375th Auction

3 sk. lilac in horizontal pair (left stamp with perforation cut by scissors at left), tied by numeral "92" on lettersheet from "SKJELSKJØR 2 10" to Copenhagen. The 3 sk. pair affixed on top of an endorsement "franco", so the postal clerk charged the unpaid letter rate of 6 sk., which was noted at upper right of the envelope and was paid in stamps. Fine and rare letter

1864/70, 3 sk. lilac in horizontal pair and 8 sk. yellow-brown, tied by numeral "75" to registered lettersheet from "VARDE 23/5" to Skjern, endorsed in lower left "fr". Since cash payment was not longer accepted from April 1, 1868 the letter was treated as unpaid and franked with 6 sk. unpaid letter rate + 8 sk. registration fee. Vertical cover crease not affecting the stamps, otherwise fine and rare. Certificate Nielsen (2005)

1869, Original letter of explanation from the General Post Directorate in Copenhagen to the post office at Aarhus about an express letter which was presented to the post office carrying a 4 sk. adhesive in the top of the right corner and in the bottom left corner a number of adhesives corresponding to the express fee, for which the sender was asked to pay an additional 2 sk. for unpaid letter rate. The General Post Directorate answers detailed, that this action was completely in accordance with the present regulations. A very interesting original document

Thiele 4 rbs. reddish-brown, 1st printing, plate I, pos. 99, used with numeral "20" on lettersheet with adjacent "KJØBENHAVN JRBPST EXP. 25/4 1853" to Frederiksborg with manuscript notation "found in the mail box with a previously used stamp" and charged "6" skilling in red crayon prepaid by the recipient. A very fine and rare item of postal fraud; the only recorded letter of this period franked with a previously used 4 rbs. Reference: J. Schmidt-Andersen, 'Danmarks Første Frimaerke'

1854/57, 4 sk. orange-brown, used and damage copy, applied to lettersheet to Copenhagen addressed to Holbek, dropped in a letterbox. Adjacent manuscript "invalid" and "A previously used stamp - letterbox (signature)" sent forward with Copenhagen compass handstamp and charged "6" skilling in red crayon to be paid by the recipient. A very rare example of postal fraud

1854/57, 4 sk. orange-brown with large margins, tied by clear strike of numeral "87" to lettersheet, previously postmarked "LYGUMKLOSTER 10/11 1857" (the stamp slightly applied above the postmark) to Copenhagen. An extremely fine letter which shows a postal fraud committed by a postal clerk. The letter was brought into the post office where the clerk received 6 skilling in cash; he postmarked the letter, but did not endorse it with "franco" and later applied a 4 skilling stamp from the post office stock, pocketing 2 skilling for himself. The only recorded example of such a fraud for the first issues of Denmark. Certificate Nielsen (1999)

4 sk. orange-brown, a previously used copy with clear marks of circle cancellation, used a second time with clear numeral "51" on lettersheet with adjacent clear blue "ODENSE 9/3" to Bogense with arrival mark of the same day. A fine letter, believed to be the only surviving example of such postal fraud with this stamp. Certificate Vagn Jensen (1998)

1864/70, 4 sk. vermilion, a previously used copy, fixed with wafer seal and with unclear cancellation to entire letter with adjacent cds. "SVENDBORG 18 12" (1865) from Troense to Vemmetofte near Rønnede; interesting and very unusual fraud on the Post Office.

TO HAMBURG: 1852, Entire letter from "KJØBENHAVN 7/10 1852" to Hamburg, prepaid with "16" skilling postage + "8" skilling late fee, endorsed "p Slesvig via Kiel", unusual and scarce entire

Thiele 1st. printing 4 rbs. brown, horitzontal strip of 4, slightly touched at bottom at right, parts of 2 neighbours at top, tied by numeral "1" to entire letter with Copenhagen compass handstamp of 28.2.1853 to Hamburg

Thiele 4 rbs. brown, close margins and partly slightly touched, uncancelled on entire letter with adjacent blue manuscript "Copenhagen 19/8" (1853) and endorsed "P Obotrit via Wismar" to Hamburg, showing on reverse blue Wismar cds. of 20.8., railroad mark "HAGENOW-ROSTOCK" and distribution mark; taxed "5" Mecklenburg schilling. In addition a letter from the same correspondence of July 16, 1852, paid in cash with "16" skilling without transit and arrival marks. A very interesting pair

"LÜTJENBURG", black boxed marking with adjacent "7/8" (1855) on quadruple rate lettersheet to police headquarters at Hamburg, cash paid and endorsed "frei 24", fine. The boxed marking was used only in autumn 1855

TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GERMAN POSTAL UNION: 1855, Envelope from "KJØBENHAVN 5 8 1858" to Wildbad in the Kingdom of Württemberg, prepaid with "9" skilling Danish postage "4" skilling late fee and "13" skilling German postage which is marked with "3" groschen in red crayon. On reverse transit mark of Hamburg, Baden railroad mark and arrival mark; fine and scarce

1856, Lettersheet from "AHRENSBÖCK 21 2 1856" to Sickte in the Duchy of Brunswick, obviously dropped in a letterbox endorsed "free" with adjacent notation "Not paid (signature)". The letter was charged 6 skilling unpaid letter rate, noted as "1 2/3" gutegroschen at upper left; Brunswick charged a total of "3 ggr"; on reverse transit mark of Danish PO at Hamburg and distribution mark. An interesting item

4 sk. orange-brown, horizontal strip of 3, slightly touched at left, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "6" from "AABENRAA 0/6 1859" (1 missing) to Bruel in Mecklenburg-Schwerin with Mecklenburg cds. "HAMBURG 10/6" applied over the dispatch mark, most likely to 'correct' the date; the Mecklenburg share of the postage noted as "3/4" (schilling courant). A fine and interesting cover

TO ENGLAND: 16 sk. lilac in horizontal pair with 1855, 2 sk. blue with large margins, tied in transit with Lübeck numeral "3" to incomplete lettersheet (top and bottom flaps missing) with adjacent "K.B. aus Dänemark" to London with arrival mark on front; on reverse transit marks of the Danish and city post offices of Lübeck and railroad mark "BERLIN-HAMBURG". The front shows the unusual Lubeck mark for the ship's moveable box for letters on board ship. An attractive and rare war rate ship letter where 2 sk. extra was paid for the routing via Lübeck, from the wellknown Westenholz-correspondence. Certificate Dr. Debo BPP (1993)  

TO THE NETHERLANDS WITH POSTAL FRAUD ON THE POST OFFICE: 4 sk. vermilion, a damaged copy, previously used on a letter with blue paper of which a portion still adheres to the gum side, used with 2 sk. and 8 sk. yellow-brown (applied with large thin) tied by duplex "181/SJ.JD.P.S.P.D 31/6" to lettersheet to Amsterdam with arrival mark; an interesting and colourful cover sent abroad

TO NORWAY: 2 sk. blue and 1858, 4 sk. orange-brown, the 2 sk. clear at bottom, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "1" with adjacent blue Copenhagen cds. to entire printed matter to Christiania, Norway with Sandosund arrival mark of August 1, 1861; very fine and rare, certificate Dr. Debo BPP (1988) Provenance: Christian Andersen (Postilionen, 1989)

TO SWEDEN: 1858, 4 sk. brown, just clear at right, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "1" with adjacent "KJØBENHAVN 27 5" (1861) on cpl. printed matter to Uddewalla, Sweden with Gotheborg transit mark, fine

INCOMING MAIL: 1855, Freight circular sent as "REGISTERED NEWSPAPER" franked with GB 1856/58, 1 d. red-brown from "NEWCASTLE ON TYNE DE 15 1855" via Ostende to Helsingør

SMALL BALANCE: 1851/61, 3 franked letters (2 with 4 rbs.), unfranked letter and 2 price currents from London to Denmark, one with "HULL SHIP LETTER"

1852, 2 Rigsbank-Skilling, Thiele printing, plate I, type 5 (pos. 23), good to large margins allround, used, fine, certificate Debo BPP (1993) (Mi. 900,-)
 

DENMARK: 1857, Double rate lettersheet with seal of High Court on reverse, sent from "KJØBENHAVN 21/2 1857" via "HAMBURG 24 FEB. 1857" and London to St. Croix with transit marks of the British and Danish PO at St. Thomas, charged with "2/9"; additional "8" cents inland fee was cancelled due to the official character of the letter; small ink erosion, otherwise fine, scarce

1851, Entire letter dated "Thorshavn d. 7 Nov." to Denmark with frontside Copenhagen compass postmark of 20.11., charged with "2" skilling in red crayon, to be paid by the recipient. Very fine and rare letter, certificate Wowern (1997)

1802, "Address of the Burgher Council of St. Thomas d.b. 19 febr. 1802" to the honorable Lt. Colonel Casimir William von Scholten, governor of St. Thomas from 1800 to 1801 and 1803 to 1807, interesting item

1804, Entire letter from St. Thomas to Hartford, Ct., on front red "SHIP" and "NEW YORK FEB 19", charged "14½" c.

1814, "ST:THOMAS NOV 29 1814", large fleuron, nice strike on unpaid double rate lettersheet to London, charged on arrival with "4/4". Slightly stained on reverse, otherwise fine and very scarce

1829, Entire letter from St. Croix to Aberdeen, transported by the "Sheldrake" of the Leeward Line, charged with "5/2", transported to Falmouth with unframed "F/LEEWARD ISLAND FE 26 1829", fine

1837, Entire letter from St. Croix to Toronto, Canada, showing on front red "SHIP" and "NEW-YORK APR 2" and green "QUEENSTON AP 10 1837", charged with a total of "1/11½"; 2 vertical file folds, one affecting the Queenston cancel; a fine letter with scarce destination

1840, "LEEWARD ISLAND F" in green, clear strike on reverse of entire letter (the contents proving that it is coming from St. Thomas) to Edinburgh with clear London arrival mark of June 18, charged on arrival with "6/-"; some vertical folds, still fine and very scarce

1854, "FOREIGN LETTER OFFICE ST. THOMAS" on reverse of entire letter from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to New York, privately carried to St. Thomas and from here sent to Baltimore with frontside blue arrival mark of November 16, "SHIP" and "7" (cents due); a file fold on front with paper break and entire slightly stained

1861, red "FORWARDED BY KOEFOED WHITMORE & Co. ST. THOMAS" on reverse of entire letter to New York with frontside "5" cents due

4 c. blue/brown, diagonal bisect, tied by cds. "CHRISTIANSTED 10/2 1903" to envelope to Frederiksted with arrival mark, very fine

SHIP MAIL: 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)

Cntavos issue: 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)

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)