Sale #56

1856 - Ship 4c black/magenta Type 3 initialled E.D.Wight, Clerk to Colonial Post Office, hinged to envelope used from William's Town (A 3 C coded datestamp used as canceller and back stamp) to London, the stamp paying local postage to Demerara, sent unpaid to United Kingdom (6d packet rate due from addressee). Few examples of this stamp are recorded used on cover, and very rare going abroad, the cover with DEMERARA MY 10,1856 and LONDON 5 JU 56 backstamps, accompanied by RPS(1991) certificate, the stamp is cut square and fine. In June 2014, David Feldman, Geneva auctioned the famous Du Pont British Guiana collection which included four examples of this stamp on covers which sold for between €70,000 and €95,000. The most expensive was an octagonally cut example on cover from William's Town to Mahaicony, while an octagonally cut example on cover to London sold for €70,000. IMPORTANT - please note that the reserve for this great rarity is GBP£40,000 sterling. This is the only lot in this auction reserved at just under 90% of estimate. All other lots, without exception, are reserved at 80% of estimate as usual. Cat £75000 (image available) (Reserve = £36,000.00) [Estimate price: £45,000.00]