| ARROYO, Porto Rico carried "loose" to ST. THOMAS postal history (Ex Don Gaspar Roca)
1874 entire, written at Arroyo on July 11th 1874 has the correct 4d rate adhesive for mail to the British Postal Agency at St. Thomas, but was carried as a ‘loose’ letter (outside the mailbag) and was pmk’d ‘C51’ on arrival, no datestamp was applied probably due the letter originating elsewhere. The letter was then carried from St. Thomas to New York by the U.S. and Brazil Mail Steamship Company, the only line serving New York and Brazil during this period. The line was viewed by the British Government as an intruder on the British monopoly over mail service to and from Brazil, and was consequently driven out of business by heavy British government subsidies to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Ex Don Gaspar ROCA (2006). Entires from the British Postal Agency at Arroyo, opened 24th October 1872, are seldom encountered with the GB adhesives pmk’d ‘F83’. The few surviving covers are divided into two groups, those initially cancelled by round top ‘3’ in the ‘F83’ and those with a replacement flat top ‘3’ sent out 31st August 1876 due a fire. £825 | |