Stamps & Covers Public Auction 350

1884-88 IR OFFICIAL opt QV £1 brown-lilac, wmk 3 crowns, letters BA-AB. Superb M, original gum bit disturbed at top from hinge removal, excellent centring & nice original colour. SG Spec L9, SG O11 cat £75,000 & much under-catalogued compared to non-official opt issues. Great rarity of GB philately with less than 30 M/UN examples recorded, of which most of the others are no gum, regummed or with faults. This original gum example is definitely one of the best quality examples known. Provenance is ex the famous collections of Arthur Hind & of King Carol of Romania. 1987 RPSL photo cert, while another new certificate can be obtained on request. (P)