366. Auktion März 2018

1940, 21.2., cover from Ringe, Denmark, to Vestmanhavn and returned with handstamp "Postudvekselingen indstillet. Retur Afsenderen"

1940, "STATSMINISTERIET 26 FEB. 1940", clear cancel on Caravelle 15 øre on small size official cover (imprint on reverse) to Thorshavn. This postmark was used on official mail sent via special courier service during a six week suspension of normal postal routes. One of the best examples of this mail, only few recorded; certificate Wowern (1982)

1940, 18.3., cover with Caravelle 15 øre, tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 18.3.40" to Odense with British censor label "P.C.66" (Orkney Islands) and German censor label of Berlin; very scarce, only 2 similar items recorded

1940, 26.3., parcel card with 3 copies Christian 1 kr. from "KJØBENHAVN 26.3.40" to Klaksvig, transported with the 'Islands Falk'. The mail was seized by German soldiers in route and returned to Denmark, where a handstamp "Postudvekslingen indstillet. Return Afsenderen" was applied; fine and scarce, only 3 parcel cards recorded, certificate Nielsen (2006) Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995)

1940, 3.4., cover from Copenhagen addressed to Thorshavn, but due to interrupted service returned with purple "Postudvekslingen indstillet retur afsenderen"; due to the lack of a return address opened by the post office and re-sealed and re-sent when a route opened later that summer with German censor mark "Ae" of Frankfurt and English censor label "P.C.90"; a scarce and interesting cover

1940, 27.5., Red Cross message sceme in English/Danish via Genève to Copenhagen, received 6.6.1941

1940, 29.10., Christian 20 øre with manuscript cancellation on OHMS cover addressed to Sandevaag, showing on front war economy handstamp

1941, 15.3., airmail cover from Gotenburg to Thorshavn, franked with 4 copies 50 øre and sent via Moscow, Teheran, Bagdad (transit mark of March 31), Cairo, Niger, Lisbon and London with British censor label (P.C.90); very rare, only one further cover recorded transported via Bagdad

1941, 23.3., "RELEASED BY P.C. / T.C.8.", travelling censorship mark on cover from Leith to Sandevaag, franked with George VI. 3 d. tied by boxed "Paquebot" with adjacent "THORSHAVN 23.3.1941"; very scarce, 3 covers are recorded from the Faroe with travelling censorship marks

1941, 5.7., undercover airmail letter from Ernst Hansen at Trangisvaag, franked with provisional issue 20 on 1 øre in marginal pair, 20 on 15 øre and 2 copies 60 on 6 øre with klipfisk cds. to P.O. Box 164 at Lisbon; some light creasing and vertical folds not affecting the stamps itself; the only recorded undercover mail from the Faroe to Lisbon; certificate Möller BPP (2004)  

1941, 21.7., airmail envelope (undercover usage) with printed return address "Viggo Beckmann.. P.O. Box 164 Lisboa - Portugal" to Trangisvaag with British censor label; usual transportation marks

1941, 6.12., cover with Caravelle 40 øre from a member of the office of the governor at Thorshavn to a military address in England, re-directed to the chief signals office R.A.F. Iceland and returned to sender almost a year later with several transit marks and cachets

1941, 30.12., commercial cover used with Caravelle 20 øre from Haldersvig to Thorshavn and re-used locally with wavy line 10 øre violet on 3.1.1942 closed with red official seals; certificate Wowern (1978)

1942, 9.5., newspaper "ITROTTATIDINDI" franked with wavy lines 5 øre, tied by Thorshavn cds., addressed locally, very scarce

1942, 19.5., cover with Caravelle 20 øre, tied by "SAND" with star removed with adjacent "THORSHAVN 19.5.42" to Thorshavn and re-addressed to Reykjavik, Iceland, censored with brown label with reverse side straight line "Thorshavn" and front side "28 MAJ 1942", Reykjavik arrival mark of 15.6.; a fine and very scarce cover

1942, 22.7., return receipt card for a registered letter from Copenhagen to Thorshavn and returned 28.9. via Madrid (11.11.); a very rare example of WWII mail via Spain, only one further example recorded

1943, 27.1., Danish Red Cross formular with belonging envelope via Genève to Faroe, the envelope cancelled "THORSHAVN 19.3.43"

1943, 16.8., election envelope (prepared for fishermen in Icelandic waters) to Gøtegjov, franked with Christian 20 øre, tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 16.8.43"; on reverse US Army censor label; the stamp with transportation faults, still fine and scarce

1943, 9.10., cover franked with Christian 10 øre (4) tied by "SORVAAG" with star removed with adjacent "THORSHAVN 9.10.43" to England, censored on Vagar Island (brown band and "Opened by Military Censor") and again in England with "P.C.90" label; transportation faults but still attractive and scarce

1944, "POST OFFICE / MARITIME MAIL", red machine cancel on preprinted envelope with original contents from the Faroes to the US and on franked envelope to the Faroes

1944, 30.1., cover franked with 2 copies Christian 20 øre tied "THORSHAVN 30.1.45" to England with white censor label "Form 167", which is only recorded having been used at Bermuda

1944, 11.7., triple censored cover from Randers to Klaksvig, routed via New York, with US, British and German censor labels

1944, 11.11., cover with 40 øre and 5 øre tied "THORSHAVN 11.11.44" with British censor label "P.C.90" to Sweden and here re-directed

1944, cover franked with Denmark 10 øre (4) cancelled "TRANGISVAAG" sent to Viggo Beckmann at Lisbon with British censor label "P.C.90" and return label applied over the address since under cover mail had been prohibited; a fine and scarce letter, certificate Möller BPP (2004) Provenance: Christian Andersen (2004)

1944, Post Giro airmail cover from Copenhagen to Thorshavn with clear arrival mark of 1.7., sent via New York with US, British and German censor labels, very scarce

1945, 1.6., printed matter envelope from Thorshavn with British censor mark on front, to the Consul General at Sinta, Portugal, with transit and arrival marks

1945, 25.9., cover from England to Thorshavn, underpaid, thus franked with vertical pair postage due 6 øre cancelled "THORSHAVN 8.10.45"

1941/45, 9 covers, mostly censored mail incl. several registered items; a very interesting group

"FIELD POST OFFICE 219/SP 19 40" in black, good strike on active service cover to Oxford; very scarce in black

"FIELD POST OFFICE 219/FE 2 42" in violet, clear strike on censored cigarette donation thank-you card to India, very fine Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995)

"FIELD POST OFFICE 611 / A 10 JY 42", clear strike on censored cover to England

"FIELD POST OFFICE 695 8 JY 43" on censored cover to England, light creases

FIELD POST OFFICE: 3 covers with no. 219 in type Ib and IIa and no.611, including one re-used and one Army privilege envelope

BRITISH LABELS: "Thorshavn", violet rubber stamp on register label on cover with Christian 50 øre cancelled "SKAALE" (star removed) to Thorshavn with front side arrival mark of December 24, 1948; back flap missing, otherwise fine and very scarce, only 3 entires recorded, signed Osper BPP

"Thorshavn", printed label on envelope franked with pair Christian 25 øre tied by "VESTMANHAVN" with star removed to Thorshavn with front side arrival mark of 19.12.45, scarce, certificate Dr. Debo BPP (1994)

"Thorshavn 409", parcel label on parcel card with Christian 75 øre cancelled "THORSHAVN 3.9.45" to Copenhagen, fine and scarce, only 6 recorded