383rd Auction

1903, 4c brown & blue, horizontal pair, tied to Fecthenburg & Co cover to Hamburg, Germany by clean strike of St. Thomas c.d.s. (27 Feb), endorsed “per German Mail”, with Hamburg c.d.s. arrival backstamp (21 Mar), file hole punch at upper left, trace of discoloration at left margin and adhesions on reverse from prior mounting, a pleasing and scarce franking.

1902, 8c on 10c Provisional, two singles, and 5c light blue 1900 Issue, correctly paying the registered double-letter rate, tied to cover by St. Thomas c.d.s. (4 Apr), to Zehlendorf, Germany, with c.d.s. arrival backstamp (23 Apr), docketing on reverse indicating that the letter was found unsealed upon receipt in Germany, with contents found to be $45, matching sender’s declaration on front, sealed with wax impressed with postal seal of Hamburg, some light creasing and minor soiling, a rare usage; with 1988 Nielsen certificate.

1902, 1c on 3c postal stationery card, uprated with 2c on 3c and 8c on 10c surcharged adhesives, the former with inverted frame, postmarked Frederiksted (28 Apr), registered to Zehlendorf, Germany, with c.d.s. receiver (21 May) struck on front adjacent St. Thomas transit mark, a beautiful and scarce franking with fresh, bright colors, very fine.

1902, 2c on 3c surcharge, perforated 14:13.5, inverted frame, tied to postcard of Commercial Hotel by St. Thomas c.d.s. (11 Apr),. to Manila, Philippines, reverse with New York (24 Apr) and San Francisco (29 Apr) machine transit markings, trivial corner creases of no importance given the tremendous desirability of this franking, believed to be the only such example extant, further enhanced by its exotic destination, fine and extremely rare. (Facit 24a).

1903, 1c light green (1900) and 2c carmine strip of six (1903), correctly paying the 15c registered letter rate to New York, United States, tied by St. Thomas c.d.s. (31 Dec), with arrival backstamp, fine.

1905, 5bit on 4c block of eight, 5bit on 5c single, and 5bit on 8c block of four, correctly paying the foreign registered letter rate of 65b, cancelled Christiansted (16 Dec), to Copenhagen, with next-day St. Thomas transit and Copenhagen (10 Mar) c.d.s. arrival backstamp, a dramatic and rare franking.

1905, 5bit on 5c Provisional, irregular block of thirteen, correctly paying the foreign registered letter rate of 65bit, tied by Christiansted c.d.s. (16 Dec), to Copenhagen, Denmark, with St. Thomas transit (17 Dec) and Copenhagen (8 Jan) backstamps, a striking and rare franking.

1906, cover franked with 5bit light green vertical pair, 10bit brick red, 20bit green & ultramarine, and 25bit ultramarine, King Christian IX, tied by Christiansted c.d.s. (6 Dec), registered to La Sarthe, France, with St. Thomas (7 Dec) c.d.s. transit and two French c.d.s. backstamps, vertical fold at left, a pleasing four-color franking; with 1987 Nielsen certificate.

1906, 5bit light green, 10bit brick red horizontal pair, and 20bit green & ultramarine Christian IX, tied to registered cover by Christiansted c.d.s. (6 Feb), to Wiesbaden, Germany, with Le Havre transit (24 Feb) on front, St. Thomas and Wiesbaden (25 Feb) c.d.s. backstamps, fresh and attractive.

1906, 1fr green & blue Harbour Issue, pair and single, with two 25bit ultramarine Christian IX, on parcel card postmarked St. Thomas (24 Jan) to Kjorring, Denmark, correctly paying the rate for a single parcel of 2.7kg, with Hamburg (16 Feb), Kolding (17 Feb) and Kjorring (18 Feb) c.d.s. backstamps, trivial edge creases, a rare and impressive franking.

1907, postcard franked with 5bit light green Christian IX horizontal pair, “Julen 1907” tuberculosis charity fundraising seal affixed beside, postmarked with Frederiksted c.d.s. (28 Dec), next-day St. Thomas transit c.d.s. ties seal, to Copenhagen, Denmark, with trace of c.d.s. receiver at top right, a superb example of this label.

Beginning in 1904, sales began of charity labels such as the example offered here, which were sold at 2c each in aid of the construction of a sanatorium for children suffering from tuberculosis. Construction of the first such financed sanatorium began in 1907, and was opened in 1911.

1907, cover franked with 40bit red & grey and 25bit ultramarine Christian IX, paying the second step registered letter rate, postmarked with Frederiksted c.d.s. (17 Jan), boxed “FREDERIKSTED / R” registration handstamp adjacent, with additional violet boxed St. Thomas D.W.I. registration marking at lower left, to New York City, with St. Thomas c.d.s. transit (19 Jan), New York, and New York P.O. / Madison Square Station (28 Jan) backstamps, a desirable cover, infrequently seen with two D.W.I. registration markings, fine.

1907, 5fr yellow & brown Harbour, upper left corner single, tied to registered philatelic cover to Dresden, Germany,  by St. Thomas c.d.s. (16 Aug), with c.d.s. arrival backstamp, attractive.

1908, printed price list, franked with 5bit light green, tied by Frederiksted c.d.s. (10 Feb), to Germany, with St. Thomas (13 Feb) transit and Aue (8 Mar) c.d.s. arrival backstamps, a remarkably fresh entire and scarce single franking.

1908, cover franked with 5bit light green and 20bit green & ultramarine Christian IX, tied to cover to Tortola (Virgin Islands), with Road Town / Tortola V.I. c.d.s. arrival backstamp (5 Jun), the odd trivial spot of soiling, else a fine illustration of this rate to a nearby island.

1908, cover franked with 25bit ultramarine Christian IX, 10bit red Friedrich VIII, paying the correct registered domestic letter rate, tied by Frederiksted c.d.s. (2 Feb), struck with boxed rose “FREDERIKSTED” registration marking, to St. Thomas, with next-day c.d.s. arrival backstamp, some light creasing due to flimsy nature of the envelope, else a fine and desirable mixed franking.

1909, 10c brick red Christian IX, horizontal strip of five, tied to registered cover to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States by St. Thomas c.d.s. (23 May), with c.d.s. arrival and New York transit backstamps, light creases, yet an uncommon franking.

1909, cover franked with 1fr green & blue Harbour Issue, 10bit brick red and 15bit lilac & brown Friedrich VIII, tied to registered cover by Frederiksted c.d.s. (30 Sep), to Copenhagen, with c.d.s. arrival backstamp and New York (6 Oct) transit, reduced at either side, a scarce franking.

1909, 5bit green, 15bit violet & brown, 20bit green & blue, and 25bit blue & dark blue Christian X, tied by St. Thomas c.d.s. to cover from the German Consulate to Berlin, Germany, without backstamps, a pleasing four-color franking.

1909, 1c on 3c postal stationery card, uprated with 5b, 10b, and 15b Friedrich VIII issues, tied by Frederiksted c.d.s. (22/1), registered to Copenhagen, Denmark, with New York (1/31) transit and c.d.s. receiver (10/2) on front, 1908 Charlotte Amalie label affixed at lower left, with New York registration label overtop, an impressive franking and scarce registered usage.

1909, 20bit green & blue and 30bit red-brown and bluish-black Friedrich VIII, tied to registered cover by St. Thomas c.d.s. (20 Feb), to Brooklyn, New York, with New York (27 Feb), same-day Brooklyn and Sta C Brooklyn backstamps, small adhesions to reverse, else a fine usage of the elusive 30b value.

1911, 5c green Friedrich VIII horizontal pair, tied to cover to Westend, St. Thomas by KINGSHILL c.d.s. (26 Jan), with Frederiksted c.d.s. transit backstamp, light edge toning, but a rare Danish West Indies cancellation.

1912, cover franked with 5bit green Friedrich VIII strip of six, pair, and two singles, correctly paying the 50bit registered letter rate to Quebec, Canada, adhesives cancelled with St. Thomas c.d.s. (20 Jan), boxed violet ST THOMAS registration handstamp, with Montreal transit and Quebec (31 Jan) arrival backstamps, International Exchange club label affixed to reverse, an impressive franking to an uncommon destination

1912, 10bit red and 40bit red & grey Friedrich VIII, tied to registered cover by St. Thomas c.d.s. (21 Oct), to Seattle, Washington, redirected within the city, with New York (29 Oct), Seattle (2 Nov) and Seattle Sta F (4 Nov) backstamps, typical light wrinkles, fine.

1912, 15bit, tied to bilingual Avis de Reception, postmarked St. Thomas (25 May), to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, with May 31 c.d.s. receiver, signed by recipient and returned, with St. Thomas c.d.s. arrival backstamp (15 Jun), filing folds and trivial edge tears do not detract, a rare postal form; with 2001 Moller certificate.

1913, parcel card franked with two 1fr & blue Harbour Issue, 20bit green & blue and 30bit red-brown and bluish-black Friedrich VIII, postmarked St. Thomas (6 Dec), in payment for shipment of 1.9kg to Copenhagen, with c.d.s. receiver (26 Dec) struck on front, Hamburg and Copenhagen backstamps, a rare usage; with 1988 Moller certificate.

1915, cover franked with 50bit grey & yellow Christian IX, 30bit red brown & blue-grey Frederik VIII, tied to registered cover to Chicago by St. Thomas c.d.s. (16 Aug), with multiple strikes of c.d.s. arrival backstamps (30 Aug), some light creasing and horizontal fold, a scarce mixed franking of two of the more elusive denominations of these issues.

1917, two GRATIS POSTBEVIS (fee receipts) for registered mail, both from Christiansted, one example in purple with “95” bit value in manuscript, the other in blue with “50” bit value, a scarce duo.

1902, 1c to 10c blue Postage Dues, overprinted SPECIMEN in black, diagonally, descending, most with part original gum, each adhesive toned to some degree, quite scarce; with 1983 British Philatelic Association certificate.

Postage Dues, 1905, 5bit to 5bit compound proof in black, with two of each value, never hinged, very fine.

Postage Dues, 1905, 5bit to 5bit compound proof in black, with two of each value, hinged original gum, fine and unusual.

1905-15, 5bit, 20bit, 30bit, and 50bit red & grey, imperforate composite pane of forty, on ungummed paper, approximately 230mm x 145mm, showing imprint of plate border near edge, each denomination in a block of ten, separated from other denominations by approximately 5mm gutter, with cutting guidelines within, left and right sides showing notch cut into margin, well clear of designs, very minor paper wrinkling around edges, sheet has been folded through vertical gutter, a remarkable item and significant rarity.

1878, 6c lilac postal stationery card, postmarked with Frederiksted c.d.s. (25 May), to Germany via the United Kingdom, with London PAID c.d.s. transit in red, adhesion remnants on reverse from prior mounting, else a fine and rare usage.

1887, 3c postal stationery cover, postmarked Christiansted (1 Feb), carried as soldier’s mail to Copenhagen, Denmark, countersigned at lower left, stained at lower right, but a rare example of this concessionary rate.

The typical letter rate to Denmark at this time was 10c; military mail could be sent at the preferred rate of 3c.

1891-5, 3c red, Type III, cancelled with neatly-struck St. Jan c.d.s. (21 Jul), to St. Croix, with St. Thomas (21 Jul) and next-day Christiansted c.d.s. backstamps, some light edge toning, else fine, the St. Jan c.d.s. being quite scarce. (Facit FK8)

1895, 3c red Coat of Arms, postmarked with St. Thomas c.d.s. (25 Nov), to a Lieutenant on board the S.M.S. Prinzess Wilhelm “Chefoo, Japan”, crossed-out in blue crayon and readdressed to Amoy, with “c/o German Consulate…” at top, Singapore (7 Jan) and Shanghai (25 Jan) transit markings, light edge wear of no importance given the rarity of this unusual destination.

The S.M.S. Prinzess Wilhelm was in Irene-class cruiser, which was sent to reinforce the East Asia Squadron in January, 1895.  She often served as flagship of the East Asia Cruiser Division, and participated in the seizure of Kiautschou in 1898.