1926, postage due 2 pence agate, overprinted BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE in black, vertical pair, tied by indistinct cds to South Africa 4 pence registration stationary envelope front, uprated with ship 1 penny, tied by cds “JOHANNESBURG 13 DE 26”, with adjacent circle “4D.” and framed rectangular “POSTED OUT OF COURSE”, to Francistown. An extremely rare non-philatelic usage of the first postage dues, just one further recorded.  

1882: Hope, 6 pence mauve, in combination with Egypt first issue postage dues 1884, 1 piastre rose-red and 10 para rose red, all fresh colour and perforations mainly fine (1pia overhanging base), the former tied by cds “BARKLY FE 1 85” (Griqualand West) and the latter by cds “CAIRE ARRIVEE 5 MR 85”, to an envelope sent to a solider in Cairo, Egypt, two “T” marks and manuscript “50”, endorsed “To be forwarded”. Reverse, transit cds “LONDON FE 25 85” and indistinct arrival cds. Some imperfections to be expected. Remarkably well preserved. Scarce combination. 

Note: Incorrectly treated and charged as if it were a letter from within the UPU. Interestingly from a British Officer on the Sir Charles Warren expedition in Griqualand West sent to another officer serving with Suakin Field Forces in Egypt (Sudan Campaign). 

1894/1922: Group of stationery material from Africa (British), comprising nine items, of which there are three parcel tags with mixed frankings, two posting receipts with postage and four stationery postal cards, including; Natal 1894 1½ pence brown, provisional surcharged to “HALFPENNY”, used. Tanganyika 1922, Specimen of the 15 cents red. One parcel tag from Kenya & Uganda, one from South Africa and 1901 Natal tag franked with 1 penny, 6 pence and 1 shilling, the latter overprinted with “POSTAGE” (non-revenue usage) tied by cds “REGISTERED NATAL JU 22 01” with arrival alongside “CAMBERLEY JY 12 01”. Fine group (9). 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 402 (Tanganyika card).

1885: Stationery postal card 1 penny carmine on buff, uprated with two 1882 4 pence brown, fresh colour and fine perforations, tied by cds “DURBAN NATAL 17 MY 89”, sent to Hong Kong, transit “CALLE SHIP LETTER” undated circle, “COLOMBO PAID JU 8 89” and “CALLE PAID JU 9 89”. Reverse, Hong Kong Marine Sorter cds in black “SINGAPORE TO HONG KONG JU 17 89”. Damage from Colombo cds otherwise minor imperfections. Fine. 

Note: Sent by private ship from Natal to Ceylon. While Natal was a non-UPU member, they could only send postal cards to UPU destinations at the letter rate. Had Natal been a member, the rate would have been 1½  pence.

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 656.

1892: formula post card, “1½d” surcharge on 3 pence blue, first printing, good colour, perforations mainly fine, tied by coat of arms with squared circle alongside “BLOEMFONTEIN O.V.S. 12 SEP 92” sent to Crefeld, arrival cds “CREFELD 3 10 92”. Perforations at top dulled due to proximity to edge. Fine. Scarce early use. Comes with an 1889, ½ penny Cape of Good Hope stationery card inbound to Orange Free State from Johannesburg uprated with 1 pence carmine. 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 710 (OFS Card) & 262 (Cape of Good Hope card). 

1878: 5 shilling green and 1883/84, ½ orange (on reverse), of fresh colour and good perforations, tied by cds “WINBURG O.V.S. SP 21 96” to a registered envelope sent to Budapest, Hungary, faint violet hooded circle “REGISTERED OCT 96”. Reverse, oval “REGISTERED CAPE TOWN SP 27 98” and arrival cds “BUDAPEST FO POSTA 96 OCT 12”. Scarce high-value on cover. 

Note: Sent as a parcel envelope, the 5s paying the third and highest weight step in international parcel post. 

1885: Stationery postal card 1 penny carmine uprated with 1885/93, Arms, 1 penny carmine, fresh colour, perforations fine, tied by cds “PETORIA Z.A.R. 18 JU 93” sent to Coban, Guatemala, endorsed “via United States Livingstone”, transit cds “CAPE TOWN CAPE COLONY JU 21 93”, red “LONDON JY ? 93” and blue Guatemala transit “CORREOS PUERTO BARRIOS stop. JUL 27 1893”. Corner bend top right and discolouration to left, which doesn't detract. 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 736.

Provenance: Collection Carl H. Lange, 1984. 

Parcel Post 1885: £5 deep green, 10 shilling dull chestnut, 5 shilling slate, 3 pence mauve and ½ penny grey, all of good colour, perforations mainly fine, tied by triangular parcel handstamp “Z A R 60” to a parcel tag sent registered with two oval “R / Z.A.R." marks. Manuscript notation in red ink indicating weight and postage fee (gold shipment). Reverse, cds “PELGRIMSBUST Z.A.R. 16 MEI 95”. Heavy creasing as is often the case with parcel tag; the £5 with corner bend. Rare; only £5 sterling stamp reported in payment of postage in the British Empire. 

Note: Sent at 549 x rates at £5.15.3½ for a “Letter Parcel” weight 17 Ibs - 2½. oz.

1883: De La Rue Proof prototype essay for the stationery postal card 1 penny carmine, with hand-illustrated imprint stamp in light pencil, showing the head of Queen Victoria and the value ONE PENNY, dated “19 JUL 83”. The heading is from the 1½ pence card, with the addition of the wording “(FOR COUNTRIES WITHIN 300 MILES)”. Minor stains. Visually appealing. Rare. 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 431.

1884: Stationery postal card 2 pence blue on cream, used with cds “TRINIDAD MR 6 84” with two additional strikes alongside, sent to Adelaide, South Australia and struck with a two-line red instructional handstamp upon arrival “POST CARDS TO THIS ADDRESS / CANNOT BE FORWARDED”.  Small closed tear at top, which doesn't detract. Well preserved. Scarce. 

Note: This card was not valid to Australia, despite the wording on the card which indicates “East”, since the Australian Colonies were not yet members of the UPU. The rate would have needed to be 7½ pence. 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 453.

Provenance: Collection Sir John Marriott. 

1882: Surcharged “ONE PENNY” in black on rosy-carmine vertical pair and a ½ penny bisect, all of good colour and perforations, tied by cds “TRINIDAD NO 27 82” to an envelope sent to Barbados, with an additional strike alongside. Reverse, arrival cds “BARBADOS NO 29 1882” in black. Minor soiling. Well-preserved for this region. Fine and scarce usage. 

Note: One of the few instances in the Americas where the base rate was appropriate given the distance to the destination (Barbados). The 1 penny values were overprinted to comply with the UPU regulations for stamps to bear a value - in numbers - not words.

1892: Stationery postal card surcharged “1d.” in black on 1½ penny brown on buff, with cds “TURKS ISLANDS OC 25 92” below imprint, sent to Halifax, Canada. Reverse, arrival “HALIFAX CANADA NO 5 92”. Very fine and attractive. Comes with the same card from the UPU specimen archive and dated received “416.25.1893” in pencil. Interestingly, the use of the card pre-dates the receipt by the UPU of the new surcharged card.  

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, both cards illustrated pg. 728. 
 

1881: Provisional surcharge “½” in black on 1 shilling dull blue and “4” in black on 6 pence, good colour, tied by barred oval with oval “REGISTERED TURKS ISLAND DE 23 95” both in black, to a mourning envelope sent to Kingston, Jamaica, a “JAMAICA REGISTERED DEC 29 95”. Opening fault top of envelope and top of ½ and base of 4 have cut perforations. An attractive and extremely rare cover.  Cert. BPA (1964). Additionally, comes with four unused singles from the same issue; ½ on 6d., ½ on 1s., 4 on 6d. and 2½ on 6d. 

1881: Local surcharges “½” in black on 1 penny dull red, Setting 10, Type 9, good colour, tied by indistinct barred oval to an envelope sent to Nova Scotia, Canada (ca.1891- printed circular rate of 1 January 1891 onwards). Fault top left of the envelope, not apparent on account of being folded for display. Vertical and horizontal filing creases well clear of adhesive, which has the top right side clipped. Rare use of this issue. 

1881: Local surcharges “½” in black on 1 penny dull red, Setting 10, Types 9 and 10, vibrant colour and perforations good for this issue, a top right corner marginal block of fifteen, rows 1 & 2 with surcharge Type 9 and row 3 Type 10, unused, no gum. Minor soiling and imperfections. Scarce marginal multiple; the margins normally removed to accommodate the capacity of the printing press Gi = £ 1'075+ as singles.

1875/1946: Accumulation of covers and cards from around the world, with mainly a range of Latin America, a small selection of Europe (modern) and a few US and Canada. Destination mail, single frankings from Ecuador, Uruguay, Salvador and Argentina. Also, more unusual stationery, such as; Nicaragua 1894 UPU printed envelope ”Service des Postes” sent to El Salvador, 1876 Curaçao 15 cents stationery card to Holland (two stamps missing) and Persia 1876/80 issue 10 shahis tied to wrapper from Shiraz to Teheran (torn cover). Five exhibition pages with better items from overseas and small group of postage dues items of Switzerland applied to incoming mail and an example of the bilateral treaty letter rate Virgin Islands/US (1915). Interesting group. Condition is mixed, with one or two fine examples. 

1885: Small Dragon, 3 candarins lilac, vertical pair and single (partly weak, watery print), used on reverse of envelope with customs chop and adjacent “CUSTOMS TIENTSIN OCT 12 90”, sent to Berlin, Germany and tied on arrival by “Bestellt Postamte 8/12.90" in black, transit ”CUSTOMS SHANGHAI OCT 26 90" in black alongside a French transit “1 NOV 90 PAQ.FR. No. 1”. Front, bearing French Sage type 25 centimes black on salmon, fresh colour and fine perforations, tied by black cds “SHANG-HAI CHINE 31 OCT 90” with additional strike alongside. Fine and rare. 

1883/88: UPU Koban 2 sen red, three singles and New Koban 10 sen brown-orange, four examples tied by four strikes of “YOKOHAMA FUSUKO” (insufficiently prepaid) to Post Office Form "Yokohama Posts & Telegraphs Office" (postal affairs envelope) with Japanese text line "German Warship / Kaiser". Fine and most unusual receipt for postage due on “Naval Mail” bag from home. Cert. Eichhorn BPP (2017).

Note: The certificate suggests this to be a form, a part of a collective mail including several underpaid mails (probably from overseas) addressed to the German ship, with a total charge to be due of 46 Sen. SMS Kaiser (II) stays at Yokohama are recorded for 1895/99 only, which gives an approx. dating of this item. 

1884/92: Group of fifteen stationery post cards, eight of which are used, comprising examples from Chile (4), two used, one uprated; Costa Rica (2), including a card sent to Sydney, Australia returned for postage, Guatemala (2), including a reply card returned from Germany, Peru (2) used, Nicaragua (2) unused, Salvador (2) used, and Uruguay (1) unused. Condition mainly fine, with the odd fault. 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 260 (Costa Rica returned for postage) and pg. 530 (Guatemala reply from Germany).

1880/84, response card 80 reis orange, commercially used with c.d.s. "LEIPZIG 22 8 85" to Rio de Janeiro with two different arrival marks. Fine and scarce

1888 (29 May) Postal Notice : Foreign and Colonial Parcel Post. Enclosure of Letters in Parcels. Sealing of Foreign Parcels. A British GPO broadside notice (210 x 330 mm.) warning against letters in parcels and about proper sealing with wax or lead seals, as well as a list of 67 UPU members accepting Parcel Post. Small puncture holes at top and folded lower third. Fine and scarce. 

1864: Line Engraved 1 penny red, plate 129, lettered EJ, in combination with Surface Printed 4 pence vermilion, plate 12, lettered NA, fresh colour and fine perforations, tied by duplex “383 HULL OC 23 72” to an entire sent to Landskrona, Sweden, with red circle “PD” and handstruck red accountancy “2½ ” alongside. Fine. Additionally, comes with an 1866 cover from Bradford sent to Paris franked with 1858 2 pence blue plate 9 and 1865 4 pence vermilion plate 7. Fine. Scarce duo. 

1869: Line-Engraved 1 penny red, plate 134, two singles, used in combination with Surface-Printed 1874, 6 pence grey, plate 15, good colour and perforations mostly fine, tied by dumb cancel to envelope, originally pasted up to Book-Parcel from London to the United States, with cds “LONDON 3 MR 77” and two strikes of an instructional handstamp “SUSPECTED LIABLE / TO / CUSTOMS DUTY” in black. Corner fault to first 1d red and some creasing. A very interesting item with the only recorded strike of the American instructional marking.

Note: The UK had long subsidized “book post” mail. However, the USA did not treat such as “printed matter” and imposed customs duties on “books”.  The USA's, so called, “Tax on Knowledge” was a subject of several diplomatic exchanges and noted within British PO notices to the public from 1876 through to the 1890's.  Berne'74 had not anticipated a customs duty problem. 

1874: Congress of Berne Special rate to and from Cuba and UK. Two covers, mounted on an exhibition page, informatively presented, illustrating the elusive Special rate to non-member Cuba, made possible by GPU transit. Comprising an 1876, unpaid stampless lettersheet from Havana to Edinburgh (Scotland), bearing a manuscript “10” in blue, and the handstamps “T” and  “6d” in circle in black. Reverse, New York cds and a railway transit cds “CARLISLE SORTING TENDER EDINr. DE 11 76”. Some soiling and creasing. Second example; 1864, 1 penny red and 1876, 2½ pence rosy mauve, plate 7, tied to an entire from London to Havana, with handstruck “4” in black and manuscript “10” in red, sent via New York at the 3½ pence rate. Minor imperfection. Scarce duo. 

1873: Surface-Printed 1 shilling green, plate 12, lettered KG, Spray wmk., perf. 14, top marginal single, good colour and perforations, tied by duplex “466 LIVERPOOL 16 SP 76” to a lettersheet sent to St. Thomas, forwarded to Porto Plata (Dominican Republic) with additional 1865 4 pence vermilion, plate 14, lettered ED, Large Garter wmk., perf. 14, fresh colour and good perforations, tied by duplex “C51 ST. THOMAS OC 4 76". Reverse, arrival cds ”ST. THOMAS OC 4 76". Some climactic discolouration as is usual and small fault top right into margin of 1 shilling. Scarce combination. 

Remark: Only one similar franking on a forwarded cover from GB via D.W.I. to Porto Plata recorded in the Karl Louis Card Index.

Note: The sender is apparently unaware that the British PO at Porto Plata had recently reopened; this cover being sent from the UK at the 1 shilling pre-GPU rate to St. Thomas for conveyance to Porto Plata. This forwarding was done at the intra-Caribbean British rate of 4 pence, because these British offices abroad were outside the GPU framework, thus forwarding required additional postage. 

Provenance: Baron Jacob von Uexkull Collection, D. Feldman, 19. Nov. 1997, lot 20463

Parcel Post 1881: Surface-Printed 1 shilling orange-brown, plate 14, lettered HC, Crown wmk., perf. 14, of fresh colour and good perforations, tied by a clear cds “WARWICK 7 AU 83” to a “PARCELS POST WARWICK” label, with additional strike alongside. Label has been slightly reduced as is often the case and is still affixed to parcel wrapper. Rare “PARCELS” (instead of the more common “PARCEL”) Post label used within the first week of the parcel post in the UK.  Second-earliest recorded example. 

Note: 1 shilling was the highest rate possible on domestic parcels weighing 5-7 lbs. 

Parcel Post 1884: De La Rue High-Values 2 shilling 6 pence lilac and 5 shilling rose strip of three, in combination with Jubilee 1887, 1 shilling dull green and 1891, £1 green, all of fresh colour and perforations mainly fine, tied by oval “REGISTERED LONDON CHIEF OFFICE 13 JUN 00” to the reverse of a registered “On Her Britannic Majesty's Service” parcel tag, sent to Santiago, Chile, by the British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury (signed at top), addressed to Sir T. B. Cusack Smith and c/o British Consulate General, Valparaiso, with handstruck oval “R” in black and an additional “REGISTERED LONDON CHIEF OFFICE 13 JUN 00”. First 5 shilling has a prefix wrinkle south-east corner which doesn't detract. Remarkably well-preserved. Very rare franking, the Queen Victoria £1 green is exceedingly rare, much more so than the KEVII £1 green which is also a rarity. Sent at a Letter Postage rate plus 2d registration of £1.18.06, via the Diplomatic Pouch. 

Note: Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830 to 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a total of over thirteen years. In office; 23 June 1885 – 28 January 1886, 25 July 1886 – 11 August 1892 and 25 June 1895 – 11 July 1902. 

Reference: Illustrated in “Collectors Club Philatelist”, New York, Jan./Febr. 2011

Provenance: Spink, 24 May 2002, lot 1055

1877: Telegraph 6 pence grey, plate 1, lettered PD, Spray wmk. sideways, perf. 14, good colour and perforations mostly fine, tied by duplex “HASTINGS JY 24 79” to an envelope sent to Chakrata, India, endorsed “Via Brindisi”. Reverse, transit cds “ORE JY 24 79”, “SEA POST OFFICE AUG 1” and arrival “CHAKRATA 17 AUG”. Minor wrinkling to envelope slightly affecting adhesive and a couple of short perforations at top. Fine and scarce transitional 6 pence India & Far East rate; the use of a Telegraph stamp as postage is uncommon. 

Note: UK granted a special concession transitional rate of 6d for such mail directed via Brindisi from 1 April 1879 to 31 January 1880. 

Provenance: Gilbert Wheat Collection, Cavendish, 10 June 2009, lot 521

1875: Foreign stationery postal card 1¼ pence brown, uprated with Line-Engraved 1864 1 penny red, plate 209, vertical pair, good colour and perforations, tied by barred duplex “020 CLEVEDON 16 MR 79", sent to Jamaica, West Indies, with transit and arrival cds “KINGSTON JAMAICA 4 AP 79” and “GORDON TOWN JAMAICA 4 AP 79”. Two small tears at top of card. Rare example of a post card from the UK to Jamaica at the transitional rate of 3¼ pence - of necessity being overpaid by ¼ penny because there were no farthing stamps. 
 

Note: The UK mistakenly relied upon the GPU “Rule of Reciprocity” in matching Transitional Rates permitted only to new, small members. Transitional Rates were not for founding members. 

Reference: The Postal History of the Universal Postal Union: The Postal Card, Worldwide 1869-1975, Volume 1, illustrated pg. 351.

1865: Surface-Printed 4 pence vermilion, plate 14, Large Garter wmk., perf. 14, a horizontal strip of three, fresh colour and fine perforations, tied by British Post Office in Panama barred oval “C35” to an envelope to Newark, England, endorsed “via West Indian Mail” and dated by sender “July 2nd 75”, with cds “PANAMA JY 20 75” alongside. Reverse, arrival “NEWARK AU13 75”. Fine. Scarce usage from the amazing “Pollard Correspondence”  posted on the second day of UPU.

Note: Envelope was sent from Valparaiso, Chile and carried by favour to Panama; saving 6 pence. 

Provenance: Harmers, 16-17 March 1982, lot 1057

1891: Provisional surcharge “2½d.” in black on 9 pence pale blue, Type 18, TAS wmk. (Type 16), perf. 11½ , good colour, fine perforations and neatly centered, a horizontal pair, variety Surcharge Double, one inverted, small thin top of second stamp, unused. Cert. Brandon (1998).

1898 Chinese Imperial Post, $2 brown, red & yellow, in combination with Hong Kong 1898, “1 DOLLAR” in black on 96 cents greyish-black, all fresh colour and fine perforations, the former tied by cds “WUCHOW 4 OCT 99”, the latter tied by boxed "l.P.O." and Hong Kong cds (date unclear) to large size registered linen envelope sent to Lichtenthal, Germany, an unframed “R” and manuscript “871” to top. Reverse, arrival “LICHTENTHAL 6 11 99”. Envelope reduced at left, worn in places as might be expected and creasing which does not affect adhesive. Scarce mixed franking. 

Note: The Hong Kong stamps were courtesy cancelled in Wuchow to prevent theft in transit.

1881/83, 1 penny + 1 penny carmine rose stationery postal card, with reply card unused and attached (H&G3), uprated with 1 penny rose tied by “B31” of Freetown, sent to Brussels, Belgium, 22 August 1892 with Liverpool packet transit and arrival
to front. Interestingly, the Maritime Surcharge for both cards has been applied to the outgoing card only.
 

1877: Columbus rouletted, 10 centavos blue, 20 centavos green, with 1878/99, 1 centavo green, 5 centavos red, 50 centavos violet block of six and block of ten, mostly of good colour and margins are generally good, tied by cds “ADN DE CORREOS CALLOA 4 JUN 83” (Chilean occupied Peru) to a letter parcel address label, sent to Rome, Italy. Heavily creased and reinforced at back. Creasing to the adhesives overhanging edges and wear from usage, as is expected. Scarce high-value package; highest recorded Panama surcharge. One of the great items of Chilean Philately. 

Note: Franking of Chilean Pesos 8.36 (FF 41.80; £1.14.10d; US§8.36). 

1881: Postal stationery card 4 centavos blue, neatly tied by cds “SANTIAGO 7 JUL 81” to Bruxelles with adjacent arrival and two strikes of the dotted star handstamp, endorsed “via Margallanes" and embarked on steamer Arancania, very fine. An attractive early overseas postcard (H&G-Nr. 5, SOFICH-Nr. TP25) 

1876: Forerunners Koban 5 sen brown, two singles, fresh colour and perforations good for this issue, tied by black crossroads style handstamp, with Japanese Post Office in Shanghai cds alongside “I.J.POSTAL AGENCY SHANGHAI AUG 23” to an envelope sent to Paris, endorsed “via America”, with violet cds “YOKOHAMA SEP 2 1879”, also a transit blue cds ".. 8 OCT 78 V.ANGL. PARIS". Reverse, transit cds in black “SAN FRANCISCO SEP 20”. Peripheral fault top left of envelope, still fine. 

Note: Routed via Yokohama for dispatch onto an American ship heading to San Francisco. GPU rate of 5 sen to Japan for Trans-Pacific transit and trans-Atlantic and 5 sen to the USA for TransContinenal transit.