371st Auction

"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

BRITISH GUYANA-JAMAICA: 1868, Printed matter franked with 1863/76, 2 cents orange, tied by "A03" and sent via "ST. THOMAS SP 28 68" to Jamaica with Kingston arrival mark; the paper of the entire split somewhat in the folds, still fine and scarce (SG 67)

COLUMBIA-UNITED STATES: 1853, Entire letter from Barranquilla to New York, showing on front clear "RECD. & FORWD. BY M. PRETTO & Co. ST. THOMAS" and red "PAID AT ST. THOMAS" (CC1) with adjacent manuscript "1/-", on reverse clear dispatch mark "ST. THOMAS OC 18 1853"

CUBA-FRANCE: 1861, Entire letter from Santiago to Nantes, showing on reverse blue oval forwarding agent mark "G. NUNES & GOMMEZ ST. THOMAS" and British PO "ST. THOMAS AU 13 1861". On arrival charged with "8 decimes" but cancelled and changed to "16" in manuscript

CUBA-FRANCE: 1861, Entire letter from Santiago to Bordeaux, handled by forwarding agents "H. GRAFFSTEDT & Co. ST.JAGO DE CUBA" and "HEISE SCHMIDT & Co. ST. THOMAS", posted at the British PO with date stamp "ST. THOMAS C FE .. 61". A fine and interesting entire with very rare code "C"

CUBA-FRANCE: 1872, Opened out envelope with frontside dispatch mark "ADMON DEL CORREOS HABANA .. OCT. 72" to Paris, sent via "ST. THOMAS .. 7/11 1872" with adjacent blue boxed "Aus Westindien über Bremen" and French transit mark "ALLEMAGNE PAG. PARIS"; somewhat roughly opened, otherwise fine. A scarce cover

CURACAO-BELGIUM: 1858, Unpaid entire lettersheet addressed in front and on reverse from "CURACAO 26/12 1858" to Bruxelles, transported via St. Thomas, Southampton and London, charged with a total of "27" decimes

CURACAO-BELGIUM: 1859, Lettersheet from the same correspondence, prepaid with 15 cents till St. Thomas (red handstamp), transported via St. Thomas, Southampton and London, charged with "8" decimes for the distance St.Thomas-Bruxelles; a scarce handstamp, introduced in 1859

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-FRANCE: 1855, Entire letter from Santo Domingo to Le Havre, transported by St. Thomas forwarding agent M. Pretto & Co. with clear cachet on front and with British PO "ST.-THOMAS 1855" (without day and month) via London to France with red boxed "COLONIES & ART. 13", charged "90" centimes on arrival. The St. Thomas date stamp without day and month was used during a short period after a fire devastated the post office on March 11, 1855. A fine and scarce entire

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)