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

1886/96: Stamp Duty "Eighteen Pence" (1 s. 6 d.) hand-painted Essay showing Britannia and dormant Lion, in shades of pale and dark green on thin card (55 x 69 mm.) marked 'B' at upper right; pinholes at upper left where previously affixed to a Post Offcie file. Unadopted design but spectacular and unique: illustrated in "The Stamps of Victoria" by Geoff Kellow RDP on page 270.rnrnProvenance: Collection J.R.W. Purves, RL, Geneva, 27 Nov 1980, lot 2191.rn                     Collection Rod Perry, DF, Zurich, 16-21 Nov 1987, lot 20430.rn                     Collection Sir Gawaine Baillie, Sotheby's, Melbourne, 13-15 July 2005, lot 1178.rn