †

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , proof 5 Rupees on watermarked paper, Kurrachee or Bombay, 20 January 1871, no signature or serial number, four cancellation holes, ink, pencil and crayon printers annotations, in PMG holder 64, choice uncirculated, extremely rare

BNB B108p for type, Pick A2p1, Razack 2A.1.1 £8,000-£10,000

All lots are subject to extra charges which may be viewed in Terms and Conditions 3, 4 and 10 at the back of this catalogue.