;) | ANTIGUA postal history 1879 cover with horiz. pair. three singles QV 1d lake-rose P.14 pmk'd individual "A02" with ANTIGUA A/MY 12 79 cdsto St. John, New Brunswick rated blue crayon "3", reverse MY 31 79 arrival. Ex GRIFFITHS £1200 |
;) | The most beautiful of the genuine ENGLISH HARBOR "A18" Antigua covers 1869 cover with two singles and strip of three QV 1d vermilion to Wilmot, Nova Scotia neatly pmk'd "A18" with red crayon "4" alongside, reverse ENGLISH-HARBOR AP 25 69, St. Thomas A/AP 28 69, and MY 12 1869 arrivals. Ex ADRIAN HOPKINS 8 bogus "A18" covers are recorded, the obliterator being in a different format, and with single circle datestamp inscribed ENGLISH HARBOUR. £3500 |
;) | ANTIGUA to JAMAICA postal history 1880 mourning cover to Mrs. P. Larsen, Newmarket P.O., Jamaica with QV 4d blue CC wmk (SG.20) pmk'd vertical "A10" (sent out to Colony JY 16 1880) with ANTIGUA A/DE 12 80 cds alongside rated red "2", reverse KINGSTON (DE 20) and Newmarket (DE 21) arrivals, smaller edge faults. £525 |
;) ;) | AN EXCEPTIONAL 1860 GREAT BRITAIN QV 2d BLUE COVER to ANTIGUA 1860 cover marked "Very important inheritance" with GB QV 2d blue Plate 8 (DG, DH, DI) pmk'd London JY 5 60 to Antigua with lengthy addressing "Matthew Christian by Son of Mr. Robert Christian Esq who died at Antigua in 1777 or to the Relatives of the said Robert and Matthew Christian, Antigua (West Indies) .... Expressly Recommended to the post to be Enquired for those Relatives and to be delivered to one of them". Marked in manuscript "Not Known", b/stamped C/ANTIGUA/AU 1 60 (arrival) and C/ANTIGUA/DE 29 60 (date returned to London). Fine heraldic embossed flap. Mathew Christian, owner of various estates in Antigua, Biffins (200 acres), Red Hill (400 acres), Elme’s (158 acres), and Windward (180 acres). Died in London in 1778. Son of Robert Christian died in Antigua in 1776. He is supposed to have left Antigua about the year 1777 and come to London, and it is believed that in 1778, he was living in Southampton-street, Strand, in the city of Westminster, where he died. He had a brother, John, who died in Antigua shortly before 1777, and a sister, Margaret, who was married to William Gunthorpe of Antigua. £950 |
;) ;) | PAID AT NEVIS - AN EXQUISITE and INTRIGUING FAKED COVER 1885 completed fabricated cover showing why the PAID AT NEVIS Crowned Circle was used on pairs QV ½d dull green and singles QV 1d carmine (SG.25,27a) during the period 9/12/83 to 9/9/86 (dates taken from village manuscript markings on loose stamp overstruck with the Crowned Circle): 1885 cover addressed Chas. Hill Esq., English Harbour, Antigua with genuine QV 1d carmine superbly tied full upr. bogus PAID AT NEVIS Crowned Circle to uprate to 2½d for the under 300 mile inter-island rate (with further strike alongside) additionally showing bogus NEVIS A/DE 12 85 despatch cds alongside address panel. B/stamped further bogus NEVIS A/DE 12 85 cds and what is now considered extremely dubious ANTIGUA/ A/DE 14 85/ ENGLISH HARBOUR cds (note that this is the same date as found on the E.V. Toeg cover bearing 8 x QV 1d to Sherring, Bristol with RPS certificate). The author being aware that genuine strikes of both the Crowned Paid and Nevis cds have an oily appearance at this time has cleverly used his paint brush to simulate the oily stains within the Nevis despatch cds and soiled the cover at top left for good measure. (Shortages of the 2½d adhesive were highly probable at this time as only 1080 copies 2½d red-brown CA were invoiced AU 10 82 followed by 5100, 5100, 5160 copies of the 2½d ultramarine on NO 6 83, MY 21 84, AU 7 84). No genuine covers with the QV ½ds or single QV 1d with PAID AT NEVIS are known to exist. £925 |