Auction 333-341 Australian States & Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand – The ‚KOOYONG‘ Collection - Day 2

1845: Australian Assurance Office envelope with colourless circular embossed "General Post Office / Coast of Arms / Sydney New South Wales" handstamp at top, used locally to Pitt Street, Sydney struck with "♚ / FREE" datestamp in red (Feb 4) datestamp with octagonal framed "6 / O CLOCK" handstamp in black alongside. Printed internally with the return address of the Assurance Society in George Street, Sydney. Slight edge wear at top and weak folds but very rare. Cert. Holcombe (1996).
Note: For further information on this, the first Australian 'stamp' issue, see the "London Philatelist", Volume 128, number 1465 of May 2019, pages 2 to 18.