Shreves Philatelic Galleries, Inc. Sale

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Australian Kangaroo and Map Series continued...

1911 STAMP DESIGN COMPETITION ESSAYS continued...

Lot

Symbol

CatNo.

Lot Description

CV or Estimate

E112A,C,D, E114 var.

#E112A, C, D, 1911 Stamp Design Competition entries by E.T. Luke, Cockatoo in oval, framed by lyrebird tail, four different colors, blue, violet green and red, the latter with "One Penny" inscription added to the design, all affixed to original art board measuring 227x46mm, with "Pigmented Bichromate" manuscript notation at bottom in artist's hand, on the left side of the board are four different colored King George V essays similar to the design of #E114, but without value tablets in the corners and "Postage" in small lettering below portrait, in the same colors as the Cockatoo essays to the right (the red example with "One Penny" added as well), very fine; a unique series of essays (for eight essays A$16,000). (Image)

Est. 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $9,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

E114

#E114, 1911 Stamp Design Competition entries by E.T. Luke, King George V head in oval framed by lyrebird tail, green on thin paper, undenominated, with blank value tablets at top and an uncleared tablet at bottom, hinged to small piece of glazed paper, very fine (A$2,000). (Image)

Est. 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

E118C

#E118C, 1911 Stamp Design Competition entries by E.T. Luke, 1p Parliament House within map, orange brown, these essays were printed in se-tenant sheets of four with different central designs, this being the only example recorded in this color and from the only cut down sheetlet, very fine (A$2,000). (Image)

Est. 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,700.00
Will close during Public Auction

1911 Stamp Design Competition entry by "G.R. Unthank,2½p Map and Kangaroo design, the original entry, as submitted, was photographic, measuring 105x164mm, with the stamp-sized reduction as required by the rules at bottom left, the original artwork does not appear to exist, numbered "94" at top, which is the competition entry number assigned by the Post Office; this entry, although not a prizewinner, most closely resembles the final adopted design concept of a kangaroo superimposed on a map of Australia, there is no evidence, however, that it influenced the final design and no mention is made of this design in official correspondence. (Image)

Est. 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $3,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1911 Stamp Design Competition entry by J.E. Wilby, photographic stamp-size essay of 2p design featuring a kangaroo, ostrich and Coat-of-Arms within a crudely drawn map, with larger than usual margins around the design and signed "J.E. Wilby" of the Victorian Government Printing Office, very fine. (Image)

Est. 400-500

SOLD for $325.00
Will close during Public Auction

1911 Stamp Design Competition entries under the nom-de-plume of "Record", two different stamp-size photographic essays of 1p designs, one featuring Coat-of-Arms, the other with Coats-of-Arms surrounding map, very fine. (imagea) (Image)

Est. 500-750

SOLD for $400.00
Will close during Public Auction

1912 KANGAROO AND MAP ESSAYS

Lot

Symbol

CatNo.

Lot Description

CV or Estimate

KE5

#KE#5, 1912 1/- Map superimposed upon upon the Royal Standard and Australian Flag, Type 1 bi-colored paste-up essay in brownish red and blue, horizontal format on imperforate white wove paper, blue frame printed from letterpress blocks prepared by Rudolph Steel at the Block Arcade, Melbourne, with central Kangaroo vignette in brownish red being a cut-out and pasted in place within the map, wide margins, extremely fine and stunning.After rejecting the winning entries in the 1911 competition, Postmaster General Frazer commissioned Blamire Young of the Victorian Artist's Association late in that year to prepare alternative designs. It is recorded that Young delivered ten designs to the Postmaster General in January 1912, and recently discovered press announcements indicate that one of these designs showed a Kangaroo superimposed on a map of Australia. There are a total of nine recorded First Essays in seven different denominations based on this design, of which five were acquired (amazingly as one lot in the 1981 Williamson auction in London) by R.T.P. Chapman, whose collection was subsequently acquired intact by the Australia Post. This leaves only four in private hands and it is speculated that one of these may have been lost. Of the remaining three, the Gray collection presented here, has not one, but two of these immensely rare and important Kangaroo essays.Of the three essays in private hands of which we are aware, one is a mono-colored 2½p value in bright blue with saw-tooth roulette 14 ½. The other two offered here are the remarkable bi-colored paste-up essays in 1/- and 5/- denominations (see next lot). With one notable exception, these essays are never available at public auction. However, the April 2006 appearance at auction (Prestige Philately, lot #6) of the 2½p mono-colored essay mentioned above created quite a sensation. The rare chance to acquire one of these historically significant essays resulted in a record realization of A$172,500 (including the 15% buyer's premium), clearly demonstrating not only the terribly conservative evaluation of A$75,000 assigned in the Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogue, but also showing the strength of the market for Australian Kangaroo rarities. We fully expect that this essay, and the one that follows, will create their own sensation and will result in similarly eye-opening realizations - and deservedly so; ex-Abramovich. (Image)

Est. 75,000-100,000

SOLD for $42,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE7

#KE#7, 1912 5/- Map superimposed upon upon the Royal Standard and Australian Flag, Type 1 bi-colored paste-up essay in Carmine and Green, horizontal format on white wove paper with saw-tooth roulette 14 ½, carmine frame printed from letterpress blocks prepared by Rudolph Steel at the Block Arcade, Melbourne, with central Kangaroo vignette in light green being a cut-out and pasted in place within the map, wide margins, extremely fine; absolutely spectacular.As detailed in the previous lot, there are only four of these amazing First Essays in private hands and it is speculated that one of these may have been lost. Of the remaining three, the Gray collection presented here, has two of these with this being, arguably, the most visually stunning of the three of these immensely rare and important Kangaroo essays.In our opinion, the two First Essays offered are among the most historically important essays in philately. Not only is each unique in their own right, but they feature the Australian Kangaroo design - whose stamps are among the most popularly collected and most recognized stamps in the world. An absolutely essential item for an award-winning exhibition collection. We cannot imagine a more perfect item to begin a collection of Australian "Roos"; ex-Abramovich (A$75,000 - our comments on the irrelevance of the current catalog value are detailed in the previous lot). (Image)

Est. 75,000-100,000

SOLD for $52,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE12

#KE#12 1912½p Kangaroo and Map second essay, with two value tablets at top and Tasmania omitted, Type 2 vertical format design, in green on thin white card with saw-tooth roulette 14 ½, well centered within huge margins, bright and fresh, faint thin spot of no consequence, extremely fine.This vertical format design was determined to be less cluttered and better suited to stamp production, but the map of Australia was crudely drawn and the island state of Tasmania was omitted - leaving future modification inevitable. The Type 2 essay is even rarer than the Type 1, as there were five examples in different denominations recorded, although one (a 4p value) was in a private collection stolen in 1984 and it has never been recovered. Of the remaining four, one (a 6p value) is in the R.T.P. Chapman Collection, now part of the Australia Post archival collection. Thus, only three examples are left in private hands.In the same April 2006 auction (Prestige Philately) that the 2½p First Essay appeared, a single Type 2 Second Essay was offered - an imperforate 1p value in carmine rose. And just like the First Essay, the irrelevance of the catalog value assigned to the Second Essays (A$75,000 each) was demonstrated, as the 1p essay realized an impressive A$167,000 (including the 15% buyer's premium and 10% GST). We suspect that the appearance of this value will also re-write its current catalog value. This literally may be the last opportunity to acquire a Type 2 essay in our lifetimes; ex-Abramovich. (Image)

Est. 75,000-100,000

SOLD for $60,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE20Da

#KE20Da, 1912½p, 1p, 2p and 3p Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top, the map redrawn and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, uncut sheetlet of four stamps, in blue green on unwatermarked white wove paper measuring 118x90mm, printed from a letterpress block of four incorporating se-tenant values and, in the case of the low values, mono-colored printing, top corners with light glazing from old mounting, single pinhole well away from the stamp impressions, none of which are relevant due to this sheetlet's unique status.According to the ACSC, "these essays were distributed to the press on 2 April 1912 as examples of the approved design, and this distribution may be the source of most examples extant today." While there are eight sheetlets of the high values recorded, the sheetlet offered here is the only uncut sheetlet of the low values that still exists today. Therefore, this remarkable essay sheet of Type 3 low value essays can be considered the rarest of all known Kangaroo essays. The only other unsevered multiples of the low values are two vertical pairs, one of which is in the Royal CollectionAn amazing rarity of significant importance and desirability, whose catalog value (A$100,000) while considerable will, in our opinion, ultimately prove to be conservative for this premier artifact of Australian philately. (Image)

Est. 75,000-100,000

SOLD for $65,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE24Ga

#KE24Ga, 1912 Single Kangaroo vignette and 5/-, 10/- and 20/- Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, uncut sheetlet of four stamps, the kangaroo vignette in brown, the 5/- in brown and black, the 10/- in brown and green and the 20/- in brown and vermilion, on unwatermarked white wove paper measuring 118x93mm, printed from a letterpress block of four incorporating se-tenant values and, in the case of the high values, bi-colored printing, couple mounting thins in bottom corners of little significance, very fine.According to the ACSC, "these essays were distributed to the press on 2 April 1912 as examples of the approved design, and this distribution may be the source of most examples extant." The use of bi-colored printing for the high value essays suggests that an early decision had been made that these denominations would be bi-colored for the issued stamps. A number of color combinations were used, but there is no evidence that these sheetlets were used for selection of the issued colors. There are only eight intact high value essay sheetlets recorded, each in different color combinations, one being in the Australia Post archival collection.These rare high value essay sheetlets possess spectacular eye appeal and as such will certainly command considerable bidder interest; ex-Abramovich (A$75,000). (Image)

Est. 50,000-75,000

SOLD for $50,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE24Ha

#KE24Ha, 1912 Single Kangaroo vignette and 5/-, 10/- and 20/- Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, uncut sheetlet of four stamps, the kangaroo vignette in vermilion, the 5/- in vermilion and black, the 10/- in vermilion and brown and the 20/- in vermilion and pale blue, on unwatermarked white wove paper measuring 116x90mm, printed from a letterpress block of four incorporating se-tenant values and, in the case of the high values, bi-colored printing, couple of pinpoint thin specks of little significance, very fine.According to the ACSC, "these essays were distributed to the press on 2 April 1912 as examples of the approved design, and this distribution may be the source of most examples extant." The use of bi-colored printing for the high value essays suggests that an early decision had been made that these denominations would be bi-colored for the issued stamps. A number of color combinations were used, but there is no evidence that these sheetlets were used for selection of the issued colors. There are only eight intact high value essay sheetlets recorded, each in different color combinations, one being in the Australia Post archival collection.Another spectacular Kangaroo essay rarity from the incomparable Gray collection; ex-Abramovich (A$75,000). (Image)

Est. 50,000-75,000

SOLD for $50,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE28 var.

#KE28 var., 1912 1p Orange Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, perforated 12½, on unwatermarked white wove paper, well centered, bright vibrant color, couple of really faint and trivial thin specks, still very fine; according to the ACSC there are only fourteen perforated Type 3 essays recorded in various colors and denominations, the vast majority of which are unique, two of which are in institutional collections, not included in this total, nor listed in their count is this 1p essay in Orange (neither are the 3p, 10/- and 20/- values which follow in colors other than those listed by the ACSC), only the 1p in Red (Australia Post archival collection) and Brown are listed; clearly an important unrecorded perforated Type 3 essay; the listed 1p Third Essay in brown is priced by ACSC at A$20,000, although that valuation proved quite conservative, as it realized A$57,500 (including premium) in Prestige Philately's April 2004 auction (lot #8). (Image)

Est. 20,000-30,000

SOLD for $24,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE30 var.

#KE28 var., 1912 3p Ultramarine Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, perforated 12½, on unwatermarked white wove paper, well centered, fresh color, very fine; according to the ACSC, the only 3p perforated Third Essay is one in Orange, which is housed in the Royal Collection, therefore this 3p perforated Third Essay in ultramarine is not only unrecorded, it is the only example of this 3p essay in private hands (most of the listed perforated Third Essays are priced very conservatively at A$20,000 each). (Image)

Est. 20,000-30,000

SOLD for $19,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE32 var.

#KE32 var., 1912 10/- Brown and green Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, perforated 12½, on unwatermarked white wove paper, extraordinarily well centered and margined, strong colors, minute thin speck, still extremely fine; according to the ACSC, the only two 10/- perforated Third Essays are found in blue green/pale green and violet/brown combinations, therefore this 10/- perforated Third Essay in brown and green is not only unrecorded, but unique in this color combination (the two listed 10/- color combinations are priced at A$27,500 each). (Image)

Est. 20,000-30,000

SOLD for $21,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE33 var.

#KE33 var., 1912 20/- Green and blue Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3 vertical format design, perforated 12½, on unwatermarked white wove paper, extra-large and well balanced margins, strong colors, minute thin speck of no consequence, still extremely fine; according to the ACSC, the only two 20/- perforated Third Essays are found in turquoise/red orange and pale brown/red orange combinations, therefore this 20/- perforated Third Essay in green and blue is not only unrecorded, but unique in this color combination (the two listed 20/- color combinations are priced at A$27,500 each). (Image)

Est. 20,000-30,000

SOLD for $21,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

KE34

#KE34, 1912½p Red Kangaroo and Map third essay, with only one value circle at top and Tasmania included, Type 3a, half-tone (photographic) print on thin glazed paper, measuring 72x77mm, extremely fine; on April 3, 1912 samples of the Third Essay were distributed by the Postmaster General to his Cabinet colleagues, it is believed these were half-tone reproductions, possibly created because J.B. Cooke (printers) had no further printed essays available; one of only four recorded, one of which is in the Australia Post archival collection, this particular example being especially desirable as it is not cut down like the other two examples that exist in private hands (A$10,000). (Image)

Est. 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $7,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

1952 Christmas card from Melbourne dealer C.E. Norden with impression in black from the Kangaroo and Map master die, with blank value tablets, signed at bottom "Kind regards/C.E. Norden"; it was Norden who acquired the estate of the stamp's engraver, Samuel Reading, in which the original of the master die proof was found, which is now in the Australia Post archival collection; also accompanied by photographic reproductions of the original master die, as well as large die proofs of the 10/- £1 and £2 values, which Norden used to publicize his purchase; and finally an original price list produced by Norden entitled "Proofs by Samuel Reading" in which he lists and prices various proofs found in the Reading estate (in addition to the fantastic Kangaroo large dies, there were various proofs of Papuan stamps and an Australian postal card), it is interesting to note that the Kangaroo master die was available for 300 guineas! (Image)

Est. 500-750

SOLD for $950.00
Will close during Public Auction

1912 TRIAL COLORS

Lot

Symbol

CatNo.

Lot Description

CV or Estimate

3PP(2)A

#3PP(2)A, 1p Green, perforated 12½ plate proof in the issued color of the ½p on gummed unwatermarked wove paper, exceedingly well centered, brilliantly fresh color, just the faintest trace of a minute thin speck and just a small bit of album adhesion in one corner, still very fine and rare; only nine examples recorded, including a pair in the Royal Collection (A$6,000). (Image)

Est. 5,000-7,500

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction

3PP(2)B

#3PP(2)B, 1p Red, perforated 12½ plate proof in the issued color on gummed unwatermarked paper, well centered, deep luxuriant color, few flaws including a small thin spot and some minor album adherence, of little consequence given that this is one of only five recorded, one of which is in the Royal Collection (A$7,500). (Image)

Est. 5,000-7,500

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction