383rd Auction

1863, folded letter struck with fine red PAID AT ST. THOMAS Crown Circle, corresponding double-arc datestamp on reverse, rated “1” in red manuscript, endorsed “per Steamer” and carried via the Royal Mail Steam Packet vessel to Port au Prince, Haiti, fine.

1863, stampless cover postmarked with red ST THOMAS PAID “A” c.d.s. (14 Dec), rated 1/- in manuscript, paying the single ounce rate to London, with split-ring receiver on front (31 Dec), a few small edge tears, else fine.

1864, folded letter dated 23 July, franked with Trinidad 1863 1d lake, paying the inland rate, tied by circular black grid, postmarked with Trinidad double-arc despatch, to Ragged Islands, Nova Scotia, endorsed in manuscript “via St. Thomas & Bermuda”, with double-arc transit backstamp (29 Jul), “4” in manuscript denoting Caribbean transit amount due, received in Halifax on August 10, partial Ragged Island receiver backstamp (13 Aug), a desirable routing.

1865, cover from Barcelona to Lima, Peru franked with two 1864 2r blue horizontal pairs, large margins, cancelled with barred numeral in black, Barcelona double-circle despatch c.d.s. at right (15 Dec), endorsed "Via de Inglaterra", with 'London / Paid' split-ring transit in red (19 Dec), carried from there by the Royal Mail Steam Packet ship "Seine" from Southampton to St. Thomas, thence by the "Tyne" to, Colon with British Post Office in PANAMA double arc (24 Jan) on obverse and Pacific Steam Navigation Co. steamer to Callao, Lima c.d.s. arrival backstamp (2 Feb) filing fold clear of adhesives, else scarce and fine, with 1992 Graus certificate; ex Santos.

1865, folded letter, struck with oval “Segond & Laferriere / St. Thomas” commercial oval, to Marseille, France, without St. Thomas postal markings, endorsed “per Shannon” (of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.), rated “8” in manuscript and struck with circular “PD” in red, postmarked with London split-ring (28 Feb), same-day “ANGL / AMB CALAIS A” entry c.d.s. backstamped with Lyon A Marseille “A” TPO (1 Mar), same-day Marseille arrival c.d.s., horizontal fold, else fine.

1866, folded cover to Nantes, France, reverse with St. Thomas double-arc despatch of the British Post Office (13 Jul), carried by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company to London (30 Jul), “GB / 1F60c” British-French accountancy mark and 10 (decimes) due marking struck on front, ANGL / AMB CALAIS entry c.d.s., backstamped “Paris a Nantes” (30 Jul), with next-day arrival c.d.s., fine. 

1866, folded letter datelined Paris, March 30, to Cobija, Bolivia, franked with perforated Napoleon 20c blue, 40c orange, 80c rose singles and 80c pair, paying the 3fr rate, steamship and “via Panama” endorsement partially obscured by franking, cancelled by Paris “4” star and Paris (R. D'Enghien) double-circle c.d.s. (31 Mar), via London (2 Apr) and British Post Office in Panama (22 Apr), blue c.d.s. Cobija receiver on front (9 May), filing fold through 20c adhesive, a few small wormholes at top, but a striking franking to a desirable destination.

1866, cover to Berlin, franked with 1d. red, plate 88 horizontal pair and 9d straw, horizontal strip of three issues of Great Britain, cancelled with C35 Type 4 numeral used in Panama (Colombia), with 10c Colon, margins close to touching, cut into on left side, uncancelled but affixed at upper right, likely from an aborted plan to dispatch the cover from Chile, struck with Panama (20 Nov) and London Paid (16 Dec) datestamps, blue Berlin arrival backstamp (17 Dec), one 1d red adhesive faulty, one 9d straw with straight edge, small piece torn from back flap, light overall wrinkling, a most unusual and scarce franking; signed Holcombe, with his 1991 certificate.

Provenance:

Collection Georg D. Mehrtens, 2006. 

1866, stampless cover postmarked with blue oval Hamburg datestamp (29 Apr), fully prepaid to St. Thomas and rated “19” (shillings) in red, endorsed “p. R.M. Steamer” and struck with London PAID transit c.d.s. (1 May), the British Post Office noting the converted rate as 1/2, St. Thomas c.d.s. arrival backstamp (16 May), scattered light toning spots, else a fine incoming cover.

1868, folded letter datelined Puerto Rico, 11 December, franked with strip of four 1867 10d red brown, paying the triple rate to Cadiz, Spain, tied by horizontal oval C51 numeral, and St. Thomas PAID c.d.s. in red (13 Dec), manuscript endorsed “via Inglaterra”, with London PAID transit c.d.s. (28 Dec), manuscript “6” (reales) in red denoting Spanish inland rate, Cadiz c.d.s. arrival backstamp, trivial light wrinkles, a scarce and most impressive franking.

Provenance:

Robson Lowe, 12 January 1955, lot 23.

1870, folded letter datelined St. Thomas, July 28, to Hamburg, Germany, franked with two 1864 1d rose red , plate 125, an horizontal strip of four 3d rose, plate 5, all cancelled with C51 oval obliterator of St. Thomas, 1d reds also partially tied by red St. Thomas PAID c.d.s. (29 Jul) and London transit, Hamburg machine arrival backstamp (8 Aug), horizontal fold clear of adhesives, an impressive double rate letter, fine.

Provenance:

Collection André Bollen, Heinrich Köhler, Wiesbaden, 8 Feb 1983, lot 653

1871, G. W. Smith Co.’s Market Report & Shipping List, franked with 1864 1d rose red, plate 124, paying the printed matter rate to Demerara, British Guiana, tied to cover by fair C51 vertical oval of St. Thomas, with red “St. Thomas PAID” c.d.s. (1 Oct), the odd tone spots mentioned for strict accuracy, a pleasing example of this scarce rate.

1872, folded letter with printed contents, franked with 2d blue, plate 13, tied by bold strike of C51 vertical barred numeral, adjacent “St. Thomas PAID” c.d.s. in red (29 Feb), blue commercial handstamp of Costa Hermanos & Co, to Genova, Italy, a fresh and fine solo franking paying the less common printed matter rate.

Provenance:

Collection Georg D. Mehrtens, 2006

1872, folded letter datelined Arroyo [Puerto Rico], carried privately to the Danish West Indies or via the British local line that traveled around the southern coast of Puerto Rico, franked at St. Thomas with perforated 2d. blue horizontal pair, plate 13, cancelled by St. Thomas PAID “A” C51 duplex (13 Jun), endorsed “p. Amr. Str. / from St. Thomas”, to New York, with “N.Y. STEAMSHIP 10” (19 Jun) transit c.d.s., having been carried on the Merrimac which departed St. Thomas for New York on 13 June, a quicker routing than the British mails via Havana, light filing folds, one through pair, else a fine and important cover; illustrated in Engstrom, “Danish West Indies Mail 1754-1917”, Vol I.

Conveyance of mail as illustrated by the cover offered here was handled under the terms of the 1868 Anglo-American Postal Treaty; only British mail destined for beyond St. Thomas was permitted to be carried by United States packet.

1872, folded letter with printed contents, datelined Mayaguez, August 1, franked with 3d rose, tied by neatly-struck St. Thomas PAID “A” C51 duplex (13 Aug) and red PD oval, to Genova, Italy, a fresh and fine example of printed matter originating in Puerto Rico, rare, believed the only example of this rate via St. Thomas to Italy.

1873, folded cover from the firm of forwarding agents Nunes Fils & Co, docketed 13 May, with their blue commercial datestamp on reverse, franked with 1864 1d rose red pair and single, 1865 4d vermilion, Plate 12, tied by “St. Thomas PAID” C51 duplex (14 May), to St. Malo, France, carried via London, with 28 May transit c.d.s., same-day ANGL. AMB. CALAIS entry mark, St. Malo c.d.s. receiver backstamp (29 May), light filing fold passing through one 1d adhesive, a scarce franking.

1873, folded cover, from the firm of M. Meyer & Co, franked with Great Britain 4d vermilion, plate 13, tied by St. Thomas C51 duplex (3 Aug), to Puerto Rico, endorsed “Ppd” at left, further franked with Spanish Cuba 25c pearl grey horizontal pair, tied by fancy Maltese Cross cancellation, paying the inland postage, c.d.s. arrival backstamp, horizontal filing fold with slight separation at top, traces of toning around edges, yet an important cover, our research yielding only one other comparably-franked example (ex “Hogensborg”), rare, with 1984 British Philatelic Association certificate; ex Garcio Loma, Preston.

Venezuela: 1873, folded cover internally docketed "Maracaybo Julio 25 1873", privately carried to Curacao, here entering the mails with Curacao c.d.s. (7 Aug), postage being paid in cash, adjacent black FRANCO straight-line, endorsed "Care of the Honorable J. Cappe", forwarding agents in St. Thomas, upon receipt franked with 4 d. vermilion, plate 13, tied by crisp "ST. THOMAS PAID AU 15 73" duplex and sent onwards to Veracruz, a rare and most attractive cover.
Provenance: Collection Dr. Paul J. Kornan, Harmers, New York, 27 September 1994, lot 133

1874, folded letter with Bache & Co’s Freight Report printed contents, internally printed “Per ‘Elbe’”, perforated 2d blue, plate 14, partially affixed overtop “Printed Circular” manuscript endorsement, postmarked with “St. Thomas PAID” C51 duplex (28 Oct), to Arendal, Norway,  fresh and fine; printed matter mail from the Danish West Indies is very scarce, with Dubois recording approximately thirteen examples between 1865-76.

Provenance:

Collection Glassco, Robson Lowe, 25-27 November, 1969, lot 770

Collection “Windsor”, Harmers New York, 28 October 1983, lot 742

1874, folded cover, franked with 1873 3 rose, plate 18, and 1867 5sh dull blue, tied by Porto Rico C61 duplex of San Juan (14 Mar), to Genova, Italy, handstamped routing endorsement “VIA DE YNGLATERRA” in blue, with London PAID transit c.d.s. (31 Mar), Genova c.d.s. arrival backstamp (3 Apr), fine.

1874, cover franked with 1874 6d grey, plate 13, 1874 1sh green, plate 9, and 1867 2sh blue, tied together by St. Thomas PAID “A” C51 duplex (14 Sep), to Hamburg, Germany, blue J. VICENTE MARACAIBO forwarding agent handstamp and “3/6” manuscript rate notation obscured by franking, thus cover likely carried privately to the Danish West Indies and there conveyed to the British Post Office, red London PAID transit (29 Sep) c.d.s, Hamburg c.d.s. arrival backstamp (1 Oct), roughly opened, some overall creasing and small tear at top clear of adhesive, yet an unusual franking and desirable Venezuelan origin.  

1875, cover endorsed “Prepaid” and struck with Christiansted c.d.s. (12 May), the 3c inland rate having been paid in cash, with likely manuscript notation attesting to such covered by 6d grey horizontal pair, plate 14, tied to cover to Glasgow, Scotland, by St Thomas PAID “B” C51 duplex, with c.d.s. arrival backstamp (31 May), with Moller BPP handstamp, light edge wrinkling, fine and usual.

1875, folded cover franked with Great Britain perforated 1d rose red, plate 109, strip of four, paying the rate for transit to Puerto Plata [Dominican Republic] via the Royal Mail Packet Post, tied by St. Thomas PAID C51 duplex (2 Sep), endorsed “per Mersey”, light wrinkles, horizontal fold through two adhesives, else a fine and scarce franking.

1876, folded cover, docketed “Miragoane, le 8 Aout”, struck with blue oval forwarding agent handstamp of G. Serre & Cie, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, to Havre, France, endorsed “per Royal Mail Steamer”, carried via St. Thomas with c.d.s. transit backstamp (13 Aug), and London, where struck with black “T/1-10” postage due marking, ANGL. AMB CALAIS (28 Aug) c.d.s. entry mark, Paris Au Havre transit an Le Havre c.d.s. arrival backstamps (29 Aug), “17” (decimes) struck in black indicating amount due from recipient, light filing folds, a scarce unpaid cover from Haiti routed via the British Post Office in St. Thomas.

1876, folded letter datelined Mayaguez, Porto Rico, 22 September, to Genova, Italy, franked with three 1870 1/2d rose, plate 11, and 1875 1sh green, plate 12, tied by vertical oval C51 obliterator of St. Thomas, blue commercial datestamp of Farbe & Co, postmarked with Mayaguez / Porto Rico / Paid c.d.s. (23 Sep), endorsed “via Inglesa” in manuscript, with red London PAID transit (16 Oct), c.d.s. arrival backstamp (18 Oct), pressed filing folds, a most attractive and scarce usage from the British Post Office in Puerto Rico via the Danish West Indies.

Provenance:

Collection Glassco, Robson Lowe, 25-7 November, 1969, lot 774

1876, James T. Abbott & Co’s Circular, franked with 1864 1d rose red, plate 170, tied to folded letter by neatly-struck St. Thomas PAID “A” C51 duplex (27 May), to St. Georges, Bermuda, vertical fold well clear of adhesive, a fresh and scarce entire.

Provenance:

Christie’s, 14 September, 1994, lot 2487

1865, folded letter to Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe, J.F. Laferriere & Cie oval handstamp partially obscured by 1862-71 20c blue and 40c orange, paying the 60c letter rate for mail up to 7.5g, cancelled by dotted anchor, with St. Thomas c.d.s. of the Danish Post Office below (31 Dec), endorsed “pr Cacique”, indistinct backstamps, 20c adhesive with horizontal crease, 40c sulphurized, else a fine entire.

The firm of J.F. Laferriere & Cie also acted as forwarding agents. In this instance, however, the letter was despatched on their own account.

1866, folded cover to Marseilles, France, franked with 80c rose horizontal pair (partially separated), tied by dotted anchor cancel, postmarked with St. Thomas c.d.s. (12 Dec) of the D.W.I. Post Office, endorsed “p.p.” at lower left, “St. Thomas / Paq Fr. B. No 4” (27 Dec), Paris, Lyon a Marseille, and Marseille (Jan 13) backstamps, addressee’s name partially overwritten, piece excised from back from removal of wax seal, else a fine example of this double letter rate to France.

1867, folded letter to Bordeaux, France, handstruck “20” (decimes) rate marking, postmarked with La Guayra c.d.s. (4 Dec), endorsed “via St. Nazaire”, backstamped with “LIGNE A PAQ FR No 1” c.d.s. (9 Dec, one with apparent date slug error), Bordeaux c.d.s. receiver (24 Dec), some light toning.

1867, folded cover to Havana, Cuba, from the firm of Paulsen & Co, forwarding agents, franked with  1870-1 20c dull blue and 40c orange, cancelled by dotted anchor obliterator, postmarked with St. Thomas c.d.s. (30 Sep), handstamped with boxed PP in red, endorsed “per Louisiane” (of the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique), boxed Cuban “NE2” handstamp in blue, backstamped with St. Thomas PAW FR B No 3 sorter’s c.d.s. (30 Sep), blue Havana receiver (4 Oct), filing folds, one through 40c adhesive, else fine.

1868, folded letter to Havre, France, franked with 1863-70 80c rose horizontal pair (partially separated), cancelled with dotted anchor obliterator, postmarked with St. Thomas c.d.s. (23 Jul), endorsed “via Nazaire”, backstamped with “Ligne B / Paq Fr. No 3” sorter’s c.d.s. (24 Jul), Le Havre c.d.s. arrival backstamp (8 Aug), typical filing folds, right adhesive with diagonal crease, else a fine double-rate letter.

1869, folded cover to Cardiff, Wales, franked with 1872-5 80c rose horizontal pair, centrally-struck with dotted anchor cancellation, adjacent St. Thomas c.d.s. of the Danish West Indies (25 Jan), boxed red PD handstamps, St. Thomas PAQ FR B No 3 (26 Jan) ship marking on front, Cardiff (11 Feb) arrival backstamps, unobtrusive filing folds, one backstamp largely cutout from removal of wax seal, else fine.

1870, folded letter to Paris, datelined La Guayra [Venezuela], 3 August, struck with black “19” and endorsed “via St. Nazaire”, which traveled via St. Thomas, postmarked with neat “La Guayra / Paq. Fr. No. 1” c.d.s., a remarkably fresh entire; with 1988 Robineau certificate.

1870, folded letter datelined St. Thomas, 23 April, carried by French ship under the terms of the Anglo-French Postal Convention, postmarked with “St. Thomas Paq Fr B NO 1” c.d.s. (23 Apr), struck with oval “FR / 2F20c”, the only recorded example of this accountancy mark on mail from St. Thomas, red London split-ring arrival backstamp (10 May), an unusual example of unpaid mail to Great Britain carried via French packet; ex “Hogensborg”

1873, folded letter datelined Caracas, to Bordeaux, France, franked with 1870-1 40c orange and two 1872-5 30c brown, cancelled by dotted anchor and postmarked La Guayra (6 Dec), red boxed “PD” on front, endorsed in manuscript “via St. Nazaire”, backstamped Paris/Etranger (26 Apr), Paris a Bordeaux (26 Apr), and Bordeaux (27 Apr), filing folds, else fine.

1874, folded cover to Bordeaux, France, franked with 1872-5 30c brown pair, 40c orange single, tied by dotted anchor obliterator, endorsed “Steamer Francais” in manuscript, postmarked with neatly-struck St. Thomas “Consul” c.d.s. (26 Aug), boxed PD below, “Ligne B / Paq Fr B No 2” paquebot transit and Bordeaux (12 Sep) c.d.s. arrival backstamps, pressed filing folds, a fine illustration of the 1fr per 10g letter rate to France.