Auction 333-341 Western Australia & Great Britain - Day 3

1840: 1 d. intense black, plate 1a, lettered AE and GE, two single examples used on cover, dated 20 May 1840, from West Bromwich to Titford, both stamps with good to large four margins all round, fresh deep shades, tied by very fine strikes of a dark red Maltese Cross, despatch town dated to reverse in the same colour, soiled, two light vertical creases and a faint horizontal filing crease, all clear of adhesives, small tear and reinforced to wrapper through "Oldbury", otherwise fine, an extremely rare double rate penny black franking, used in May from a provincial town and the plate 1a adhesives in the intense black shade SG AS1th = £ 2'500++ for a single on cover.