Sturminster Stamps GB Connoisseur's Choice

This page, listing items of considerable rarity and/or superlative quality, is designed for the discerning collector, who appreciates Value for Money, as opposed to Value for money...as the salesman said to the prospective Rolls-Royce buyer, 'If you need to ask the price of spares, you can't afford it, sir...'. Some items, where appropriate, appear in other listings...

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Item No.	SG/Spec	Plate/Letters	Description	Price	Key
QUEEN VICTORIA
B:538	3 AS2,A1ve	1a MC	1840 1d Grey-Black: A FU+ single in the GREY-BLACK shade (moderate wear), with four close(but clear NE)-to-LARGE margins, neatly cancelled with a VERY FINE strike of the SCARCE RUBY MALTESE CROSS. NW 5 and 10 o'clock Ray Flaws, and UNRECORDED vertical scratch upper W margin.	£285.00
B:531	2 AS23,A1vi	4 RC	1840 1d Black: A VFU single, with four LARGE even margins, cancelled with a good strike of the RARE BROWN MALTESE CROSS. SE corner frame-line extending E, and 'C' misplaced left (dots in 'O' of 'POSTAGE' illustrated in Statham are ABSENT). Cat. £2800+.	£795.00
RM:2727	7 AS61,A2uj	9 ED	1841 1d Red A VFU single, with four good-to-LARGE margins, cancelled with a SUPERB COMPLETE STRIKE of the VERY SCARCE GREENOCK MALTESE CROSS. In STATE 2 of the Provisional repair, with no 'O' Flaw, and NE Ray Flaw accentuated. A VERY SCARCE combination...	£165.00
RM:2139	7 AS65	9 GD	1841 1d Red: A good RARE UNUSED single, with almost four mostly VERY LARGE margins, but damaged at SW corner, and with no gum. In the SCARCE STATE 2 of the late repair, with no 'O' Flaw, NE Ray Flaw accentuated, and letters thinned. VGL NE, and showing strong TRL in E margin.	£250.00
RM:2872 RPS CERT	8 BS26Ac,B1ul	38 FI-FJ	1841 1d Red A SUPERB USED VERY SCARCE HORIZONTAL PAIR from this TRANSITIONAL plate, with HUGE margins all round, cancelled with two strikes of the VERY SCARCE NUMBER '12' IN MALTESE CROSS. Comes, rather curiously, with a somewhat superfluous RPS CERTIFICATE! 1842-43 Ray Flaws, and HORIZONTAL GUIDE-LINE VALUE on both. A LOVELY EXHIBITION QUALITY item...	£225.00
Ri:B1:3912	8 BS32,B1xc	118 ME	1851 1d Red: A VFU single, with four good-to-LARGE even margins, lightly cancelled with a VERY RARE WELLS '864' numeral in GREEN (a use noted during 1850 by Danzig & Goldsmith p.160). NW corner frame-line extending W, blur SE, and 'E' tilted W.	£650.00
Ri:B2:3336	8 B2k	136 EI	1852 1d Red: A good UNUSED single from this SCARCER plate, with four good-to-LARGE margins, but a couple of small nicks/scuffs, and with no gum. Printed on THICKER, LAVENDER-TINTED PAPER. VERY RARE UNUSED... NW corner frame-line extending W, 'E' misplaced low left, and 'I' tilted E.	£125.00
BL:777	14 ES11g,h	3 KD-LG	1841 2d Blue, a mostly VFU RARE BLOCK OF EIGHT, with good-to-mostly HUGE margins all round, except just touched below 'LE', cancelled with London Inland '17' numerals. Free of the usual creasing and other faults associated with such large multiples. 'LE' EYEBROW FLAW in STATE 1, and also BOTH LETTERS DOUBLED on 'KD' and prominent HGL VALUE on most units.	£850.00
BL:779	14 ES11e,g	3 LE	1841 2d Blue, a VFU RARE MATCHED TRIO, all with four good-to-mostly VERY LARGE or HUGE margins, cancelled with a BLACK MALTESE CROSS and English Provincial numerals. EYEBROW BLUR in ALL THREE STATES, and also prominent HGL VALUE.	£250.00
BL:Imp:1115	14 ES14	4 DD-DF	1849 2d Blue, a F-VFU SCARCE STRIP OF THREE, with good-to-LARGE margins all round, on a LARGE PIECE, cancelled with Scots Ayr '27' numerals, and a FINE VERY SCARCE NO.5 CHARGE MARK - RARE cancelling adhesives. Corrosion marks, and letters variously misplaced.	£165.00
RP:C1:9083	17(var) C1(4)	188 AB	A VFU+ single in a SUPERB example of the RARE PLUM shade, VERY WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, neatly cancelled with a 'GRASSMARKET' (Edinburgh) SCOTS LOCAL. A MISSING IMPRIMATUR and VERY SHORT STAMP (THREE PERF ROWS). Blurs E and W, lower E recut, 'A' nearly blind, and letters misplaced low and low left.	£235.00
RP:C1:9082	17(var) C1(4)	195 GE	A VFU+ single in a SUPERB example of the RARE PLUM shade, VERY WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, neatly cancelled low right with an IRISH DUBLIN '186' numeral, leaving slender CLEAR PROFILE. Upper E recut, and letters misplaced low.	£225.00
RP:C5:9097	26 C5(2)	13 CD	A SUPERB USED single from this RARE plate, in the DEEP shade, centred a whisker low, with FULL PERFS, VERY LIGHTLY cancelled with a SCARCE WISBEACH '897' SIDEWAYS DUPLEX. Blurs upper E, SE and SW, and letters misplaced low and low right.	£250.00
RP:C5:9098	26 C5(2)	15 KB	A VFU single from this VERY RARE plate, in a DEEP shade, centred slightly low, with FULL PERFS, cancelled with a Bromsgrove '139' numeral. Blur upper E, and 'B' tilted slightly W.	£250.00
RP:C7:9096 PEGB CERT	- C7	22 NC	A VFU+ single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, from one of the RAREST PLATES, centred a whisker low left, with FULL PERFS, lightly cancelled with an English Provincial numeral. Blur in mouth of 'C' (semi-constant), and letters misplaced low left and far right respectively. With PEGB CERTIFICATE (1995). VERY RARE so FINE...	£1150.00
RP:C7:9075	- C7	23 BK	1855 1d Red-brown A VFU single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, centred a whisker low, with FULL PERFS, neatly cancelled with a Brighton '132' SIDEWAYS DUPLEX. GOTHIC 'K', blur W, upper W weak, and 'B' misplaced right.	£365.00
RP:C7:9087	- C7	23 FE	A FU single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, off-centre, with almost FULL PERFS (one 'nibbled' centre S), neatly cancelled with a London Inland '37' numeral. 'F' tilted W, and 'E' misplaced low.	£285.00
RP:C7:9137	- C7	23 LG	A FU+ single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, centred somewhat low left, with FULL PERFS, neatly cancelled with a Scots Dundee '114' numeral. TALL 'L', and E margin narrow and blurred.	£295.00
RP:C7:9077	- C7	23 OC	1855 1d Red-brown A VFU single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, WELL-CENTRED for these, with FULL PERFS, cancelled with a Scots Arbroath '13' numeral. Letters misplaced right.	£350.00
RP:C7:9094	- C7	23 SI	A SUPERB USED single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, lightly cancelled high with a Bristol '134' numeral, probably a SPOON. CONSTANT VARIETY: curved blur around top and left of 'S'. Also blurs E and W margins, and 'S' misplaced left. VERY RARE so fine...	£425.00
RP:C7:9076	- C7	23 TI	1855 1d Red-brown A VFU+ single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, UNUSUALLY WELL-CENTRED for these, with FULL PERFS, lightly cancelled with a neat Margate '506' SIDEWAYS DUPLEX, leaving almost COMPLETE CLEAR PROFILE within. Blurs W, and 'I' misplaced low.	£385.00
RP:C7:9014	- C7	24 QJ	1855 1d Red-brown A FU single from the RARE ABNORMAL SMALL CROWN issue, centred a whisker low, with FULL PERFS (some slightly 'nibbled' at top), VERY LIGHTLY cancelled with an English Provincial SIDEWAYS DUPLEX. Blurs E and W.	£285.00
RP:C8:9112	29 C8ub	22 BG	A FU+ single from this RARE plate, PERFECTLY CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, but faint (ironed-out?) horizontal crease at top, neatly cancelled with a large part strike of an IRISH BUSHMILLS '83' numeral in BLUE. Blur upper E and SE, and SE corner frame-line extending E.	£125.00
RP:C8:9079	29 C8,Z15	22 SL	1856 1d Red-brown A VFU single from this RARE plate, centred low, with FULL PERFS, on piece, cancelled with a SUPERB COMPLETE strike of the *CRIMEA 'OO' numeral. Showing the distinctive TALL SLENDER 'L' of Plate 22. In attempting to assess the likelihood of examples of Plate 22 used in the Crimea surviving, I concluded that it was at least a possibility that this example is UNIQUE...at the very least, an extraordinarily RARE COMBINATION**...	£795.00
C:C8:1229	31 * C8(3)	23 DC	1856 1d Plum, a VFU single in the RARE PLUM shade, MOST UNUSUAL on such an early plate (more often seen on Plates 29-34), and representing a lateish printing of the plate. It is centred a whisker low left, with FULL PERFS, on clean small envelope Edinburgh to Peebles on 20 June 1856, neatly cancelled and tied with a FINE SCARCE EDINBURGH ROLLER. Backstamps EDINBURGH 'POSTED SINCE 7.20 AT NIGHT', and Peebles arrival stamp TWO DAYS later. CONSTANT VARIETY: marks SE, and also blur centre E frame-line, and letters misplaced low right and right. RARE - the FIRST PLUM on cover I have handled.	£385.00
RP:C10:7010	40 C10	45 AI	1857 1d Rose-red (shades) on White Paper: A SUPERB VERY RARE UNUSED single from this RARE PLATE, centred a whisker low left, with FULL PERFS. No gum, but the suggestion of a faint wrinkle on the back suggests that this was the victim of the old-time collector's habit of washing the gum off, because of the inevitable gum crinkling. A MISSING IMPRIMATUR, with CONSTANT VARIETIES: vertical scratch above 'I', and base of 'I' thick (illustrated in Tonna's 'Penny Red Stars').	£500.00
RP:C12:4405	42 C12	51 IF-KG	1861 1d Pale Rose-red Alphabet IV A VERY FINE RARE UNMOUNTED MINT BLOCK OF SIX, off-centre low, but with FULL PERFS, and FULL ORIGINAL GUM. RARE and ATTRACTIVE...	£350.00
BL:P:1095	23 F2k	4 MK	1855 2d Blue, a FINE VERY RARE LIGHTLY MOUNTED MINT single from this SCARCE issue, WELL-CENTERED for these, with FULL PERFS, and, apart from a tiny spot behind the second perforation at top left, FULL ORIGINAL GUM, usual crackling and somewhat toned. UPPER BORDER SHIFT, and 'M' misplaced left.	£1500.00
PN:206	43 G1	192 KF-MH	1d Rose-red A SUPERB UNMOUNTED MINT RARE BLOCK OF NINE, UNUSUALLY WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS (some minimal fraying), with FULL ORIGINAL GUM (some crinkling as is normal).	£225.00
C:PN:1126	48 * G4	9 CK	1870 ½d Rose-red 'Bantam', a VFU single from this RARE plate, centred slightly to the left, with FULL PERFS, on clean printed mourning entire Bath to Dursley, Glos., on 24 January 1872, neatly cancelled with a Bath '53' duplex. Plate number on right obscured by postmark, but the one on the left is clearly visible (see high res scan). RARE ON COVER.	£395.00
PN:245	48 G4	9 GG	½d Rose-red 'Bantam' A VFU+ single from this RARE plate, VERY WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, VERY LIGHTLY cancelled with a MR 5 1872' DATESTAMP' (possibly Scots, but not attributable to a town). Plate numbers clearly visible on both sides.	£225.00
Misc:QV:419	80 J52(2)	3 KA	QV 1862 4d Pale Red A FINE MOUNTED MINT single, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS (tips slightly trimmed upper E), with some residual gum. RARE...	£225.00
Misc:QV:428	98 J94	4 SL	QV 1865 9d Straw A VFU single, off-centre high, but with FULL PERFS, VERY LIGHTLY cancelled with an English Provincial numeral. RARE...	£125.00
Misc:QV:575	129 J126	1 GG	QV 1878 £1 Brown-lilac A FU single, centred slightly high right, with FULL PERFS (corner perf SE creased), VERY LIGHTLY cancelled with a FINE neat EDINBURGH CDS of 1 APRIL 1882. A nice copy of this RARE stamp...	£950.00
Misc:QV:389	130a J123a	4 AD	QV 1882 5s Rose (White Paper) A VFU single, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, lightly cancelled low right with a neat EDINBURGH CDS of 15 MAY 1884, leaving greatly CLEAR PROFILE. Small faint red crayon mark upper W. A RARE stamp...	£675.00
Misc:QV:397	183a K14(3)	- FG	QV 1884 10s Pale Ultramarine A VFU+ single, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, neatly cancelled with a central BIRMINGHAM CDS of 8 APRIL 1892. A SCARCE stamp...	£150.00
KING EDWARD VII
Misc:KEVII:377	265 M53(1)	- -	KEVII 1902 10s Ultramarine A VFU single, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, cancelled with slightly smudged THREADNEEDLE STREET 21 NOVEMBER 1902 Registered Oval. SCARCE...	£115.00
Misc:KEVII:378	265 M53(2)	- -	KEVII 1902 10s Deep Ultramarine A VFU single, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, but slightly toned in places, cancelled with a neat LIVERPOOL 1 AUGUST 1910 Registered Oval. SCARCE...	£100.00
Misc:KEVII:379	319 M54(2)	- -	KEVII 1912 10s Blue A VFU single, WELL-CENTRED, with FULL PERFS, but slightly grubby, lightly cancelled with slightly smudged SHAFTESBURY AVENUE CDS 2 APRIL 1912. SCARCE SOMERSET HOUSE printing...	£125.00
KING GEORGE V
Misc:GV:576	438 NCom9	- -	KGV 1929 PUC £1 BLACK A SUPERB UNMOUNTED MINT single.	£550.00

GREAT BRITAIN Connoisseur's Choice

GREAT BRITAIN
Connoisseur's Choice