| EARLIEST KNOWN USE OF A ST. VINCENT STAMP and a first sailing date of use (Placed in POSTAL HISTORY section for convenience): This QV 1d rose-red Perf. 14 to 16 (SG.1) in the accepted paler shade of colour of the first printing, as mentioned PML handbook Page 27, came from the first delivery invoiced from London on 27 March 1861 (56,040 stamps plus 10,020 6d deep yellow-green, SG.2) with expected arrival on 8 April 1861. These adhesives were seemingly not immediately unpacked as known covers of AP 9 61 and AP 24 1861 to the UK are cancelled with the red “PAID AT ST. VINCENT” pre-stamp handstamp. The Stanley Gibbons catalogue lists 8 May 1861 for issue date of the two denominations, which may be true. This 1d adhesive was cancelled by horizontal “A10” (PML.1) on the 8th, 9th or 10th for the 10 May 1861 sailing, and travelled on R.M.S.P. Teviot collecting BARBADOES dbl-arc arrival dated MY 11 1861 making this the EARLIEST KNOWN USE OF A ST. VINCENT STAMP and a first sailing date. The first known adhesive cover bears a strip of three QV 1d, pair QV 6d pmk’d JU 8 1861 addressed to Norfolk, Virginia and travelled in through New Orleans being possibly the finest known American Civil War blockade running cover. The second delivery of the QV 1d rose-red was not invoiced until 22 July 1862 (28,020 stamps), slight thinning. £450 | |