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;) ;) | MAIL FROM THE PROLIFIC FORGER Raoul De Thuin, British Honduras postal history THE FRENCH PHILATELIC AGENCY, P.O. Box 206, Belize was just one of numerous printed address aliases used by the prolific stamp forger Raoul de Thuin to circumvent the spotting by the U.S. Post Office of his fraudulent activities to particular persons or firms (full details in Around The Caribbean 7). This cover with KG6 2c, 3c pmk'd Belize 3 OC 39 to Berlin, USA. De Thuin (born Belgium 1890, died Guayaguil Ecuador 1975) started his philatelic “work” as early as 1916 leading to a shop in Brussels in 1927. He entered Mexico in 1931 on the run from French and Belgian police who wanted him for forgery. He was expelled from Mexico for setting up a forgery ring and moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he was jailed and expelled in 1936, and then lived in Belize until moving back to Mexico in 1941 where he settled until 1968 when he moved to his wife’s home in Guayaguil. He specialised in forging overprints of Central and South American countries, especially Mexico, turning common stamps into rarities. “The Yucatan Affair” published by The American Philatelic Society illustrates his fabrications on much of the 523 pages. He is quoted as saying that “I have no conscience at all at having deceived all those foolish people. They are just fanatics who neglect their families for their passion.” £250 |
;) ;) | AFTERMATH OF BELIZE G.P.O. FIRE, British Honduras postal history The Post Office was without handstamps and registration labels after the fire of 30 May 1909. This “used elsewhere” cover with printed United Fruit Company, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala is addressed Las Cascades, Canal Zone, Republic Panama and has temporary supplied use of the BELIZE NEW RIVER SERVICE cds dated E/JU 11 09 tying KE7 1c x 6, 2c x 2 (10c rate) with manuscript “R 143” (a new boxed registration etiquette known 3 days later (JU 14 09, Dr. Matheson ERD). £375 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | CONFEDERATE sloop-of war transfers YANKEE P.O.W.s to DANISH brig, St. Croix postal history 1863 letter written April 13 by semi-literate Dudley K. Dow to his "mothere" Mrs Thomas Dow, Deer Isle, Maine, USA stating that he had been taken by the Felardy (his hearing/understanding for the Florida) and "Cent in to Cante Croix", his postscript in ink confirms that his stay on the island has been dull "the times hire is dool" but mentions "we shell leave here to day For home", posted in small envelope, slightly trimmed at left, with handstruck SHIP and "5" (due) in black and landed with red BOSTON/MY 6/MASS d/ring. On March 12th 1863 the Danish brig “Christian” took into St. Croix prisoners recently transferred from the Confederate States Steamer (C.S.S.) “Florida”. The “Florida” was a sloop-of-war serving as a highly successful commerce raider in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. She was built in Liverpool and departed England 22 March 1862, and after a collision with a United States Army Transport troop ferry sank on 28 November 1864. The Florida captured 37 prizes during her short impressive career. Two books cover this event: “The Life and Services of John Newland Maffitt” (captain of the C.S.S. Florida). On Page 283 of the journal is mention of capturing the bark M. J. Colcord from New York bound Cape Town on 30 March 1863, and their transfer to the Danish brig Christian some 37 hours later on 1 April 1863. “The High Seas Confederate” book, Page 83, confirms that Maffitt captured “a propaganda” ship, the M.J. Colcord on 30 March 1863, transferring provisions from the prize, that the master of a Danish brig agreed to take all the remaining prisoners, and that Maffitt burned the M.J. Colcord. £6500 |
;) ;) ;) | Wreck of the 'Schiller' (Hoboken N.J, Scilly Isles, Germany's "Titanic"), Canada postal history THE ONLY RECORDED WRECK COVER ORIGINATING FROM CANADA marked "Via United States" with Small Queen 2c green x 2, QV 6c brown x 2 pmk'd HALIFAX N.S. A/AP 22 75 duplex to The Manager, The Imperial Bank, Lothbury, London taken from the wrecked S.S. Schiller on the Retarrier Ledges, Scilly Isles to London where red London Paid 10 MY 75 cds applied, reverse with handwritten contemporary endorsement of "This Envelope was down in the Sr. Ship Schiller wrecked on a rock off the Scilly Isles in the month of May 1875". Accompanied by a wonderfully easy to read pre-owned copy of "The Victorian Titanic". £3000 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | THE SEARCH FOR EXPLORERS BURKE and WILLS, South Australia postal and social history 1862 cover to Mr. Edward Palmer, McKinlays Exploring Expedition, Adelaide G.P. Office with pair QV 1d (one defective corner) pmk'd PORT-AUGUSTA OC 6 62 with handstruck "UNCLAIMED", reverse GPO OC 8 1862/7 datestamp. Filing crease crosses adhesives as the unclaimed letter was placed in the accompanying "Returned Paid Letter" back to Mr. H. Mildred, Port Augusta making an exceptionally rare "round trip" pair. In 1859 the South Australian Government offered £2,000 for the first successful south-north crossing of the continent west of the 143rd line of longitude. In 1860-61 Robert O'Hara Burke and Willian John Wills led an ill-fated expedition of 19 men with the ingroup back to report only to find that another expedition under Howitt, which had left June 1861, had already found the graves of both Burke and Willstention of crossing from Melbourne (south) to the Gulf of Carpentaria (north), approx. 2,000 miles. At that time most of the continent had not been explored by non-indigenous people. The south-north crossing was successful but both of the expedition leaders died on the return journey. Only one man, John King, made the eventual return to Melbourne. Six expeditions were sent to search for Burke and Wills. One left August 1861, under McKinlay, and found the remains of Charles Gray, one of the expedition, and a partially empty grave in the Cooper Creek area. McKinley sent part of his in that same area. In December McKinley visited the site of the graves and then went on to explore the lakes region around Lake Moolionburinna. In February he left the Cooper region following Burke and Wills track to the Eyre Creek and the Gulf before turning east to a station on the Bowen River near Port Denison in Queensland, and the party returned by sea to Adelaide. Edward Palmer was the bullock driver with the McKinley led "South Australian Burke Relief Expedition". Accompanied by previously owned Sarah Murgatroyd's book THE DIG TREE, the extraordinary story of the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition (372 pages) and 150th anniversary commemorative stamps. £1425 |