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Auction: 11027 - The Chartwell Collection - Great Britain Line-Engraved Essays, Proofs, Stamps & Covers Part 1
Lot: 1091

1840 One Penny Black Plate II Covers 1840 (13 May) entire bearing TL in a deep shade, showing double T and external guide lines, good to large very large margins all round from the lower right corner of the sheet showing part inscription "ove the cement" at foot, and additionally showing the plate number "2" in the lower right corner, neatly tied to the entire from Wakefield addressed to William Bywater in Pontefract, by a superb complete upright strike of the Maltese Cross in an pale reddish orange shade, the flap bearing a good strike of Wakefield despatch c.d.s. dated 13th May; The stamp is extraordinarily fresh and is in superb condition with such large margins and the lovely Maltese Cross. This iconic cover is, without question, one of the most important and most desirable covers of British philately and probably the finest one penny black on cover in existence. A great exhibition rarity with this being only it´s second appearance in public auction since 1942 Estimate £ 150,000-200,000 provenance: L.E. Meinertzhagen, March 1942 This cover was ´discovered´ in the 1980´s with a stamp collection in an old metal deed box. This remarkable cover was tucked into the newspaper covering the bottom of the box and could easily have been thrown away with the rubbish. The cover was sold then sold by private treaty to Sir Humphrey

Sold for
£290,000