An exciting time-warp collection in an old-fashioned album, intact as received, the condition very mixed on the earlier issues and improving later. After a few Mulready items the book begins with sixty penny blacks, the majority with no margins, however including pair with large margins on two sides and a lovely four margin example tied by red MX to Irish cover (opened and trimmed) with crisp 'Armagh DE 11 1840' pmk, then the 2d blues incl. 2 margins on large-part cover, 1d red imperfs with mint blocks of six, lots of used multiples, 26 numbers in cross incl. set, a partial sheet reconstruction, 1841 2d blue used multiples and a few numbers in cross, through to perf 2d blue corner letters mint plates 13 and 15, penny red plates 71 to 224 mint/unused plus mint multiples incl. plate 219 block of nine, used plates two sets (both 225s faulty), plate 95 complete sheet reconstruction, etc, then the ½d 'bantams' starting with forty-five mint examples (all plates save 9) incl. block of nine and imprint block of six, the used with 2x plate 9 both good sound examples without heavy cancels, followed by several ½d covers, the 1½d plates, etc. Please also see the following lot for the continuation of this great collection.