Auction 321 - 332 Australian States & Commonwealth of Australia, St. Helena, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Swaziland, Brazil 1843 –1870 - Day 1

Emblems 1860/63: 2 d. bluish slate, a single and a horizontal pair used on 1862 mourning cover to the Museum of Natural History in Paris endorsed "per Great Britain" left uncancelled and tied in transit by London "50" numeral obliterators in black. On arrival in London struck with erroneous "INSUFFICIENTLY / PREPAID" in black and this deleted by "50" obliterator in red and circular 'PD' applied. Calais transit cds also ties on 2 d. adhesive. Reverse with Liverpool / Ship boxed datestamp (April 8) in black. Not recorded in the Ben Palmer census. A scarce and most appealing cover. Signed Calves.rnrnNote: The cover is endorsed "F. von Mueller, F.R.S.", Baron Ferdinand Jakob H. von Mueller, Fellow of the Royal Society, arrived in Melbourne in 1852. Charles La Trobe appointed him Victorian Government botanist in 1853 and he was later to become the first director of Melbourne's Botanic Gardens.rnrnProvenance: Prestige, Melbourne, 23 Sept 2011, lot 840.