366. Auktion März 2018

4 sk. red/grey, tied by clear numeral "238" to lettersheet with adjacent clear "THORSHAVN 9/5" to Copenhagen; the stamp with rounded corner at lower right, otherwise fine; a very scarce cover, only five 4 sk. covers are recorded with "238" postmark, certificate Wowern (1986)

4 sk. red/grey as additional franking on postcard 2 sk. blue, tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 3/6" (1871,date inverted), addressed to Thorshavn; the text on reverse (partly faint) shows the card was written on a ship from Denmark; it is overfranked by 2 sk., a very rare item of postal stationery to the Faroe Islands, the earliest recorded date of the Lapidar cancel with inverted date and the earliest recorded incoming shipmail with Faroe cancel. Card little unfresh with tiny tear at top fixed; certificate Wowern (1992)

Coat of Arms 8 sk. bistre-brown with numeral "1" sent March 8 either 1870 or 1871 and tied by cds. "KJØBENHAVN 9 3" to lettersheet to Tveraa with Thorshavn arrival mark on reverse; the cover with small tear at top fixed, the stamp with minor bends, still a very fine and rare entire, one of 3 recorded 8 skilling covers to the Faroes

8 sk. yellow/brown and 1870/71 3 sk. lilac/grey in horizontal pair, tied by numeral "1", from "KJØBENHAVN 24 3" (1871) to cover with forwarding address M. Taysen & Co. at Leith and then privately forwarded to the Faroes (to the well-known address J. Mortensen); Edinburgh transit mark on reverse; some minor imperfections, but a fine and scarce cover, five recorded at this rate; certificate Kaiser (1982) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

Coat of Arms 16 sk. olive with numeral "1" of Copenhagen on double rate cover with adjacent cds. of 10.7.1870 to Suderø with Thorshavn arrival mark of 17.7., the envelope with neglectable tiny tear at lower right; a very fine and rare cover. This is the only recorded 16 sk. cover to the Faroes and the 2nd earliest cover recorded with a Faroe postmark, certificates Kaiser (1982) and C.A. Möller (2003) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

4 sk. red/grey, cancelled on arrival with numeral "238" to lettersheet (either 1873 or 1874) to Thorshavn, showing on reverse clear "THORSHAVN 15/3" (date inverted). A fine and rare cover, only one similar is recorded, certificate Wowern (1981) and C.A. Möller (1992)

FROM ENGLAND: 1870, envelope from Liverpool to Trangisvaag, franked with GB 1867, 6 d. violet, plate 8, tied by Liverpool duplex, showing on front handstamp "3 d" and "PD"; on reverse transit marks of London, Copenhagen and Thorshavn

Norway 1872/75, 4 sk. violet, tied by clear cds. "KRAGERO 5/3 1874" to lettersheet to Tveraa with Copenhagen transit mark on reverse; an extremely fine and very rare letter. Only four 19th century covers from Norway to Faroe are recorded; certificate Moldenhauer (1992)

1875/1903, 3 øre grey/blue (lower left corner missing), tied by clear single circle "THORSHAVN 2/8" (1897) to postal stationery card 5 c. green, addressed to Reykjavik, Iceland, with full text on reverse; very scarce foreign mail and the only 19th century example of 3 recorded cards with 3 øre rate

4 øre greenish/blue/grey, tied by manuscript number "238" and signature "HCM" (signature of post inspector H.C. Müller(1870-97)) to local cover. This is the only recorded example of a Faroe manuscript numeral cancellation and a great rarity of Faroe postal history, certificates JKE (1992), Nielsen (1992) and C.A. Möller (1992) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

4 øre blue/grey tied by cds. "KJØBENHAVN 4.4.98" to 'Adressebrev' with Thorshavn return address to a brewery at Copenhagen with manuscript "betalt 50 øre"; interesting item

4 øre greenish/blue/grey in horizontal pair, tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 29-10-1900" to envelope from Midvaag (manuscript sender's note on reverse) to Copenhagen with arrival mark

4 øre blue/grey and 8 øre red/grey in horizontal pair, tied by ship cancel "SMIRIL" with star in center to envelope with adjacent "PAQUEBOT" and transit mark "LEITH DE 5 99" to Copenhagen. A fine and rare ship mail letter, certificates Vagn Jensen (1995) and C.A. Möller (1995)

4 øre blue/grey and 16 øre brown/grey, tied by numeral "238" to postal money order for 25 kr. from "THORSHAVN 15/11" addressed to Reykjavik; a horizontal fold in the top of the form not affecting the stamps. A very fine, rare and most attractive item; just 4 entires are recorded with the numeral cancellation, this being the only money order; certificate C.A. Möller (1996) Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995), Per Erik Knudsen (2003)  

8 øre red/grey with central clear star cancel "TRANGISVAAG"; stamp with surface rubs and vertical crease. The best impression of this cancellation on single stamp, only 7 recorded. Certificate C.A. Möller (2012)

8 øre red/grey with central and superb strike of numeral "284" TRANGISVAAG; the stamp is backed at lower left and upper right to 'reconstruct' 3 perfs, to improve the otherwise perfect image. This is the only recorded strike of this numeral cancellation in private hands; no cover has been recorded to date. One of the most important pieces of Faroes philately, Certificate Nielsen (2004) and C.A. Möller (2004) Provenance: Christian Andersen (2004)

8 øre red/grey tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 8/12" to large piece with adjacent clear framed Edinburgh "SHIP LETTER", fine, only three recorded (all on piece) certificate Nielsen (2004)

8 øre red/grey, tied by star cancel of mail boat "SMIRIL" to large-size cover with sender's mark "J. Mortensens Eftf. / Trangisvaag." to Kvivig; at left two cover folds far away from the adhesive; a fine and rare shipmail cover, certificates Wowern (1994) and C.A. Möller (2004)

8 øre red/grey tied by clear cds. "TRANGISVAAG 27 8 1890" to envelope, with additional strike alongside, to Skjelskør, Denmark with transit and arrival marks; the stamp with small marginal tear, still fine and attractive, earliest use of Trangisvaag lapidar cancel on cover, certificate JKE (1988) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

8 øre red/grey, tied by single circle "KLAKSVIG 25/5 1899" to envelope to Copenhagen; the envelope by opening slightly reduced at right, otherwise very fine

8 øre red/grey, tied by cds. "KLAKSVIG 28-3-1901" to envelope to Denmark; the envelope reduced in size at left by approx. 45 mm, otherwise fine and attractive Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

8 øre red/grey, 3 copies, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 21/10" to insured lettersheet with 60 kr., sent locally within Thorshavn. Some water staining but overall a fine and extremely rare letter; only 2 insured letters of this period are recorded. Opinion C.A. Möller (2003) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

16 øre brown/grey, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 20/6" to parcel accompanying letter for a parcel of 40 qvint weight to Copenhagen and here re-addressed; the envelope with ironed crease due to which the stamp is defective, still an attractive and rare letter. This is the earliest recorded parcel letter from Faroe. Certificates Wowern (1989) and C.A. Möller (2003) Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995), Christian Andersen (2004)

25 øre green/grey and 1884 type 5 øre green, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 21/11" (1894) to large-size double rate envelope to Reykjavik, Iceland, with arrival mark of November 27; the 25 øre with few shortish perfs, otherwise very fine (a vertical fold in the cover not affecting the stamps). This is the only recorded double rate letter from Faroe to Iceland before 1900

1884/1902, Coat of Arms 20 øre blue, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 12/2" (1891) to preprinted pharmacist's envelope with adjacent boxed  "SHIP LETTER" to Rudolstadt in Germany, showing on reverse transit mark of Edinburgh and arrival mark; a little toned and envelope slightly damaged at upper right; still very attractive and one of only two 19th century covers to Germany recorded. Certificate Wowern (1989) Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995), Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

1901/02, 24 øre brown tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 24.5.1901" to picture postcard 3 øre grey, as registered postcard via London to Germany (overfranked by 1 øre). A very fine and rare use of the 24 øre brown on Faroes mail, certificate C.A. Möller (2001)

OFFICIAL STAMPS: 1875, 8 øre rose, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 13/9" to dated entire letter to Copenhagen. A very fine and attractive letter of great rarity

POSTAL STATIONERY: 1887/90, postcard 10 øre red with clear single circle "THORSHAVN 1/11" (1896), with long text to the Netherlands with arrival mark of Zeist on front; light corner crease, otherwise fine; very scarce destination

Postcard 10 øre red with single circle "THORSHAVN 14/7", send to Northampton, England with boxed "SHIP LETTER" on front; light vertical fold, otherwise fine

Postcard 1887/90, 10 øre with long text with clear cds. "THORSHAVN 15 5" to Ansbach in Bavaria and re-addressed to Munich with manuscript "Aus dem Briefkasten" and taxed with "20" pf.; a fine and rare early card with unusual destination

DENMARK: 1885, Royal letter, signed by Christian IX concerning Christian Evensen from Østerø, Faroe, dated Amalienborg 9 January 1885

1896, postcard 10 øre rose with cds. "KJØBENHAVN 28.7.96" sent vial Leith, endorsed "c. of Captain Hohn S.S. Botnia" to Trangisvaag with arrival mark of August 5 on reverse; small corner crease and vertical fold

1900, Royal letter signed by Christian X concerning Jens Christian Evensen of Østerø, dated Amalienborg 28.3.1900. The only recorded royal letter from Christian X to Faroes

ICELAND: Postcard 10 a. red used with long text from "REYKJAVIK 4.12.98" to Thorshavn with single circle arrival mark on front. A most attractive and very rare incoming mail; only 3 items are recorded from Iceland to Faroes in the 19th century

GREAT BRITAIN: Victoria 2½ d. lilac-rose, plate 11, used on small envelope ca. 1880 to Tveraae, cancelled on arrival with single circle "THORSHAVN 3/6" with additional strike on reverse of the cover; a very fine and rare entire, only few similar items recorded, certificate Nielsen (2009)

UNITED STATES: 1878, Cover franked with Taylor 5 c. blue, with cork cancel and adjacent "BROOKLYN MAR 19" via Copenhagen, Christiania and Thorshavn (all transit marks on reverse) to Tveraa. The stamp affixed at the edge of the cover, but still fine. This is the earliest recorded cover to the Faroes from outside Scandinavia and the only 19th century cover recorded sent from the US toe the Faroes; certificate Wowern (1995) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)