371st Auction

"ST. THOMAS 26 AOUT 74", the consular handstamp, good strike on dated lettersheet, franked with Ceres 30 centimes in horizontal pair and 40 centimes, tied by anchor mark, to Bordeaux with "LIGNE B PAQ. FR. No.2" and arrival mark on reverse

1865, Entire letter dated "St. Thomas le 30 Septembre 1865", franked with Napoléon perforated 20 centimes and 40 centimes (partly scissors' cut), tied by blue anchor mark without dispatch mark addressed to Pointe à Pitre, Gouadeloupe; fine and unusual

"So. TOMAS", straight line in red, clear strike on entire letter, dated "Sn. Tomas 14 junio 1844" to Manati, Puerto Rico. Vertical filing crease touching the first S in the handstamp, otherwise fine. One of the rarest items of DWI postal history and the only recorded strike of this handstamp in red

"S.TOMAS", octogonal handstamp in red, clear strike on reverse of entire letter from Paris 1846 to Puerto Rico, privately carried to Guadeloupe, and from here posted with frontside cds. "POINTE-A-PITRE GUADELOUPE 13 OCT. 1886". Frontside notation "Europa 4½ s" (sols) cancelled and corrected on reverse to "8½ S". Slightly stained, but still fine and scarce

"S. TOMAS", octagonal handstamp in dark blue on front of envelope to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico with adjacent straight line "PONCE". A fine and rare cover; 3 such combinations recorded

"SANTHOMAS.", oval marking, clear strike on wrapper with return address "Del cefe civil y Militar de la Prova. de Marac." to the Venezualian consul at Santiago de Cuba, taxed "12" reales inland postage; some tropical staining, otherwise fine. Only few entires with the oval marking are recorded, this one of the nicer ones.

1867, Envelope franked with 1861/66, 3 cents rose in horizontal strip of 6 and 2 cents black with adjacent "ST. THOMAS 16/12 1967" (tying two 3 cents), addressed to Maine, cancelled upon arrival in the US with cds. "N.YORK STEAMSHIP DEC 23". The franking with some marginal faults and slightly stained, still attractive and very scarce cover, transported by the first U.S. & Brazil mail steamship company

1873, Undated double rate envelope franked with horizontal pair US 10 cents brown with adjacent blue "FORWARDED BY G. W. SMITH & Co. ST. THOMAS. W.I.", addressed to New Jersey, the stamps cancelled on arrival by cds. "NEW YORK JAN 22". The letter was transported by the "Southamerica" of the USBMSC. Paper of the envelope partly split in the folds, otherwise fine

INCOMING MAIL FROM DENMARK: 1843, Parcel accompanying letter with original contents, dated "Kiöbenhavn den 14ch Januar 1843" to a military address at Christiansted, St. Croix; very scarce

1862, Unpaid ladies envelope with embossed frame from "NEXØ 3/6" via "HAMBURG 6/6.62"with adjacent tax stamp "6½"  to St. Thomas with arrival mark of July 1st 1862. Slightly stained and light vertical crease, still fine

1904, Postal stationery envelope 5 on 4 öre from "RANDERS 6.4.04" to St. Thomas and re-directed to the Faroe Islands, showing on reverse St. Thomas arrival mark, transit mark of Lieth and Thorshavn arrival mark; marked as underpaid with "T" and circle and boxed "Utilstraekkeligt frankeret"; light bend, otherwise fine

1913, Registered cash on delivery cover franked with Frederik VIII 25 öre from "KJÖBENHAVN 15.9.13" to St. Croix and returned to Denmark with transit and arrival marks including register handstamps of Christiansted and St. Thomas on front; fine and scarce

1864, Waterlow 2 reales green, tied by "CORREOS CARACAS" to lettersheet via London to Bordeaux, taxed "8" decimes for the distance St. Thomas-France, very fine (Facit LG2)

1864, Waterlow printing 2 reales green, tied by cds. "CORREOS LA GUAIRA AGO 25" (1864) to lettersheet with combination franking Spanish West Indies 1857, 1 real green (cut into at bottom and affected by vertical cover crease), addressed to San Juan de Puerto Rico and mailed via St. Thomas with frontside octagonal blue "S. TOMAS" and adjacent handstamp "1"; the stamp cancelled upon arrival, paying the inland fee. Slight erosions in the top portion of the address panel and the 2 reales with small termite hole; all together a fine and extremely rare entire. Certificate Philatelic Foundation (2008) (Facit LG 2+ Scott 13)

1864/67, Rasco 2 reales yellowish-green, stone II, tied by La Guaira date stamp of 25.4.1866 to entire letter via London and France to Como in Italy with transit and arrival marks on front and reverse, very fine, certificate C.A. Møller AIEP (2009) (Facit LG11)

Jesurun 1869, ½ real green, perf. 10, complete sheet of 100 stamps, unmounted mint, very fine, certificate C.A. Møller AIEP (2008) (Facit LG21)

1869, Jesurun issue ½ real green, perf. 10 vertical marginal pair, precancelled with violet ink, used on envelope to Curacao with frontside arrival mark of 5.2.1874 with blue due notation "30". A rare franking, certificate C.A. Møller AIEP (2007) (Facit LG21)

1869, J.A. Jesurun 2 reales red, perf. 10, tied by blue agent handstamp "CAMERON MACAULAY & Co." to restored cover with St. Thomas return address to Curacao with arrival mark "CURACAO 19/8 1871" on front (2 strikes). Still fine and very attractive; a rare cover. Certificate APS (2002) (Facit LG22)

2 reales with pen cancel used on cover with adjacent manuscript "pr. Packet" to Curacao. The stamp with somewhat rounded corner due to the difficult perforation, otherwise fine; a scarce cover, certifiate C.A. Møller AIEP (2007) (Facit LG22)

Felix Rasco: 3 cents on yellow, I. printing, complete sheet of 24 stamps, unmounted mint, some light creasing and few stains, still very fine and rare, certificate C.A. Møller AIEP (Facit LG29)

II. PRINTING: ½ cent on brown, horizontal block of 10 with all transfer types, unmounted mint; 4 stamps slightly touched/cut into, otherwise very fine and fresh (one stamp natural paper bore); a rare multiple, certificate C.A. Møller AIEP (Facit LG35)

½ cent on brown, vertical block of 15, unmounted mint, the left row partly touched/cut into, otherwise very fine and fresh. A very scarce multiple, certificate C.A. Møller AIEP (Facit LG35)

HAPAG: 1877, Entire commercial letter dated "St. Thomas 27de febrero 1877" and endorsed inside and outside "p. Lothringia" (Hapag). Since the company was a Hapag client and the letter contained information about a shipment carried on the same steamer, the letter was transported free of charge to La Guaira, here franked with 2 copies 1876, ½ real lilac-rose, tied by undated "CORREOS LA GUAIRA" and handed over to the postal agency in the French consulate where octagonal "LA GUAYRA 20 MARS 77" was applied. A very fine and scarce letter

10 cents in block of 4, unused o.g., folded in the horizontal perforation, otherwise very fine, signed HK

1875, 10 cents blue-green/yellow/black in block of 4 from the right sheet margin, unused o.g., very fine

1875, 10 cents blue-green/yellow/black I. printing, tied by mute blue cancel to reverse of envelope from "ST. THOMAS AP 10 77" to Barbados with adjacent arrival mark. The envelope with some faults, still attractive with fine stamp, certificate RPS (2001)

10 cents II. printing, tied by clear "BÜHROW SCHÜTT AGENTS" to cover front with adjacent forwarding agent mark "J. SALA Y Ca. ST. THOMAS 27 SEPT. 1879", very fine, signed W. Engel and certificate Dr. Debo BPP (1981)

"ASCANIA", violet purser mark with manuscript date "31/8 1900" on picture postcard to Hamburg, franked with 3 cents, cancelled by pen cross

"CHERUSKIA" with date stamp " JUN 1 1913" on postcard Christian IX 10 bit, cancelled "CÖLN (RHEIN)-VERVIERS BAHNPOST 17.6.13" to Hamburg with text on reverse

"CONSTANTIA", violet purser mark tying Frederik VIII 10 bit with pen cross and adjacent manuscript "1/12 1910" on postcard to Germany, small corner crease at lower right, otherwise fine

"GRAECIA", violet purser mark with manuscript date "6/1" on envelope franked with Frederik VIII 15 bit and 20 bit to Dresden, stamps cancelled on arrival "DRESDEN 25.1.13" with adjacent boxed "nachtr. entw."

"S.S. Helvetia 28/8.03.", manuscript notation on commercial envelope with horizontal pair 4 cents blue/brown, tied by pen crosses, addressed to Germany with arrival mark of 14.9.1903. A fine and scarce cover, certificate Nielsen (2003)

"HISPANIA", violet purser mark on picture postcard with Christian IX 5 bit, tied by pen cross with adjacent manuscript "8/9.06" to Germany with arrival mark

"MARKOMANNIA", violet purser mark on Columbia postal stationery card 2 centavos black with manuscript "Savanilla 31.1.98" with text to Germany with frontside quite clear "AUS WESTINDIEN P. HAMBURG. DAMPFER ÜBER CÖLN", Nürnberg arrival mark, fine and scarce

"MECKLENBURG", violet purser mark on postcard Christian IX 5 bit with additional franking 5 bit, both cancelled by pen cross with manuscript date "20./XI.07." to Germany

"See-Post D.Sachsenwald 3/VIII.08", violet purser mark on postcard Frederik VIII 5 bit with additional franking 5 bit, both cancelled by pen cross, to Germany with arrival mark; slightly unfresh, very scarce