Lot 40217 – 1841 (13 May) 1840 2d blue pl.1 GH on a pair of covers with left and right vertical bisects of the same stamp

1841 (13 May) 1840 2d blue pl.1 GH on a pair of covers with left and right vertical bisects of the same stamp; both sent from Hull to Beverley, both stamps with clear to good margins and both cancelled by two strikes of a black Maltese Cross, the left portion with Hull MY 13 1841 double arc ds on reverse and the right portion with the same despatch of the following day.

Only three covers recorded with accepted bisect usages. An outstanding and incomparable pair of exhibition showpieces.

In 1936, a solicitor in Hull discovered three bisected 1840 Two Pence Blue stamps in his office correspondence. He tore them off the letters and they were later sold at auction in February 1937, the pieces bore Hull or Lincoln postmarks. A few years later, a solicitor in Beverley turned out some old papers and threw into the bin some old stamps on letters. A friend called round later the same day and reminded him that another solicitor had found some old stamps cut in half a few years earlier, so the letters were retrieved and one example was found, then a search among old files produced another.

Expertise: Each with cert. RPS (1977), “H” with Karl Louis Provenance Certificate (2005) and signed Enzo Diena.

Provenance: “G” ex “Chartwell” (2012), “H” ex D. M. Brown (1938).