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Auction: 19058 - The Davies Collection of Great Britain and selected other Countries
Lot: 122

(x) Great Britain
Official Stamps
Inland Revenue
1902-04 6d. pale dull purple, unused with part to large part original gum, lovely rich colour and appearance, very fine. One of only two mint examples in private hands and considered Great Britain's rarest postage stamp. R.P.S. Certificate (2008). Sc. O22; S.G. O23, £475,000. Photo

Note: The 6d. I.R. Official was issued on 14 March, 1904 and was officially withdrawn on 13 May, 1904. This value was barely used and only six are known, virtually all of them are of very poor quality having been very heavily cancelled as per the Inland Revenue Department instructions.

As far as mint examples go there is a sheet of 234 stamps (a complete sheet less six) in the Heritage collections of the Post Office, and eight other examples. Of these eight, a pair is in the Royal Collection and a block of four is in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. The pair, the block and this single are believed to be those removed from the sheet held by the Post Office.

provenance:
The Royal Collection (purchased through Spink by private treaty, 2008)

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Sold for
£240,000

Starting price
£250000