375th Auction

1870, Queen Victoria 3 c. deep rose-red tied by cork mark to small envelope with adjacent postmark „FORT GARRY MANITOBA FE 12.72“ to Ontaria with arrival mark, transported in parts by dog sled mail tiny spots, otherwise fine  

YUKON AIRWAYS & EXPLORATION FLIGHT: 1927, 24.11., four airmail covers each with airmail vignette 25 c. blue, carried to Dawson, Keno Hill, Mayo and Wernecke with arrival marks, after emergency landing all covers further transported with dog sled mail, one cover with tiny spots, otherwise fine  

1870, 6d dark brown on French packet cover to Calcutta at the 6d rate, lightly cancelled with DELTOTA PAID in red at left. Reverse with three marks in red: COLOMBO, GALLE, STEAMER LETTER CALCUTTA.

OFFICIAL: 1869, 2d to 1s SERVICE set of 5 (SG 01-05) mint group with fine appearance but backs with and without gum

1933, Centenary 5 s. black and yellow-orange, unused o.g. and small hinge remainder, very slightly irregular perforation, otherwise very fine and fresh, certificate BPA (1970)

1848 First British datestamp struck on fine letter sheet, quadruple rate, to England with CHUDLEIGH receiver on front. Ex Professor Stirrups 

1854 Entire letter carried from Gibraltar to Cadiz by the illegal mail carrier Pedro Sanchez, marked “Pro Propio”. Ex Professor Stirrups with his exhibition write-up describing it as “may be the only surviving letter” from this illegal service.

1904, £ 1 deep purple and black on red, unused, fine (SG £ 650,-)

1795, entire letter dated "St Georges Grenada Avril 25 1795" to Lancaster struck on reverse flap with „GRENADA/Crown“ handstamp in black, London arrival (June 26) and charged "1/6" in manuscript. The letter contains the eye-witness report of a British Ship's captain writing to his wife in England and mentioning an ,,Insurrection of the Mulatois & Blacks" which took place in March 1795 when about ten thousand people revolted against the upper class members of the Island of Grenada. Driven by ideas of the French Revolution which had previously inspired developments in e.g. Haiti this rebellion failed due to the vigorous intervention of the British troops and admiralty. A full transcription and more information is included

1862, 2c. to 96c. Victoria first issue without watermark, the set of 7 all with B62 cancels, quality well above average (SG 1 - 7 total CV £1240) 

1946, 30c and 1 $ Victory issue typed FDC, the $1 showing the extra stroke variety (SG 170a), scarce on cover 

POSTAL FISCALS: 1874/1902, 10 $ rose-carmine, nice fresh colour and quite good perforation, slightly decentered to the bottom, unused with large part original gum and tiny offset of album page, very fine and fresh, a rare stamp in this condition, certificate BPA (2020)

1917/21, George V 3 $-10 $, unused o.g., very fine and fresh

1855, 8a. carmine tied by octogonal cancel and blue circular forwarder cachet to folded lettersheet with adjacent boxed "INDIA PAID" and red "D.A.a.L" alongside, charged upon arrival with 10 (decimes), in addition a similar cover franked with later issue, the latter cover some imperfections, otherwise fine

1856, 1 a. brown and strip of three 2 a. orange tied by barred "A" as additional franking to reverse of registered postal stationery ½ a. blue with cds. "MAU FEB 8" alongside, with transit r-label "Vom Auslande über Bahnhof Kufstein-München" to Hamburg, fine

1866, 4 annas McCorquodale “West India Four Annas” essay in top left corner block of six in brick red, the ink tested on one stamp for cancellation removal. Ungummed,  light hinge, some creasing

1941/44, Coat of Arms 6 p., 1 a. and 2 a. on reverse of cover

1 a., tied by cds. to cover, fine and scarce

1868/72, Watercolours ½ a. red, tied by iron mine seal to reverse of British India envelope ½ a. blue with Sialkot duplex to Amretzsar with arrival mark, fine and scarce

1887/94. ½ a. orange-red, 3 copies, each on British India postal stationery envelope

1689, folded letter from Corfu to Venice, with long text in Greek, scarce earlier cover, fine

1827, Entire letter from Sante to Venice, showing on reverse red "ISOLA DI SANTE" and adjacent fancy "CORFU 6 MAGGIO 1827" and Venice desinfection seal with circle of dots, on front boxed "V stato pontifisicio", desinfection slits, a fine letter to abroad

"CORFU 23 APRILE 1843" on entire letter endorsed "Via Malta" to England, here re-directed with 1841, 1 d. red-brown applied, cancelled by black MC; transit and arrival marks on reverse, and unusual combination letter

1849, Cover with clear cds. "CORFU 10 APR." via "TRIEST 12/4", "WIEN 16. APR." and "AACHEN BAHNHOF 20/4" to England, prepaid with "9" kr. CM to Triest and charged "2/10" for the remaining route incl. 3 d. Austrian, 4 d. Prussian and 2 d. Belgian transit as well as 6 d. sea rate; desinfection slits; a fine and scarce entire, certificate Wijnants (2018)

1859,  Queen Victoria ½d. orange, two singles with good margins all around tied by blue cds. "CORFU 1 OTT" to small folded letter to St. Maura with crayon "1d paid" and italian cancel "POSTA PAGATA" alongside, address partly erased, stamps slightly oxydized and barely perceptible
 faint crease, a wonderful and rare cover, signed Pröschold and certificate Sismondo (2019)

1862, Small envelope endorsed "from John Stevens HM ship Trident, Corfu", franked with 1855/62, 1 d. red, tied by "A86" of mediterranean packet, signed by commanding officer and sent to Bristol with arrival mark of 18.9.1862; small hint arrow, otherwise fine; scarce cover

1862,  Entire folded letter with blue "CORFU 8.SET." and "POSTA PAGATA", paid 1d. (black crayon) to Athens 10.9.62 (old style calendar), sent via Constantinopel 17.9 (Austrian Levant cds. in blue) handed to the Greek Post Office, which marked it with the old pre-stamp period "KONSTANTINOUPOLIS TOURKIA 5.9.1862" to be directed to Athens via Piraeus 10.9.62 ! Manuscript "50" lepta in red crayon, paid with Athens fine provisionals 10 l. (three margins) and 40 l.. A fine entire with scarce stamps and exceptional route

1862/64, three items from the Ionian islands to Greece:  entire letter, prepaid with "1" d. from Zante 11.8.62 (blue cds) to Athens, entire letter prepaid with "1" d. from Cefallonia May 1864 with boxed "Franca" and oval DP, all in blue, to Patras and letter sheet from Lefkas 9.4.64 (blue cds), prepaid with "1" d., to Athens, all three franked with 20 l. Large Hermes upon arrival, to pay the local postage, interesting and good to very fine

1868, Entire folded letter dated inside "Corfu 11/23.9.1868" and adressed to Janina, carried by private means to the coast of Epirus and here taxed and franked with 2 pia. and 5 pia. Duloz postage due, tied by Janina all arabic circular; 5 pia. damaged by filing crease, very interesting

INCOMING MAIL: AUSTRIA: 1850/54, 2 copies 9 kr. blue and single copy 6 kr. brown, all with clear to mostly large margins, tied by cds. "TRIESTE Reccomandata 16/5" to front and reverse of registered lettersheet to Corfu with clear arrival mark on front; one 9 kr. slight marginal creasing and slight ink erosion in the lower part of address, still a fine and very scarce first issue entire

AUSTRIA: 1861, 3 kr. green, 15 kr. blue and 10 kr. brown (on reverse), tied by double line "Cattaro 23 SET." (1862) on front and reverse of entire registered letter to Corfu with transit mark on front; some minor toning, otherwise very fine; a scarce letter

CANADA: 1860, Envelope franked with 1859, 12½ c. blue-green, cancelled by unclear target with adjacent "KINGSTON U.C. AP 25 1860" to England, re-directed to Corfu (reverse transit mark "MALTA JY 20 1860") and again re-directed to England with several transit and arrival marks. The stamp small marginal tears and backflap with some faults, still fine; certificate Vincent Graves Greene (2008)

ECUADOR: 1881, 20 c. grey-violet, diagonally bisected, tied by cds. "GUAYAQUIL FRANCA" to mourning cover to Corfu with arrival mark

GIBRALTAR: 1863, Small envelope franked with GB 1864/79, 1 d. lake-red and 1855/57, 3 d. carmine, tied by "A26" with adjacent "GIBRALTAR JU 17 63" to Corfu with red arrival mark on reverse; the 3 d. some flat perfs, where applied at the edge of the envelope, still fine and scarce

GREAT BRITAIN: 1858, Small envelope franked with pair 1856, 6 d. purple from "STAPLEHURST SP 13 1858" via Belgium and Prussia to a military at Cepalonia with Corfu transit mark on front, stamps with few flat perfs, otherwise very fine

GB: 1862, Cover addressed "Poste restante" to Ancona, Italy and re-directed to Corfu with transit and arrival marks on reverse