373rd Auction

1872, First printing, Steamer 6 pence lilac (transfer type 3), fresh colour, somewhat irregular margins, used with violet oval handstamp "St. Lucia Steam Conveyance Cy Ltd.", minor surface scratches, otherwise a fine copy of this rare stamp with only about half a dozen used examples known, signed E.F.H. Harpenden

1872, First printing, Steamer 6 pence  lilac, horizontal pair, crease through one stamp, otherwise fine

1875, House flag 10 cents Die Proof on glazed card with handstruck "Feb 13 1875" and "BEFORE HARDENING", very fine

1875, House flag 10 cents Die Proof on glazed card with handstruck "Feb 19 1875" and "AFTER HARDENING", very fine

1875, House flag 10 cents Die Proof on glazed card with handstruck "Feb 19 1875" and "AFTER STRIKING", very fine With the last three lots you have the rare opportunity to purchase all three different known Die Proofs of this issue!

1875, House flag 10 cents rose-red, complete sheet of 30 with all margins, mint never hinged, a fine and scarce item, in addition a single stamp used with agents cancellation "JOH KOCK & CO..:" (Facit RMS 1)

1875, House flag 10 cents rose-red, tied by oval agents cachet "JOH. KOCK & CO LLOYD'S AGENTS PTO CABELLO" to folded lettersheet (sideflaps missing) endorsed "p. Essequibo" (the Vessel of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company) to Barcelona with instructional marking "VIA DE INGLATERRA" on reverse and red "SHIP-LETTER" and tax marks on front. One of only three recorded letters with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company stamp this being the only recorded usage from Venezuela and the only usage to an address outside of the Caribbean area, a great and attractive rarity of Venezuela and Private Ship letter stamps of the World, detailed certificate Heister BPP (2005) (Facit RMS 1)

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, fresh colour and good perforation, mint never hinged, very fine, signed Schwenn

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, right marginal, used with clear agents cachet of "Blohm, Valentir & Co", fine, signed Dr. Debo BPP  (Facit HP1)

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, bottom marginal, used ring cancel, fine (Facit HP1)

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, fresh colour and good perforation, straight edge at left, used with clear strike of blueish oval "Captain H. Milo, Superintendent, St. Thomas", fine

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, fresh colour and good perforation, straight edge at left, used with clear of blueish straight-line "BUHRO(W, Schutt Co. Agents)", fine

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, heavily shifted embossing, fresh colour and good perforation with blue cross cancel on folded letter from Cap Haitien, endorsed "per Steamer Allmand", to St. Thomas, minor wrinkles, otherwise a fine and attractive entire

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, two singles with blue cancellation on double weight folded lettersheet endorsed "par Lotharingia" and with oval cachet "P.G. Buhrow & Co Cap Haitien" alongside to Ferd. Schultz in Port au Prince, reverse with small adhesives marks, a very fine and attractive entire, certificates Dr. Debo BPP (1975 & 1996) (Facit HP1) Provenance: The Julius Steindler Collection "Shipping Companies stamps" (Robson Lowe 1972)

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, with clear double embossing, the second one shifted approx. 8mm to the top, used with clear agents cachet of "Feddersen, Willink & Co.", a fine and attractive example of this rare variety (Facit HP1 var)

1875, First printing 10 cents black on greyish green-blue and dark-yellow, fresh colour and good perforation (two blunt perfs of no importance), with cleary inverted embossing, used with clear mute 5-ring canceller, a very rare stamp with only one other copy known, signed Bolaffi and certificate Möller BPP (2002)

1875, Second printing 10 cents black on green-blue and yellow, two singles, one upper marginal, both used with blue "P", one stamp with perfs added, otherwise fine (Facit HP2)

1875, Second printing 10 cents black on green-blue and yellow, block of eight, imperforated vertically, mint never hinged, the outer right stamps hinged, minor perf separation at left and right, three stamps minor ageing spots, otherwise a spectacular, very attractive and the largest existing multiple with only one other known, certificate Scheller (2013) (Facit HP2 v2) Provenance: 292. Heinrich Köhler Auction (1997)

1875, Second printing 10 cents black on green-blue and yellow, right marginal, tied by red oval agents cachet "G. Keitel & Cie, Port au Prince" to cover front endorsed "par Steamer Allemand" to Puerto Plata, Venezuela. There two-line "Affranchissement Obligatoire" and boxed "RETOUR" applied, a very fine and interesting coverfront, certificate Nielsen (1997) (Facit HP2) The Dominican Republic did not recognize the HAPAG stamp as having any franking power and returned the cover for "real" postage.  

1867, 1st and 2nd issue, black on white resp. black on yellow paper, good to large margins, unused without gum, 1st. issue small stain, otherwise fine, signed and two certificates Heister BPP

1867, 2nd Issue, black on yellow paper, vertical strip of four with two tête-bêche pairs, without gum, diagonal paper irregularity, a very attractive and rare multiple Provenance: ex Von Lind

1867, black on blue, fresh colour, close to slightly touched, on folded lettersheet from La Vela to Curacao with arrival mark on front, a very rare and attractive cover with only three covers in total recorded, signed Bloch and Holcombe with certificate (1991) Provenance: ex Gebauer                      ex Heister

1870, 3rd issue, black on rose paper, fresh colour and good to large margins, unused without gum, tear at top, otherwise fine, scarce, signed and certificate Heister BPP 

1875, 4th issue, black on rose paper, vertical strip of three with fresh colour and good margins, unused with large part original gum, a fine and attractive multiple Provenance: ex Von Lind

187?, 5th issue, 1 real black on yellow paper, vertical strip of four with fresh colour and good margins, unused with original gum, a fine and attractive multiple Provenance: ex Von Lind

1889, "Correo del Comercio/Entre Coro y La Vela", Bird carrying a letter ½ real black on blue, large balanced margins all round, with violet three-line handstamp "Anotada/Correo Del/Komercio" on envelope to Bayonne City, New York with transit and arrival mark. Carried by sea from La Vela to Curaçao, where Curaçao 1873 Willem III 25c. yellowish brown with cds. "CURAÇAO 30 1 1891" was added, paying the single weight up to 15 gr., an extremely rare, attractive and fascinating usage of which this is the only one with the Curaçao stamp overlapping the franking, signed Diena Provenance: ex Heister

1889, "Correo del Comercio/Entre Coro y La Vela", "Port Libre - Bird carrying a letter" black on yellow, large balanced margins all round, with violet three-line handstamp "Anotada/Correo Del/Komercio" on envelope to New York with arrival mark. Carried by sea from La Vela to Curaçao, where Curaçao 1873 Willem III 25c. yellowish brown with cds. "CURAÇAO 25 9 1890" was added, paying the single weight up to 15 gr., the envelope and Curaçao stamp with faults, otherwise a fine, attractive, extremely rare and fascinating usage of which only three covers are recorded, signed Holcombe with certificate (1995)

1861, Side-wheeler steamboat black, complete sheet of 40, original gum, most stamps mint never hinged, couple slight creases in margin, still as very fine item, certificate PF (2000) Provenance: The David Golden Collection of U.S. Carriers and Locals (Siegel Auctions 1999)

1861, Side-wheeler steamboat black, good margins on three sides, just touched at bottom, used with blue company handstamp and part of Portland cds., small thins, otherwise fine, certificate PF (1999) Provenance: Alfred Caspary  

1861, Side-wheeler steamboat black, large margins all around, with manuscript cancel, together with Washington 3c. rose, both stamps tied by cds. "Boston Mass. Sep. 11" and quartered cork to cover to Albany N.Y., 1865 receipt docketing, sealed tear in 3c stamp, backflap removed, one of the rarest of all independent mail usages from the only steamboat carrier to issue stamps, this is one of the earliest covers of a total of 11 registered (see Penny Post, October 2002, "Cancels on Prince's Letter Dispatch" pages 47-53, by Larry Lyons), certificate PF (1982) (Scott# 122L1, 65) Provenance: The David Golden Collection of U.S. Carriers and Locals (Siegel Auctions 1999)  

1861, Side-wheeler steamboat black, close to margins all around, tied by cork and by blue "Prince's Express 9 Milk St." in serrated oval to postal stationery envelope 3 cent pink to Hinsdale N.H., cds. "Boston Mass. Jun. 23 5 A.M." alongside, original June 21, 1869 datelined letter from Portland included, overall soiling. Fine appearance and the only recorded example of this rare stamp used on U.S. postal stationery, certificate PF (1982) (Scott# 122L1, U58) Provenance: Gordon Stimmell Collection (Siegel Auctions 2015)  

1861, Side-wheeler steamboat black, large margins all around, with manuscript cancel, together with Washington 3c. rose, both stamps tied by cds. "Boston Mass" and quartered cork to coverfront to RhinebeckN.Y., small part of cover front added, one of the rarest of all independent mail usages from the only steamboat carrier to issue stamps, a scarce item with only a total of 11 covers registered (see Penny Post, October 2002, "Cancels on Prince's Letter Dispatch" pages 47-53, by Larry Lyons) (Scott# 122L1, 65) Provenance:  Sotheby's (October 30th 1979, lot 375)                      Robert G. Kaufmann (March 31st- April 1st 1982, lot 1696                      Frajola (14th September 1986, lot 229)                      

"Forwarded by Prince's Boston and Portland Express.", black on red-surface coloured paper, label for forwarded items, and forwarding receipt for package at the value of $ 1142,62 sent from Boston October 21, 1865 to Portland, the label some imperfections

1895 "Caye Service 3 Cents" violet three-line typed label, tied by "CUTHBERT BROS." straightline handstamp with adjacent matching "Sep. 18 1895" datestamp alongside to cover, a fine and rare entire of which only about a dozen are known to exist Provenance: The Jim Czyl Collection British Honduras (Grosvenor 2014) Around 1892 a Belize merchant named Cuthbert built a house on St. George's Cay. He also bought a steam yacht which sailed daily to and from Belize. After abuse of the free service by others on the caye, who expected their mails to be carried free of charge, he created this local typewritten stamp (the cost of producing dies and normal stamps was prohibitive). These labels are known used between July 28, 1894 and Sept. 27, 1895. Hurt and Williams record only 8 examples though a few others have appeared for sale.

Tierra del Fuego 1891, Julio Popper's private mail stamp issue: Colour proofs 10 Centavos orange, miniature sheets of 4, perforated 11½, at top inscription "PRUEBAS EN COLOR DE LAS PREMERAS ESTAMPILLAS DE LA TIERRA DEL FUEGO..:", unused resp. the stamps mint never hinged, partly strengthened by hinges, small marginal imperfections, rare

Tierra del Fuego 1891, Julio Popper's private mail stamp issue: 10 Centavos red, corner marginal block of 20, position 68 with distinctive flaw and retouch to the area around the "E of FUEGO", in addition two blocks of four with upper sheet margin, one with inscription "KIDD y Cia LIm. Sn MARTIN 35l" and a used example, the multiples mint never hinged, small part of margin missing, fine