371st Auction

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-FRANCE: 1874, Envelope with sender's cachet from Santo Domingo with adjacent forwarding agent mark "... HERMANOS Y Co. ST. THOMAS", sent via London with frontside "GB 1F60C", taxed on arrival with "12" decimes; vertical crease, otherwise fine

GREAT BRITAIN-PUERTO RICO: 1874, Cover front with 1 back flap, franked with 1 shilling green, plate 8, tied by barred oval "498" with adjacent red "MANCHESTER 31 JA 74", transported with the "Elbe" via St. Thomas to Puerto Rico with arrival mark of 17.2.74 on reverse, marked on front "2" (reales old currency) and franked with 1873, 50 cents brown, cancelled by parilla. A fine and scarce combination franking

GREAT BRITAIN-SALVADOR: 1870, Lettersheet with London return address on front, franked with 1867/80, 6 d. violet (without hyphen) and 1 shilling green, plate 4, cancelled in transit with vertical "C51"; in Salvador charged with "4 rs" inland postage; fine and unusual

GUADELOUPE-FRANCE: 1866 (?), Printed Matter (not quite complete inside) franked with French Colonies Eagle issue 1 centime olive in horitzontal pair with good to large margins together with 20 centimes brown, somewhat cut into at left, tied by Pointe à Pitre cds. with adjacent boxed "PD", sent by closed mail via St. Thomas and Southampton; a fine and very scarce franking

GUADELOUPE-FRANCE: 1873, Entire letter from Basse Terre, franked with colonial issue Napoléon 30 centimes and Ceres 40 centimes, the later one tiny touched at bottom, otherwise good to large margins and fresh colour, cancelled by central rhomboid of dots with adjacent "PAQ. ANG. BASSE TERRE GUADEL. / 12 MAI 73", sent in closed mail via St. Thomas to France. A very fine 60 centimes rate letter

GUADELOUPE-UNITED STATES: 1874, Entire letter from Pointe à Pitre, franked with Ceres 30 centimes in vertical pair, the lower stamp just touched in the lower right corner and tiny marginal tear at right, tied by rhomboid of dots with adjacent "POINTE-A-PITRE 11 JUIL 1874", handed to the British PO, clear "GUADELOUPE PAID JY 12 74" and sent by closed mail via St. Thomas to New York with frontside "NEW YORK U.S. CURRENCY DUE 10/ JUL 20" for inland postage. A scarce letter

GUATEMALA-FRANCE: 1863, 2 envelopes (single and double French rate) from Guatemala to France, sent via Panama and per closed mail via Colon and St. Thomas to England and further to France, both showing on front boxed "GB/2F87 5/10C", charged upon arrival with "12" resp. "24" decimes

HAITI-FRANCE: 1866, Entire letter with frontside blue "FORWARDED BY WILSON, LAROCHE & Co. CAPE HAYTIEN" with adjacent octagonal "HAITI PAQ. FR. D. No. 1 / 19 MAI 66", transported via "ST. THOMAS PAQ. FR. B No. 1 / 23 MAI 66" (on reverse) French transit and arrival marks and taxed "10" decimes on arrival; slight age marks, still fine

PUERTO RICO - FRANCE: 1857, Entire letter from San Juan to Toulouse, privately carried to St. Thomas and here handed over to the steamer "Urinoco" (RMSPC), arriving at Southampton on May 17, showing on front clear blue "PACKET LETTER SOUTHAMPTON" and accountancy mark "GB 1F60C", in France taxed with "8" decimes; the entire with light paper breaks in folds on reverse and inside. Still fine

PUERTO RICO-MARTINIQUE: 1867, Entire letter franked with strip of 3 France Napoléon perforated 20 centimes blue, tied by anchor mark with adjacent octagonal "ST. JEAN. DE. PORTO-RICO 21 MAI 67" to Martinique, sent via "ST. THOMAS PAQ. FR. E No.1 / 30 MAI 67". The franking applied with horizontal crease and some short perfs; a very scarce inter-Antilles letter

PUERTO RICO-UNITED STATES: 1859, Entire letter franked with Spanish West Indies ½ r. blue, tied by parilla with adjacent blue "GUAYAMA PUERTO RICO 2 FEB. 59" to New York, mailed via St. Thomas and showing on reverse black oval "FOREIGN LETTER OFFICE ST. THOMAS". Charged on arrival with "6" cents shipletter fee

PUERTO RICO-UNITED STATES: 1871, dated lettersheet, privately carried to St. Thomas and posted at the British PO, franked with horizontal pair 2 d. blue, plate 13, tied by duplex "C51/St. THOMAS PAID A SP 13 72" and sent to Philadelphia with frontside "MY steamship 10"; very fine (SG Z5)

TRINIDAD-UNITED STATES: 1851, Almost complete doube rate entire letter, forwarded by "VINCENT PICCIONI À ST. THOMAS", transfered to the British PO with clear "PAID AT ST. THOMAS" (CC1) on front and mailed on April 2nd 1851 to New York, here charged "10" cents inland postage; 2 file folds, otherwise fine

VENEZUELA-MEXICO: 1873, Lettersheet from Maracaibo to Vera Cruz, privately carried to Curacao, showing on reverse forwarding agent mark "J. GAERSTE & Co. CURACAO / 21 MAI 73", forwarded to St. Thomas with frontside seal (CONSULAAT DER NEDERLANDEN TE ST. THOMAS" (acting as forwarding agent). Here the letter was delivered to the Danish post office with frontside "ST. THOMAS 6/6 1873" and sent on, franked with France Ceres 5 centimes green and 25 centimes blue, each in horizontal pair, tied by anchor handstamp with adjacent "ST. THOMAS PAQ. FR. B No.4". One 5 centimes affected by vertical crease and the lettersheet with some separation in the folds (fixed). A fascinating and most likely unique cover via the Dutch Consulate

VENEZUELA-PUERTO RICO: 1863, Lettersheet from "LA GUAIRA CORREOS NOV 8" to San Juan, Puerto Rico, via "ST. THOMAS EXPRESS OFFICE" (clear oval in red on reverse), showing on front blue octagonal "S. TOMAS" and tax stamp "1½". Some age stains, still attractive and very scarce

VENEZUELA-UNITED STATES: 1871, Lettersheet from La Guaira with frontside merchant handstamp, via forwarding agent "NUNES FILS & Co. ST. THOMAS 13 DEC. 71" (on reverse), franked with Danish West Indies 1866, 3 cents carmine-rose (partly touched/cut into), sheet margin at bottom, cancelled by ring cancel, and also US 1870, 10 cents brown, tied by "N. YORK STEAM SHIP DEC 19", adjacent dispatch mark "ST. THOMAS 13/12 1871". A fine and scarce cover, certificate APS (2002)

1918, 7 Press photos from the time of the presence of German troops in Georgia from June to October 1918

SHIPMAIL: "Corcovado Marineabtlg. KONSTANZA" violet two-line handstamp with adjacent cds. "Kais. Deutsche Feldpost 12.5.8" on picture postcard with handwritten "Feldpost 757" to Germany, fine In the spring of 1918, the ship was taken over by the German Navy as an auxiliary warship and operated as a transporter for the Caucasus company on behalf of the "Mediterranean Division" under its old name "Corcovado". The ports of departure were Constantinople, Odessa and Sevastopol.

SHIPMAIL: "R.P.D. General" violet straight-line with adjacent cds. "K.D. Feldpost -4.7.18" in cover endorsed "Schiffsarzt S.M. Hilfsbeischiff 'General'" to Berlin, fine, a very scarce cover with only two known copies, this cover being described in Crüsemann "Deutsche Marine-Schiffspost" Volume II, 4th edition, page 406 and depicted on page 411 At the beginning of May 1918, the steamer "General" was put back into service when the Caucasus delegation had to be transported across the Black Sea. Therefore the equipment of the navy ship mail was returned to the station yacht "Loreley".

SHIPMAIL: "Corcovado Nateko SEWASTOPOL" violet two-line handstamp with adjacent cds. "Kais. Deutsche Feldpost 15.10.18" on cover endorsed on reverse "...Mil. Mission Constantinopel" to Berlin, some minor ageing spots, otherwise a fine and very rare entire In the spring of 1918, the ship was taken over by the German Navy as an auxiliary warship and operated as a transporter for the Caucasus company on behalf of the "Mediterranean Division" under its old name "Corcovado". The ports of departure were Constantinople, Odessa and Sevastopol.

SHIPMAIL: "DEUTSCHE SEEPOST OST-AFRIKANISCHE HAUPTLINIE n" violet strike, used as field post cancellation, on picture postcard endorsed "Bayer. Res. Jägerbatl. 1., 3. Komp.....Durch Feldpost 555" with adjacent cds. "Kais. Deutsche Feldpost 17.6.18" addressed to Bavaria, with some interesting text "..was again 40 hours on the sea and now soon in Little Asia..", light corner creases otherwise a fine and rare entire showing the only alien official postmark used during the war on a warship

1918, cover sent from "Ltn. Sevecke, Bergw. Abtlg. des Kgl. Preuß. K.M. Konstantinopel z.Zt. Tiflis" with adjacent cds. "Deutsche Feldpost 18.6.18" of the fieldpost office 555, to Dortmund, a fine and scarce cover from the German Fieldpost in Georgia

1918, "BEVOLLM. d. LGL. PREUSS KRIEGSMINST. Bergwerksabteilung Konstantinopel" blue offical senders cachet as three-line and circular on picture postcard, showing the mines Dsansuli, written in Batum on the 12th of June 1918 and sent via the Military Mission in Constantinopel with adjacent cds. "FELDPOST MIL.-MISS KONSTANTINOPEL 20 6 18" and blue straight line "Durch Berlin C.2." to Germany, attractive and rare depicted in "BATUM UNDER OCCUPATION the years 1917 – 1921", page 27 (by Hans G. Grigoleit & Edward Klempka)

1918, fieldpost cover written in "Poti 26 Juni 18" from a member of the Bayer. Reserve Jäger Btl. 1 Feldpost 555 sent to Trogen with adjacent fieldpost cds. "K.D. Feldpost 6.7.18" applied upon arrival in Braila, fine, scarce, detailed certificate Haspel BPP (2011) Part of the field mail from the Caucasus was delivered untreated to the mail steamers and was handed over to the fieldpost in the arrival ports of Braila, Sewastopol and Konstanza  

1918, fieldpost cover from the Taman Peninsula with boxed military cachet "L. Kun.-Kolonne 1056" and adjacent fieldpost cds. "Deutsche Feldpost 6.7.18" addressed to Berlin, minor crease at lower right, a fine and very rare cover with only a few from the Taman Peninsula known, detailed certificate Haspel BPP (2011) The fieldpost of the units on the Taman Peninsula was handled by the German fieldpost 797 of the 15th Landwehr Division in Kertsch

1918, picture postcard of Tiflis with blue straight line "Bayer. Res. Jag. Batl. 1" and written notation "Deutsche Feldpost 555" and adjacent fieldpost cds. dated 6.7.18, addressed to Petersthal, fine

1918, "Bayer. Res. Jäger Btl. Nr. I AMGK" small blue two-line cancel on picture postcard from Tiflis with adjacent fieldpost cds. "Deutsche Feldpost -9.7.18" addressed to Bavaria, some minor transportation wear, a scarce card

1918, fieldpost cover from the Taman Peninsula with boxed military cachet "L. Kun.-Kolonne 1056" and adjacent fieldpost cds. "Deutsche Feldpost 11.7.18" addressed to Berlin, a fine and very rare cover with only a few from the Taman Peninsula known The fieldpost of the units on the Taman Peninsula was handled by the German fieldpost 797 of the 15th Landwehr Division in Kertsch

1918, picture postcard of Tiflis with blue straight line "Bayer. Res. Jäger Batl. 1, 3. Komp" and adjacent fieldpost cds. "Deutsche Feldpost 23.7.18", addressed to Sonntheim, fine

1918, postcard written in Tiflis on the 25th. of August 1918 with senders address "...Feldpost 555 Kaukasus" with blue military cachet "Kraftwagen-Kolonne Nr. 108" and adjacent cds. "Deutsche Feldpost 28.8.18" addressed to Andernach, fine

1918, envelope with violet cachet "Kaiserl. Deutsches K-do der  Truppen im Kaukasus" on front and reverse and adjacent cds. "Deutsche Feldpost -2.9.18", reverse with manuscript censor mark "Militärisch geprüft Postprüfungsstelle 1/IX/18", slight transportation wear, a fine and rare entire

1918, postcard written in Tiflis on the 3rd. of September 1918 with senders address "...Dt. Feldpost 907.." and blue military cachet "Feldflieger Abteilung No. 28" and adjacent cds. "Deutsche Feldpost -4.9.18, written by Lieutenant of the Reserve Kurt Atholdt addressed to Germany, a fine and very rare card, only very few mail of the airborne troops in the Caucasus ist known On 1.8.1914 the field pilot department No. 28 was set up by the air force battalion 3 (2nd comp.), on 10.1.1917 it was renamed in air force department 28. The department was stationed in Macedonia and briefly in the Caucasus. At the request of the chief of the delegation in the Caucasus, Kress v. Kressenstein, the field pilot department 28 was relocated in parts to the Caucasus in order to fly aerial reconnaissance. A transfer from there apparently took place at the end of July 1918 (see also ArGe Deutsche Feldpost 1914-1918, Rundbrief 138/2000).

1918, registered cover from German Fieldpost Delegation in Caucasus with violet straight-line "Deutsche Feldpost Exped. 907" and adjacent cds. "Deutsche Feldpost -4.9.18 * 907 a" addressed to the accounting office in Berlin, opened a little rough and some minor transportation wear, very rare and one of only three known registered covers, detailed certificate Haspel BPP (2009) depicted in Ahrens "Die Feldpost der Deutschen Militär Mission Türkei 1914-18", number 12, page 137  

1918, postcard with senders address "...Deut. Feldp. 907" and blue military cachet "Minenwerfer Komp. W. Kp. 176" and adjacent cds. "Deutsche Feldpost -5.9.18" addressed to Altona, small tear at bottom, otherwise fine, detailed certificate Haspel BPP (2011) Due to an agreement between the Georgian government and the German Reich, German troops were sent to Georgia in staggered numbers from June 1918. The German delegation in the Caucasus was given German Field Post No. 907, which was established in Tbilisi

1918, postcard written in Poti on the 7th. of September 1918 with senders address "..Feldpost 907.." with adjacent military cachet "Masch.-Gen.-Komp. Res.-Jäger-Batl Nr. 9" and cds. "K.D. Feldpost 17.9.18" applied in Braila, some minor ageing, otherwise fine

1918, envelope from "MÜNCHEN 9.9.18" addressed to Oberarzt Dr. Fritz Niedermayer at the german Delegation in the Caucasus Fieldpost 907, small water stains at left, otherwise fine, a rare entire, certificate Haspel BPP (2012) Dr. Fritz Niedermayer was the brother of Dr. Oskar Ritter von Niedermayer and participated as a doctor in the expedition to Persia and Afghanistan in 1915