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Auction: 171 - The Philatelic Collector's Series Sale
Lot: 292

Great Britain the exceptional Smallbone two-volume Downey Head exhibit collection tracing the development of these fascinating stamps, including a detailed examination of this dies, perforation, and watermark types, as well as an extensive plating study, featuring over seventy control blocks and singles, and dozens of other multiples, many being large blocks and positional examples showing both catalogued and newly-discovered varieties. This predominantly mint collection is replete with shade varieties and inverted and reversed watermark types, omitting only some of the most challenging rarities and missing watermarks. The collections highlights includes many dozens of varieties, with noteworthy examples including 1d green Die 1A N1c White Blob Right of Left 1/2 in control block of eight, N1d White Spot on Forehead in control block of six, 1d Red Die 1A N7b Wmk. Crown without watermark, N7f No Cross on Crown in block of nine, N7h White Flour de Lis in Crown, multiple examples of N7k Pale Area by Lion’s Paw, SPECIMEN and CANCELLED overprints, N7j Gash Under Crown, impressive misperforated examples of both the 1/2d and 1d Die 1A, one being a misperforated interpanneau block, the other a dramatic misperception caused by a paper fold resulting in one stamp being imperforate at left, 1/2d Die 1B, including interesting unlisted flaws such as the White Patch on Forehead and Tail on First N of Penny, N8g the Blob Over E of Postage in both used pair and mint control block, N8h the White Spot Right of Left 1/2 and N8f Coloured Mark on Left Dolphin in control block, N8c the Cracked Plate (N8c), and N8S SPECIMEN overprint, 1d Red Die 1B, Wm Crown, inverted watermark and SPECIMEN overprint, block of six showing various unlisted varieties including the White Dot on Moustache and Broken Line in Earlobe; four examples of the White Spot Left of O and Dot Over T of Postage, represented in control blocks of four and six, block of four, and used control single, N8f White Spot on Forehead in control block of six and used control block of three, N8i White Scratch to Left of Lion’s Face in mint and used control singles, control block of six, and mint pair, N8e Broken Frame Over EP in control block of six, N8h Broken Ribbon Under Last E of Revenue, N8k Pale Lion in two control blocks, plus one example in a pair, with variety extending into mane, being an unlisted new discovery, 1/2d Green Die 2 Wmk Crown including N4a No Cross on Crown, N4c No Cross on Crown and Broken Frame in mint pair, unlisted constant varieties including Double Frame Break of Postage and White Patch on Dolphin, N4k Scales on left Hand Dolphin in impressive corner block of thirty, 1/2d Green Die 1B Watermark Cypher, the three listed colour shades as well as the inverted watermark, SPECIMEN Type 26 , and N3c the rare watermark reversed and N3d watermark inverted and reversed, 1d Red Scarlet Watermark Cyper Die 1B, Booklets Only, including N10c the rare watermark reversed and No Cross on Crown, which is unlisted in this type and the only recorded example. 1d Red Watermark Crown Die 2, multiple varieties including a used single, mint pair, and mint corner block of twelve illustrating the No Cross on Crown variety, a control block of six and used strip of three showing the Coloured Blot on O of ONE variety a used single showing the Varnish ink, type 24 and 25 CANCELLED specimen examples, 1/2d Green Watermark Simple Cypher Die II, N5t CANCELLED Specimen, N5e mint single showing the No Cross on Crown, N5i used single showing the White Spot in Oval Below E of Postage, N5k corner block of three showing the White Scales on Left-Hand Dolphin, 1d Red Watermark Simple Cypher Die 2 - three watermark types as well as an interpanneau block showing N13f No Cross on Crown variety, 1/2d Green Watermark Multiple Cypher, an imperforate, N6h No Cross on Crown mint single, control blocks of six as well as an interpanneau block with inverted and reversed watermarks (or both), corner block of ten showing N6k White Scales on Left Hand Dolphin variety, with reversed watermark, used corner pair and mint block of four showing the White Spot in Oval (unlisted on multi cypher watermarked paper), N6e Crown Missing in Watermark corner block of three, 1d Red Die 2 Multiple Cypher - including the scarce deep bright scarlet shade, sideways, inverted and reversed watermarks, No Cross on Crown variety illustrated on watermark upright and sideways watermark singles, as well as in a lower right block of six, followed by a nice group of perforation varieties, followed by examples of the Downey Heads stamps used abroad, multiple Levant and Morocco Agencies overprints on various dies, in singles and multiples; the collection also includes over a hundred and thirty covers, notably a 1d solo franking showing plate scratch, two covers bearing 2d Great Western Railway fee adhesives, including one to new Zealand; a 5&1/2d rated mourning cover to Persia, routed via Russia; several other interesting destinations including India, Turkey, Finland, Nicaragua, Japan (redirected), Egypt and China, three First UK Aerial Post Coronation Flight cards, and three beautiful hand-illustrated covers; as well as a wonderful selection of Downey Heads used abroad, including paquebot usages from Ascension Island, Canal Zone, Australia, Ceylon, Canada, Barbados, and improper usages from the USA, Monaco, and France. The result of many years of diligent searching and in-depth philatelic research, and the basis for a national gold-medal winning exhibit for which the exhibitor was awarded the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada Best Original Research award. A monumental effort would be required to duplicate this achievement; a wonderful opportunity for an enthusiastic collector.

Sold for
$15,000