373rd Auction

1 r. on 1 sh., used on commercial airmail cover from Bahrain 1948 to the US, minor toning, very scarce

1950/55, George VI 2 r. on 2 s. 6 d. in horizontal pair with 6 a. on 6 d. and Elizabeth Coronation 1 r., tied by oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 13 JY 53" to registered airmail cover to New York; slight transportation marks; a scarce high franking

2 r., surcharge type II, block of 4, used with oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 10 .. 54"; a fine and rare multiple

2 r., surcharge type III, reconstructed block of 3, used with large size violet parcel post cancellation "BAHRAIN 1 SEP 55", very scarce

1952/54, Elizabeth ½ a. on ½ d. with "½" omitted, block of 4, unmounted mint, very fine and scarce multiple (SG £ 800,-)

½ d. with "½" omitted, together with 1 a. on 1 d. tied by cds. "MUHARRAG P.O. BAHRAIN 21 NO 51", locally used; a very fine and rare cover, certificate BPA (1959)

3 a. and 3 a. 6 p., each in pair, together with 1 r. and 1942/45, 3 p.-1 a., 2 a., 4 a., 8 a. and 12 a. as additional franking on registered letter George VI 3 a. + 1½ a., as registered airmail cover from "BAHRAIN 24 JLY. 45" via Lagos, Nigeria to the US with several transit marks; fine and remarkable cover with scarce franking

1955, 10 a. on 10 s. with 1956/57, 1 r. on 1 s. 6 d. and new currency 20 np on 3 d., tied by oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 18 JU 60" to parcel tag

1956/57, Elizabeth 1 r. on 1 s. 6 d. with surcharge double, nice fresh colour and with good perforation, used with light cds. A very fine copy of this extremely rare stamp of which only few used but no unused copies have been recorded. Opinion KG VI Expertizing (1986)

ISSUES OF THE BRITISH POSTAL AGENCIES IN EASTERN ARABIA: 1956/57, wm St. Edward's crown 1½ a. on 1½ d. in horizontal pair (separated at bottom) with 1952/54, ½ a. on ½ d., used on commercial airmail cover from "BAHRAIN .. FE 57" to Doha, Qatar; the envelope with some marginal faults, the unique pair in fine condition (partly lifted for inspection of watermark). One of the greatest rarities of Bahrain and the British agencies in Arabia. Certificate David Brandon (1997)

1960, Unissued Mosque 10 f., single stamp and 100 f. in marginal block of 4, unused o.g., 10 f. somewhat toned and the block light gum crease, scarce

1969, Satellite Earth Station Ras Abu Jarjour 20 f., unique artist essay, photographic and hand painted with overlay in sunken presentation card of De La Rue Co. A marvellous item

1971, Independance Day 30 f., imperforated proof similar to the issued design but with additional red map of Bahrain (rejected because inaccurate), mounted on Harrison & Sons presentation card; very fine and rare

1980, Falconry 100 f., all 8 values cpl. in 2 imperforated plate proof blocks of 4, each on Harrison & Sons presentation card; fine and very rare

LOCAL STAMPS: 1953/56, 1½ a. carmine, 5 copies tied by oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 25 MR 55" to commercial local registered cover. One applied with tear, otherwise very fine, only very few local registered letters have been recorded

WAR TAX STAMPS: 1973, 5 f. blue and cobalt, tied together with postage stamp to registered commercial airmail cover to Pakistan

SERVICE: 1923, George V ½ a. (2) and 2 a. tied by cds. "BAHRAIN 4 AUG 23" to registered O.H.M.S. coverfront to Bombay; entires from Bahrain with service stamps are exceedingly rare

POSTAL STATIONERY: 1926, envelope 1 a. brown, used from "BAHRAIN 22 APR. 26" to Kot, India with arrival mark

1934, Registered envelope 3 a. + 1 a. 3 p. used abroad with cds. "C-POST OFFICE 2 .. JUN 47" (Basra Margil) with adjacent violet "R No. "c" base P.O." to England, little roughly opened, very rare

1947, British India postcard HALF ANNA on 9 p. green, overprinted "BAHRAIN" with additional franking 1942/45, 3 p. in horizontal pair, making the correct 1 a. rate, tied by cds. "BAHRAIN 5 OCT. 47", sent to Veraval, India with arrival mark on front partly tying the addtional franking. A very rare item of Bahrain postal history; this is the only recorded example of the Indian provisional postcard overprinted "BAHRAIN"

Postal order George VI 1/- with overprint "B.P.O. AGENCIES PERSIAN GULF 2 ANNAS" with small "BAHRAIN 16 JU 50" ; creased and slight marginal faults. This is the only recorded George VI postal order from the Persian Gulf agencies

1932, "RÉEXPEDIÉ", clear straight line on envelope from England to Bahrain with arrival mark of November 2, 1932 and re-directed to England; a very scarce instructional marking

1940, Official envelope "INDIAN POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS DEPARTMENT", sent as registered airmail cover from "BAHRAIN 26 FEB. 40" (on reverse) and register label "BAHRAIN" to England; the envelope with small imperfections. A very rare item, one of 2 registered post department covers recorded

1942, microfilmed "CHRISTMAS GREETINGS" from a paiforce member; very scarce from Bahrain

"BAHRAIN UNPAID 19 SEP. 42", octagonal marking on airmail cover from Canada via Cairo to Bahrain with Canadian and Egyptian censor labels. The only recorded entire with this rare handstamp

1947, "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER", violet framed marking on commercial airmail cover from Madras to the US, crashed with the Portland Flying Boat in Bahrain; exceptional fine condition for this crash mail

"DAMAGED BY SEA WATER", 2-line boxed marking on airmail cover from "SHANGHAI 18.8.47" to London, crashed with the Flying Boat "Portland" at Bahrain on 23.8.47; a very rare item of desaster mail with Chinese origin

1971, Postal order 65 FILS on 1 sh. with poundage fee 50 FILS on 20 FILS on 3 d., cancelled "BAHRAIN 28 OC 71". Postal order forms of the Gulf area are extremely rare

INCOMING MAIL: 1899, Newspaper wrapper 3 on 4 c. on 5 c. from "MAURITIUS DE 1 99" to Bahrain with transit mark of Bombay and arrival mark of December 31. A very rare and early item of incoming mail

1905, Envelope with original contents, franked with India Edward 2 a. 6 p., tied by square circle "BOUSHIRE 17 MY 05" to Manamah, Bahrain with clear arrival mark; fine and scarce

1853/59, 1 c. dull red, value label type C, horizontal stripe of three, good to large margins all around, used, creasing at top and upper right, very rare, certificate BPA (2020)   

JAPANESE OCCUPATION, ALLIED RE-OCCUPATION: 1944, Coconut Plantation 6d.deep violet/ reddish purple tied by cds. "LUNGA 7 SE 44" to cover to Guadalcanal Island with "PASSED BY NAVAL CENSOR" and manuscript alongside, fine

JAPANESE OCCUPATION, ALLIED RE-OCCUPATION: 1944, Bismarck Scrob Fowl 2s6d. black/violet horizontal strip of four with lower sheet margin and full inscription "THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED, LONDON" with cds. "MUNDA" to registered airmail cover to Auckland with oval "passed by Censor" and manuscript entry alongside, fine

JAPANESE OCCUPATION, Barakoma Airfield: 1942, stampless with US cachet 'PASSED NAVAL CENSOR' addressed to Auckland, reverse with senders address "A.W. Silvester, written 2/12/12 Vella Lavella", a scarce cover, fine Referent Silvester was one of 2 Europeans who were allowed to stay in Solomon Islands by the Japanese after the occupation

1942, Stamps of Brunei handstamped, 6c. scarclet, unused, fine, scarce, certificate BPA (for pair, 1966) (SG £600,-)

8c. red tied by violet cds. to airmail cover to Kuching, stamp with corner torn away and roughly opened at right, scarce