Auction 309-320 - Australian States & Commonwealth British Africa, St. Helena - Day 1

1889: De La Rue perforated Essays (3) affixed to small card (66 x 57 mm.) with proposed Keyplate designs (2) with legend "SEYCHELLES" and Duty Plate hand-painted; with beautiful 2 c. green & carmine with the legend handpainted in carmine in italics at top (and most unusual thus for De La Rue) and picked out with Chinese white; 4 c. Essay in carmine and handpainted in blue; witrh third Essay unadopted with vignette in octagonal frame reading "REVENUE" and entirely hand-painted in violet & blue-green picked out in Chinese white with simulated perforations, the card dated at top "May 20, 89" in ink. Not illustrated in "The De La Rue Collection". An immensely rare group of Essays. Unique.rnrnProvenance: Collection Richard Maisel, 2009; Collection Lord Vestey, Spink, London, 7-8 Dec 2010, lot 1374.