375th Auction

"PAID AT ST. THOMAS" (CC2), good strike on entire letter from St. Croix with adjacent Danish "CHRISTIANSTED 12 5 1862" to South Zorra, West Canada, endorsed "Via Halifax", paid with 4 c. inland postage and "pd 4 d." British postage to Halifax, transported via "ST. GEORGES MY 18 1862", on reverse also transit mark of Quebec and arrival mark of May 31; on front marked "unpaid 5" which was applied to part paid letters. A very interesting and rare letter with light patina, one of the few recorded carried by open mail

BRITISH POST OFFICE: "C51" on 4 d. vermilion, pl. 10 with adjacent red "ST. THOMAS PAID MY 18 69" on lettersheet from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to Philadelphia, endorsed "p.W.I.Str.", changed in "Str. via New York", additionally franked with US 1861/67, 10 c. green with cork cancel and adjacent "N.YORK STEAM SHIP JUN 4". The letter was privately carried to St. Thomas to forwarding agent George A. Flips & Co. (blue oval handstamp on reverse), intended to be carried by the Brazilian line S.S. Mississippi, due at St. Thomas on May 14 and therefore franked with the US stamp. However, the steamer wrecked at Martinique and the forwarding agent added the British stamp to catch the British packet departing on May 18 for Havana. A very fine and rare letter, just 3 similar covers recorded

1 d. rose-red, plate 186, tied by vertical barred oval "C51" on 'sailor's letter' envelope from a seaman on HMS "SHAH" to England with arrival mark of July 30, 1877. Part of reverse flap missing and small faults, still fine and extremely scarce (SG Z3)

TRANSIT MAIL: 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"

MARTINIQUE - UNITED STATES: 1860, Envelope from "FORT DE FRANCE MARTINIQUE 27 MARS 1860" via St. Pierre to St. Thomas, here handled by forwarding agent Koefoed, Whitmore & Co. (clear red oval on front) and handed over to the Danish PO, here posted with cds. "ST:-THOMAS 15 4 1860" by private ship to Boston with frontside arrival mark, "SHIP" and "5" (cents due), small marginal faults

PRUSSIA - UNITED STATES: 1851, Entire letter from "COELN 17/2", prepaid with "39½" silbergroschen addressed to a member of the German ship "Reform" at San Francisco, endorsed "via Panama", travelled via London, in closed package per "Trend" to St. Thomas (arrived March 19) and on March 24 per "Great Western" to Shagres and further via Panama to San Francisco, on reverse forwarding agent mark "Reynolds & Co. Express / San Francisco" and oval "NOT PAID", both in blue. A fine and extremely rare letter of the forwarding agent Reynolds & Co., who disappeared already in the fall of 1851

PUERTO RICO - GREAT BRITAIN: 1836, Entire letter with black "FORWARDED BY WHITMORE & Co. ST. THOMAS" to London with arrival mark of July 2, 1836 and red boxed "PACKET LETTER" on front, charged "2/2"

PUERTO RICO - GREAT BRITAIN: 1850, Entire letter from Guayama with red oval "FORWARDED BY WHITMORE & Co. ST. THOMAS" (oval in red), and British ST:-THOMAS MR 30 1850" to London with April 21 arrival mark, charged "2/2"

PUERTO RICO - UNITED STATES: 1863, Entire letter from Arecibo, transported by forwarding agent to San Juan and here posted at British PO with red "PORTO-RICO PAID" with manuscript "1/-" via "ST.-THOMAS JY 29 1863" via Spanish mail to Havana and from here to New York, charged "10" cents

VENEZUELA - GREAT BRITAIN: 1850, Entire letter with clear "CORREO DE VENEZUELA / GUAYRA FRANCA" with adjacent "2" (reales) via "ST:-THOMAS SE 13 1850", Southampton and London (October 5) to Bordeaux, on front red boxed "COLONIES & c. ART.13", charged on arrival with "15" decimes

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 - UNITED STATES: 1874, Entire letter from La Guaira with frontside blue oval marking of forwarding agent F. de Aldeoca & Co. and cds. "ST. THOMAS 11/2 1874" to New York with adjacent "NEW YORK JU 11 U.S. CURRENCY"

REVAL-TALLINN: 1839, lettersheet with 15 engraved city view with german inscription beneath, with full content dated 1839, few faults and minor imperfections, quite attractive

1702, folded letter written by Alexandre de Bourbon (Son of Louis XIV) sent to Brest, fine

1849, Ceres 10c. brown, fresh colour and good margins all around neatly tied by '3571' petit chiffres with adjacent cds. "CASTRES-S-L'AGOUT 3 JUIL 52" to printed matter to Brassac, fine, signed Miro and certificate Roumet (2019)

1849, Ceres 10c. brown, fresh colour and close to good margins, used, fine

10c. brown horizontal strip of three and 1fr. brown-carmine single, fresh colour, 1 fr. touched, 10c. right stamp touched and middle stamp with light crease, all tied by grilles with adjacent cds. "ANGERS 1 FEVR 52" to folded letter to New York, despite the few imperfections a scarce cover with good appearance

1849, Ceres 15c. green, fresh colour and good to wide margins, used, fine, signed Calves

15c. green, fresh colour and good margins all around tied by grilles to small folded lettersheet to Paris, a very attractive and fine entire, signed Cales and certificate Roumet (2019)

15c. green as vertical pair and 1fr. carmine, all with fresh colour, the pair with close to wide margins with part of adjoining stamps at left, 1 fr. minor faults at left, all tied by Étoile to folded lettersheet endorsed and with blue two-line cancel "Per Steamer from Liverpool" to Baltimore, a fine and very attractive entire, signed Roumet with certificate (2001)

20c. black, horiztonal pair with good to wide margins all around tied by grilles with adjacent cds. "PARIS 17 NOV 49" to folded letter to Lyon, a fine entire, certificate Roumet (2019)

20c. black with close to wide margins tied by cds. "CASTRES-GRIONDE 23 MARS 49" to small folded letter to Brede, a fine and very rare entire, signed Jean-Francois Brun and certificate Roumet (2019)

Ceres 40c. orange and 1852 Napoleon 10c. brown, fresh colours and good margins all around tied by '513" petit chiffres with adjacent cds. "BRETEUIL-S-ITON 9 OCT 53" to folded lettersheet, 40c. with horizontal crease, otherwise a fine and appealing mixed franking, signed Calves

1 fr. brown-carmine, fresh colour and close to good margins all around tied by grilles to folded lettersheet with adjacent cds. "PARIS 5 AVRL 51" to Marseille, a fine entire, signed Calves and Roumet with certificate (2003)

1852, Napoleon 10c. brown, fresh colour and good margins tied by Étoile to small piece, fine

1852, Napoleon 10c. brown horizontal pair, fresh colour and good margins all around tied by "3069" petit chiffres with adjacent cds. "ST FULGENT 7 AOUT 54" to small folded lettersheet to Napoleon Vendee, a very fine and attractive entire, signed Calves and certificate Roumet (2019)

1853, Napoleon 5c. light-green horizontal pair, deep and fresh colour and close to good margins all around tied by "2716" petit chifferes with adjacent cds. "RODEZ 31 JANV 59" to small folded letter, fine, signed Jean-Francois Brun

1853, Napoleon 5c. dark-green horizontal pair deep and fresh colour and good margins all around tied by "3361" petit chifferes with adjacent cds. "TIFFAUGES 25 JUIN 59" to mourning printed matter to Les Essart, a very attractive entire, cerrificate Roumet (2019)

1853, Napoleon 20c. dark-blue, fresh colour and close to wide margins with 11mm margin at left, tied by petit chiffres to small folded letter, very fine, signed Calves

1853, Napoleon 20c. blue, two singles tied by spanish "ESTRANGERO BARCELONA" to large part of folded lettersheet von Marseille to Barcelona, stamps with faults, some ageing, unusual and yet attractive entire

Napoleon 10c. brown and 20c. blue, fresh colour and mostly good margins, tied by "1495" petit chiffres to folded lettersheet endorsed via Le Havre with red cds. "BUREAUX MARITIME LE HAVRE 1 AVRIL" alongside to Veracruz, a nice entire showing the 30c. special rate with bâtiment de commerce ( private ship )

Napoleon 10c. brown, three singles and 40c. orange strip of three, mostly good margins, tied by "roulettes de petit points" to folded letter to Valparaiso, crease through one single stamp, otherwise an attractive entire

Napoleon 25c. blue, fresh colour and good margins all around tied by "1818" petit chifferes and cds. "LYON 12 AVRL 54" to folded lettersheet with adjacent boxed "APRES LE DEPART" to Mulhouse, fine

Napoleon 40c. orange, two horizontal pair and single 80c. carmine-rose, partly slightly touched, tied by "1495" petit chiffres to folded letter endorsed "Per Steamer New York" to New York with transit and arrival mark, an attractive entire