365 / September 2017

20 Skilling Banco (2x 8 + 4) lettersheet, postmarked Stockholm April 29th 1856 and sent to Helsingfors, Finland. Manuscript notation "Via Grislehamn".  Attractive letter with variety "Double 8" on the left 8 Skilling stamp. Certificate HOW (1989)

2x 30 öre Coat of Arms vertical strip of three on letter postmarked Stockholm November 12th 1858 and sent to Helsingfors, Finland.

38 öre Circle type (3 öre + 3x 5 öre + 20 öre) on Letter postmarked PKXP nr 1. NED, March 1st 1874 to Ekenäs, Finland. The letter is endorsed "Via Tyskland & St. Petersburg" and was thus sent via Prussia. Most unusual route and a franking combination only known on two letters. Certificate HOW (2004).

Unpaid printed matter from Holland dated Amsterdam in January 1860 sent to Drammen, Norway. With straight line cancel "FRANCO" and K.S.P.A.D 20.1.1860 with Hamburg, this cancel was in use only during January 1860. Also transitcancel "SVINESUND 25.1.1860. Very few letters known with this cancel to Norway.

Unpaid letter postmarked Helsingborg December 30th 1874 and sent to Christiania, Norway. Unpaid postage 8 skilling, marked with blue "8" on front as well as handstamp "PORTO.", this handstamp was introduced in 1874 to be used for marking unpaid letters to foreign countries.

Entire letter 1827 from "LINKÖPING" to Bordeaux, marked "frco. Stralsund" with cds. transit mark of Greifswald on front

1843, Entire letter from "Strömstad 30/9 1843" to Bordeaux, showing on front clear straight line "Franco Hamburg"

24 Skilling Banco single on entire letter, postmarked Stockholm March 18th 1858 to Marseille. The letter was marked "Franco" and was sent in closed mail to France according to the convention of 1854. When the letter arrived in Marseille the addressee had moved to Nice (Then in the Kingdom of Sardinia). In France the "PD" mark was crossed and the letter was forwarded. France debited 5 centimes for this service. Certificate HOW (2004).

50 öre Coat of Arms single on letter postmarked Götheborg December 14th 1870 and sent to Cognac, France. The French-Prussian war in 1870 opened up a letter route to France via Gothenburg and England. Letters sent via this route are very uncommon. Certificate HOW (1998) and Sjöman (1973).

Courier letter dated Gefle July 15th 1630 and sent to Lübeck.

1761, Letter from King Adolpf Frederick from Stockholm to the Archbishop and Prince Elector of Cologne to Augustusburg, endorsed "fr. Cologne" with the king's own signature, paper covered seal separated; a fine and rare letter

Letter postmarked Stockholm October 1st 1841 and sent to Berlin. Manuscript marks "Via Ystad" and "Fr. Stralsund". The Prussian terminal had from this year been moved back to Stralsund. There the Swedish Post Commissioner stamped the letter with the old handstamp "Frco. Stralsund".

27 öre combination letter (2x 5 öre Coat of Arms vertical pair and 17 öre Lying Lion GREY) postmarked Stockholm June 30th 1869 and sent to Rostock, Germany. Handstamped "FRANCO.". Certificate HOW (1989). Attractive and Most unusual item with 17 öre in GREY shade, in this franking combination the only one known.

2x 20 öre vertical pair Lying lion on letter postmarked Sundsvall March 4th 1869 and sent to Stettin, Germany. Manuscript "Franco" and sent via Denmark. Certificate Franz Obermüller (1984).

1851, Entire letter from "CHRISTIANSTAD 4 7 1851", prepaid with 36 skilling to Hull in England, showing black boxed "Aus Schweden" and "P." of Aachen; for some reasons letter returned to Sweden, multiple transit marks on reverse

1871, sealed envelope with part of contents from the French ambassador at Stockholm to a French prisoner of war to Torgau in Prussia, originally containing 6 thaler; carried (in diplomatic bag ?) to Berlin and postmarked "BERLIN POST-EXP.5./ HAMBURGER BAHNH. 28.2.71"; undeliverable at Torgau and returned to Berlin, here officially opened and re-sealed "AMTLICH ERÖFFNET DURCH DIE OBERPOSTDIRECTION BERLIN" and returned to Stockholm.

Partly prepaid letter postmarked London October 18th 1822 and sent via Gothenburg and Grislehamn to Borgå, Finland. Letters from the UK via Sweden to Finland are very rare.

108 öre letter franked with 2x 24 öre + 2x 30 öre Coat of Arms postmarked Uddevalla March 28th 1862 to Bolton, England via Ostende, marked with two different "FRANCO" handstamps. Certificate HOW (1991) One 24 öre stamp with a small tear at top.

Unpaid letter postmarked Stockholm December 9th 1851 sent to Athens, Greece via Helsingör, Denmark, Germany, Austria with notation "Via Trieste" arriving Athens December 18th. Several postage and due notations on front. The edges of the message are trimmed. Unusual destination.

Unpaid letter postmarked Sköfde June 4th 1857 and sent to Athens, Greece and then forwarded to Rome, Italy. Transit Hamburg 8/6 with framed "Aus Schweden", Triest 11/6 red "Via DiMare", arriving in Athens 2/7, later forwarded to Rome arriving 23/7. Attractive letter with a multitude of postage and postage due notations. Unusual destination. 

Unpaid letter postmarked Stockholm March 24th 1857 sent to Malta with boxed "Aus Schweden" via Hamburg, Marseille and arriving in Malta April 5th 1857. Backflap damaged on reverse. Unusual destination.

Entire letter from Stockholm 1699 to Rotterdam with "3 S" marking on front

Entire letter 1830 from Stockholm to Lisbonne, endorsed "öfver Ystad" via "GREIFSWALD 11. MAI" and France, charged on arrival "840" reis

Entire letter from Stockholm 1866 via France to Lissabon, showing on front "SUEDE PAR ERQUELINES E" and scarce "F. 45"

Entire unpaid letter from Stockholm 1866 to Lissabon, showing on reverse accountancy mark "3½ a.p.", on front "6½" (cancelled), charged on arrival "360" reis

20 Skilling banco (2x 6 + 8) on letter postmarked Stockholm March 27th 1857 sent to Russia. Manuscript notation "Franco" and "Via Grislehamn". A rare letter with a most unusual grey-brown shade of the 6 Skilling stamps. Certificate Nils Svensson (1984) and Sjöman (1972) One of the 6 Skilling stamps with an archival fold.

10 Skilling banco ( 6 + 4) on letter postmarked Upsala Februrary 12th 1858 sent to Karis, Finnland, Russia. Manuscript notation "Franco Gränsen" and "Via Grislehamn" and boxed marking "FRANCO GRÄNSEN"; cover slightly cleaned, otherwise very fine. Certificate Witschi (1990) 

Partly prepaid letter postmarked (rectangular) Gefle July 13th 1854 to Spain with fine handstruck framed "Aus Schweden" in black, red framed "Prusse" on front with framed "FRANCO" in black. On reverse Ystad and Stralsund transit and red Cadiz arrival at July 29th were charged "4R" due in blue. Unusual destination.

36 öre (vertical strip of three) Circle type perf. 14 on letter postmarked Stockholm Norr January 22nd 1874 via Denmark, Germany and New York to Montreal. With scarce routing marking "Via D & T" and boxed "FRANCO.". Arriving Montreal February 12th 1874. Letters sent in 1870's to Canada are very rare.

Double rate letter dated Stockholm February 10th 1852 and sent privately to a forwarding agent in London who sent it via Liverpool, New York, Havana, Panama to San Francisco arriving April 15th 1852. This is the earliest known letter from Sweden to San Fransisco.

Letter postmarked Stockholm October 4th 1853, sent via Prussia to the east coast of USA and then to San Francisco. The Prussian Closed Mail (PCM) Convention of 1852 made it possible to send closed mail between Prussia and USA. A circular ofFfebruary 14th 1853 opened up the possibility for a letter exchange between Sweden and USA. From Sweden the postage was 54 Skilling Banco. This letter is the earliest recorded PCM letter sent from Sweden to San Fransisco.

54 öre letter postmarked Ystad November 27th 1872 and sent to Hartford, USA. The letter was endorsed for conveyance via Denmark and England. Not only was that a very unusual route in 1872 but also expensive, as the cost was 54 öre compared to sending a letter in closed mail via the North German Union with a postage of 45 öre. Certificate HOW (2001) Damaged corner on one 5 öre Coat of Arms. Letters sent in the 1870's to USA via England are very rare.

Lot with two Unpaid letters from the same correspondens to New York, both sent from Cimbritshamn 1874 with "PORTO:" and due notations.

1836, Registered letter sheet with front side clear "Triest RECOMANDIRT" endorsed "per Hamburg" with transit marks of Berlin and Greifswald to Stockholm, part paid with "28" kreuzer; since the recipient was a governmental body, postage due in Sweden was included in quarterly statement to the G.P.O.

1856, Official cover (Ex offo) from Auscha via Theresienstadt, Stralsund and Ystad to Stockholm, showing on front boxed "Franco Stralsund", vertical filing fold

1844, Part paid lettersheet from Ronne to Stockholm, endorsed "franco Helsingborg", showing on front superb strike "OBETALT FR. DANNEMARK H:BORG 21 JULI 44", since the recipient was a governmental body, the postage due was included in the quarterly statement to the G.P.O.