Auction 250 - 256 Day 1

1873 (March 31): Great Britain 1865 4 d. vermilion and 1867 2 s. deep blue in a remarkable vertical strip of three used on 1873 quadruple rate cover from Suez to Grahams Town, Cape of Good Hope, endorsed 'via Brindisi & London' tied by four strikes of the "BO2" obliterator with SUEZ datestamp below (March 31) in black. Cape Town transit also on front and reverse with London transit cds (April 7) in red and 'Grahams Town / Cape of Good Hope' arrival cds (May 8). A splendid and extremely rare franking: the sole usage of the 2 shilling value in a multiple on cover that this describer has recorded and a key Exhibition piece of Great Britain used in Egypt. Signed Todd AIEP.rnProvenance: RL, London, 24 Jan 1945, lot 347; Christie's, London, 22 Nov 1988, lot 761.rnrn