364 / März 2017

Letter without contents sent from London November 10th 1856 to Söderhamn with the very rare boxed Late marking "Inlemnadt efter postens afgång" which was in use only in 1856 at the Swedish Post office in Hamburg. Several transitmarkings on reverse. A great rarity only known on two letters, this one in superb quality.

Letter postmarked with RED rectangular "LANDSKRONA 14.4 1839" and sent to Copenhagen. Landskrona received this postmark in 1837, engraved by Mauritz Frumerie. Inbetween March and April 1839 the postmaster for unknown reasons used red colour when stamping the letters. A theory is that it was a warning against an ongoing cholera epidemic in Landskrona, but no documents have been found to support the theory. Certificate HOW (1995). The RED Landskrona postmark is very Rare.

12 skilling banco prepaid single rate entire letter, franked with 2 copies 3 skilling bco (one stamp with repaired corner perforation) and single 6 skilling bco (2 repaired tears), nicely postmarked Stockholm September 16th 1856 and sent to Helsingör. Alltogether a very fresh and attractive letter; the only recorded with this franking; certificate HOW (2005).

18 öre nearby rate (Närporto) on letter postmarked March 4th 1865 and sent to Copenhagen, Denmark. Arrival postmark "KJÖBENHAVN 4 .3 EFM (?) 6 1/2" on reverse. Franked with vertical pair of 9 öre Coat-of-arms according to the Danish-Swedish convention of 1852. Attractive letter with an unusual postage rate.

60 öre (5x 12 öre, one pair and one strip of three) Coat-of-arms on letter postmarked Stockholm March 6st 1862 and sent to Helsingfors, Finland. The postage stipulated in the convention of 1846 was still in force (20 skilling banco) but after the monetary reform July 1st 1858, this corresponded to 60 öre. Certificate Frans Obermüller (1984). Attractive letter with a rare postage combination.

28 öre letter postmarked Ö.S.B. December 11th 1872 and sent to Helsinki, Finland. The letter was posted at Östra Stambanan and postmarked ÖSB at the TPO on that Railway line. Via the post office in Stockholm 11/12 the letter was then sent the direct route to Finland, via Åland sea. Marked "FRANCO." in frame and BLUE arrival cancellation "ANK 17 12", both on front. Certificate HOW (1985). Attractive and colourful letter sent to famous Finnish poet.

Double rate letter dated September 27th 1780 and sent from Stockholm to Trondhem (Norway). The single rate postage, for a letter weight of maximum 1 lod, was 12 öre silver coins between Stockholm and Strömstad, double prepaid rate = 24 öre. This is the oldest known letter from Sweden to Norway.

8 skilling banco single on letter sent June 27th 1856 from Neder Kalix to Arendal, Norway. Ceretificate Frans Obermüller (1983) Attractive letter with a postmark in superb quality.

4 skilling banco single nearby rate (=Närporto) sent January 10th 1858 from Uddevalla to Fredreckhall, Norway. As the distance between the dispatching and the receiving post office was less than 200 kilometers, the nearby rate of 4 skilling banco was applicable. Certificate HOW (1990). Only two letters are known with nearby rate during the skilling period. 

72 öre Coat-of-arms (3x 24 öre) on letter postmarked Stockholm March 6th 1861 and sent to Paris, France. Transit cancel on reverse: "HAMBURG K.S.P.A. (D) 11.3.1861" and arrival "PARIS 13 MARS 61". Certificate Frans Obermüller (1984).

30 öre Coat-of-arms single on short paid letter postmarked "PKXP. N:r6. 16.5.1871" and sent to Cognac, France. Lilac straight line cancel "AFFRANCHISSEMENT INSUFFISANT" on front. Arrival postmark on reverse: "COGNAC 2 E 22 MAI 71". The postage rate was 56 öre equivalent to 7 öre=1 decime. The letter was franked with only 30 öre/4,3 decimes and the postage due became 8-4,3=3,7 decimes rounded up to 4 decimes. The TPO first correctly marked it for a postage due of 4 decimes, then changed it to 3, thus the addressee paid 1 decimes too little. Certificate HOW (1999). Unusual short payment.

24 skilling banco single on prepaid letter postmarked with rectangular "KÖPING 18.6.1858" and sent to Carlsbad, Böhmen. Notation "Franco" and boxed postmark "Aus Schweden per Stralsund", on reverse transit "YSTAD (21)6.1858" and arrival "CARLSBAD 28.6". Certificate Nils Svensson (1985) Böhmen was a kingdom under the Austrian Emperor, Today Carlsbad is named Karlovy Vary and is situated in the Czech Republic. Attractive letter with a rare dull light red shade.

45 öre Coat-of-arms (9+12+24 öre) on letter postmarked Wadstena September 8th 1864 and sent to Lübeck. Transit postmarked on reverse: "SÖDRA ST.BANAN 10 9 1864" and "KDOPA 11 9". Certificate Sjöman (1973). Attractive letter with beautiful cancels.

Courier letter dated Stockholm November 7th 1613 and sent to Stralsund, Pomerania. On top of the letter the sender endorsed "NB" meaning Nota Bene. This was done in order to show that it was a very important letter. NB notations from 1600s are rare.

Letter dated Örebro August 25th 1830 and sent to Leipzig, Saxony. Postmarked on reverse: "Berlin 3-4 1/9.". The notation "bet.ystad" meant that it was prepaid 24 skilling banco. In Greifswald the Swedish post Commissioner stamped it with the old handstamp "frco. Stralsund" (The new one for Greifswald was not yet in use) and the Prussian postmaster then made it clearer by writing "franco Greifswalde". The total postage 6 3/4 Ggr was marked in red crayon.

Courier letter from King Johan III of Sweden to Queen Elisabeth I of England. Dated Svartsjö Castle February 9th 1591. The letter is written in Latin (swedish translation enclosed) The Swedish King pleads to Elisabeth I to stop English companies delivering weapons to Russia (at this time at war with Sweden), atleast til next summer. (Colour photocopy of inside enclosed, also opinion about genuineness by Erland Brand). Unique letter.

36 skilling banco letter, franked with 2 copies 6 skilling bco and single 24 skilling bco, postmarked Stockholm November 10th 1857 and sent to Brixton, Surrey with adjacent boxed "Aus Schweden per Stralsund", transit "YSTAD 13.11" and arrival mark "LONDON DU NO17 57". On the right 6 skilling there is a small tear and rounded off corner perforation, otherwise fine. A very attractive skilling letter to an unusual destination. Certificate HOW (1990).

10 skilling banco on partly prepaid letter postmarked Stockholm July 31st 1857 and sent to St. Petersburg, Russia. Franked with 4 + 6 skilling with notation "fco gr" (=franco gränsen, paid to the border). Correct postage to the Finnish border. Certificate HOW (1990) also Sjöman (1971).

42 öre Coat-of-arms (12+30 öre) on letter postmarked Vadstena March 24th 1869 and sent to Alger, Africa. Transit postmarks on reverse: "PKXP.N:r 2 26 3 1869" + various French postmarks. The letter was sent in closed mail from Sweden to France and further to Algeria under the conditions specified in the convention of 1867, i.e. 42 öre as to France herself. Certificate HOW (1990). Attractive letter to a rare destination.

Letter from Calmar March 24th 1856 sent via London to Melbourne, Australia. Addressed poste restante, transit Butterfly cancel "HAMBURG 30 MAR 1856", via LONDON PAID 14/x, arriving Australia  with no one claiming the letter "ADVERTISED AND UNCLAIMED". returned to sender "SHIP LETTER FREE JU 25 1856 G.P.O. VICTORIA" and red oval "LC JU 25 1836", returning to Sweden via "HELSINGBORG 29.6.1857". Attractive early letter, one of only a few letters known to Australia during this period, possibly the only one known to Victoria. Opened up for display.

54 öre letter postmarked Stockholm norr September 14th 1870 sent via London to Montreal, Canada. Franked with 24 + 30 öre Coat-of-arms. Arrival cancel Montral PM OC 3 70" on reverse. Letters sent in the 1870s to Canada are very rare.

Prepaid letter postmarked Stockholm April 23rd 1852 and sent to San Francisco. Transit Southampton to Chagres by West Indian packet twice a month. Transit across the Isthmus of Panama to New Granada at the rate of 1 sh per ounce. Further from Panama City to San Francisco by packets of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. The transit time was ca 60 days. Before July 1st 1852 this route was the first and only possible route for sending paid letters from Sweden to California. 

Prepaid letter postmarked Stockholm September 10th 1852 and sent via Prussia, Belgium, UK, Panama to San Francisco. Transit on reverse: "STRALSUND 16.9 9-10", "STETTIN 17 9 1 BERLIN", BERLIN 17 /9-I HALBERST:", DEUTZ-MINDEN RI 18.9", COELN-19.9 II VERVIERS". From July 1st 1852 the new rate of 115 sk bco was introduced. this was further lowered on August 16 to 106 1/2 sk, due to a new convention between Prussia and the UK. Slightly shabby appearence with staining around the edges, but from the first year of known letters being sent to San Franscisco.

54 skilling banco cover, franked with 6 sk bco and 2 copies 24 sk bco, all with nice and fresh colour, one short perforation on each 24 sk., postmarked Stockholm January 8th 1858 and sent to Boston; on reverse transit "K.S.&N.P.A. x 1 1858 HAMBURG" and old piece of carton paper lightly stucking; an interesting and attractive transatlantic letter; certificate HOW (1989, very high quality).

1864, Small envelope with frontside clear "FELTPOST No. 3 12/5 P.1" to Mariefred with transit mark "SÖDRA ST. BANAN 14/5 1864"; since the Swedish volunteer corps were not officially approved, the cover was taxed and endorsed "Lösen 36 öre" to be paid by the recipient; very rare, only 2 such covers from Swedish volunteers are recorded

1866, 2 entire letters, each with boxed "HAMBURG K.S.P.A.(D.)" and " FRANCO.", in black resp. blue

1867, Entire letter to Stockholm with cds. "K.S.P.A. HAMBURG 25 10 1867" and oval "FRANCO.", both in blue

1790 (ca.), Sealed lettersheet with part of protective cord, sent registered from "HILDESHEIM" to Örebro, originally containing 1 Louis d'Or, on front manuscript "Frey Hamburg", charged on reverse with 12 skilling 9 rst, which incl. the addressee's part of registration fee; a rare early registered item

1851, Entire letter from "BERGEN AUF RÜGEN 27 5" to Stockholm, showing on front clear boxed "Franco Stralsund" and Ystad transit mark; paid to Stralsund with "3" sgr.

1861, Small envelope from "ITZEHOE 18/1" to Sköfde, franked with Denmark 1854, 4 s. brown in vertical pair; readdressed to Gothenburg and charged for the inland postage with "Lösen 24 öre, restporto"

1803, Lettersheet from "HULL JUL 24 1803" via London (red transit mark on front) and Gothenburg to Stockholm, showing on reverse large red "FOREIGN OFFICE 108"; part-paid with "2/2" and charged on arrival with "16" skilling banco; a scarce letter during the continental system and shortly after the French occupation of Hamburg

1830, Quadruple rate lettersheet with unknown origin, sent through the Swedish/Norwegian legation at London to Stockholm, carried by private ship from Dartmouth, showing on front clear "DARTMOUTH SHIPLETTER", charged "6/4", apparently paid by the Swedish legation, acting as a forwarding agent

1831, Entire letter from "SUNDERLAND AP 20 1831" to Carlscrona, endorsed "via Hamburg + Elsinör", finally sent via Hamburg and Greifswald, partly prepaid with "1/3" to Cuxhaven, charged in Hamburg with "6" shilling and finally charged in Carlscrona "1 Rdr 5 sk dco", marked in red crayon

1837, Entire letter from "JERSEY JY 21 1837" to Odenwalla, prepaid to Cuxhaven and sent via Hamburg and Greifswald (clear straight line on reverse), charged on arrival with 44¼ skilling banco; a fine and scarce entire

1849/50, 2 prepaid lettersheets (double resp. single rate) from London to Stockholm resp. Gotenburg with clear boxed "Aus England per Aachen franco" in black resp. red, several taxes

1852, Part-paid entire letter from London to Stockholm, showing on front blue "HULL SHIP-LETTER MY 14 1852" and Gotheborg transit mark, prepaid "6" d. and charged 24 skilling banco on arrival