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Commercial Philately in Australia : Rod Perry
Richard Juzwin Stamp Dealers have recently acquired the Rodney Perry “Gold Medal” exhibition collection : COMMERCIAL PHILATELY IN AUSTRALIA : 1860s TO WWI Part 5
Stamp News has kindly been given permission to publish the entire collection over the coming months.
viii. Other Philatelic Traders by State
Alfred H. Pettifer
Pettifer was a Collector/trader. He was a member of the Executive Committee for 1911 First Philatelic Congress of Australasia.
Aug 1 1899 registered cover to Bogert & Durbin Co Stamp Dealers, New York
Dec 29 1902 registered cover to Holton Stamp Co, Boston
viii. Other Philatelic Traders by State
F.W. Reid
F.W. Reid traded initially in Sydney, relocating to U.S. in 1901. By 1912 he had returned to Sydney.
Dec 4 1899 registered cover to Canada, showing 25 Imperial Arcade, Sydney scored-over and reinscribed 61 Queen Victoria Market Building.
Unusual exclusive use of halfpenny for combined registered Foreign letter rate.
Jul 1 1901 registered cover to Reid bearing Victoria Frank stamp, by which time the premises were closed
viii. Other Philatelic Traders by State
F.W. Reid
1901 advertising covers to Reid, lower item received April 30, by which time 61 Queen Victoria Market premises had closed (Obverse shown 70%)
viii. Other Philatelic Traders by State
F.W. Reid
Aug 17 1903 underpaid cover to Reid when in U.S. The send was Alfred H Pettifer
Sept 20 1912 Six States composite cover to Mekeel’s Stamp News, U.S. Reid prepared a number of these covers, heralding the impending demise of State stamps, when he returned to Sydney.
viii. Other Philatelic Traders by State
F.W. Reid
May 16 1914 signed letter from F.W. Reid. The tone of the contents is in stark contrast to those contained in the 1904 letter from J.H.Smyth & Co to the same addressee.
viii. Other Philatelic Traders by State
William Smart
William Smart, Tobacconist of Manly, returning on Dec 4 1894 to David H Hill, the Doyen of Victorian Philately, the signed reply portion of Victoria Reply card, states: “Your memo & cheque to hand with thanks. I have none of the 6d Blue 1866 Wmk Six Pence [apparently then a scarce stamp]. Should I at any time buy in a lot of Victorian I will notify you and I am prepared to send you approval sheets of old Colonial stamps & to known collectors in Victoria. Thanks for the Surcharged Post Card stamp on Envelope.”
James Thompson (1849-1930
James Thompson claimed to have been established 1878, when he opened a shop on George St, Haymarket. He was granted a license to sell stamps in 1880, and during that decade advertised as Bookseller/ Stationer at 46 Erskine St, Sydney. At 38 Erskine St, his advertisements 1901-03 referred to him as a “Stamp Dealer”. Given a longer than average tenure as a Philatelic Trader, Thompson material is elusive, the item below being the only example seen by the exhibitor.
philatelic news
Abacus Auction exceeds expectations again
The Victorian stamp shown here was sold at Abacus Auctions sale of 25/6 March 2021. It’s not much to look at and the catalogue value is a mere £5. The key is the numeral cancellation ‘253’ from the Lot 658: world hamlet of Framlingham in record price! Victoria’s Western District. Estimated at A$250, the final price of A$8685 (all quoted figures include 19.8% Lot 630: $1577 even though torn Buyer’s Premium and GST) of is believed to be in half! the highest ever achieved for any Australian postal marking on stamp or piece. This was a fantastic outcome for the vendor who didn’t even know the stamp was in his general collection. Another vendor enjoyed a similar result when the describer discovered the illustrated stamp from South Lot 552: found Australia in his consignment. in a basic album! Only the second example of this inverted ‘O.S.’ overprint to be recorded, it sold for A$2396.
The finest selection of Penny Kangaroo material to be offered in a generation was a sell-out. The combined pre-sale estimates of A$51,850 were dwarfed by the result of A$93,642. The balance of the Kangaroo issues featured many superb and very rare items including no fewer than three blocks Lot 680: Est $400 but realised $2036 of the £1 brown & blue, the best of which made A$32,346.
Another sell-out section was the Registration Envelopes of Elsa Todd from Perth. Estimated at A$15,350 the 22 lots sold for a collective A$25,691. Then there was Eve Pryor’s 52 lots of stamps and Picture Postcards estimated at A$18,550 that were cleaned-out for A$59,498.
Australian Colonies stamps were strongly supported. A superb example of a Sydney View 2d with the word ‘CREVIT’ omitted sold for A$2995 compared with the Gibbons value of £600. The rare Murray Steam Navigation Co ‘HALF PENCE’ error had been torn in half and rejoined: previously offered in a mixed lot at a Swiss auction, on this occasion it made A$1557. Also from Victoria, Ronnie Winchester’s Registration Envelopes and Registered Mail estimated at A$17,300 sold for A$31,495. Illustrated
is a relatively common but unusually attractive RE estimated at $400 that soared to $2036.
One of the feature sections was the Telegrams and Telegraph Companies collection formed by the late Wilson Wong from Sydney. The results here were rather mixed, with little interest in the wider subject but plenty of support for specific countries including Aden, Cocos, Egypt, Fanning Island,
Lot 882: rare ‘TELEGRAPH DISPATCH’ envelope from Malta realised $2396.
The 1928 Ile de France Airmails were present both mint and used. Estimated at a combined A$11,250 this quartet went to new homes for A$16,532. New Guinea had a few surprises in store. Two newly discovered unstamped postcards from the fi rst Australian troops to invade the German Territory in 1914 were estimated at $500 and $1000 respectively but, perversely, went for A$1917 and A$1078. The GRIs were responsible for the two highest prices of the day. The extraordinary Sideways Overprint strip, shown here, attracted strong competition, eventually selling for A$50,316. Two lots later, the unique Marshalls ‘2s.’ on 2mk with Double Overprint One Inverted did almost as well, being invoiced for A$45,524 despite being stained from exposure to Malta and Palestine. Highest prices were $4312 smoke during the London Blitz. for a 1907 Pacifi c Cable Board cover from Norfolk In all, 1000 or 85% of the 1173 lots were sold. Island to Vila, and $2396 for an 1863 ‘TELEGRAPH Pre-sale estimates of A$$1,326,840 were exceeded DISPATCH’ envelope from Malta to India, by the total hammer prices of A$1,367,490 (with illustrated here. a grand total of A$1,638,253 including Buyer’s
Wilson Wong had also consigned an array of Premium). post-WWII British Commonwealth rarities. A This was Abacus’ fi rst post-covid public sale complete CTO set plus unmounted high values of the with room bidders, and they were a very active ‘Independent/ Anguilla’ Overprints were estimated at bunch. In addition, the live internet bidding operated a collective A$21,250 but sold for A$32,405. From seamlessly for clients around the world. In light of Ceylon, three KGVI stamps offered for A$2750 sold the ever-expanding online phenomenon, a surprise for A$5930. A fi ne mounted example of the rare was the large number of bidders on the phone. The Grenada 2½d Perf 12½x13½ had a A$3800 reserve auctioneer, Gary Watson, summed up the mood at but was pushed-up to A$7487. An unmounted pair the end of the Thursday: “That was one of the most of the BMA overprint in magenta exhilarating days of my career!” on the 1c black was invoiced, Consignments are now invited on extension, for $9584. From for Abacus Auctions’ sales in Nyasaland, the very rare KGVI the second half of 2021. Major £10 Revenue sold for A$1737. categories include Stamps & Postal
Classic French stamps were History, Picture Postcards, Coins & unexpectedly strong, with Banknotes, Sporting Memorabilia numerous bidders from Europe and Australiana. as well as local enthusiasts. An Complimentary top-quality, expertly repaired unused example full-colour, large-format catalogues of the 1849 Ceres 1fr was bid up for any of the Abacus Auctions to A$4552, while a superb unused sales are available by telephoning example of the 1870-71 Imperf Drew Atkin on +61 3 8513 0595 or 20c Type II sold for A$3114 about by sending him an email to info@ double the Michel catalogue value abacusauctions.com.au of €1000. Lot 1011: Est $5000. Sold for $7487.
