MICHAEL HAMILTON
POSTAL HISTORY
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All world BANK TRANSFERS by WISE to Michael David Cameron Hamilton SORT CODE 23-08-01 Account 58021507. No postal charges
See RED TEXT ABOVE for world wide BANK TRANSFERS by WISE, PayPal also available. Contact on WhatsApp on 0066 0823715197



Country: USA plus Consuls Clear
Subject: QV covers (early) Clear

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FIRST DAY with PREPAYMENT U.S. 3c green SUPPLIED NASSAU arrangement, Bahamas postal history
1878 cover to Boston, Massachusetts with QV Chalon 4d rose P.14 (torn through on opening) pmk'd "A05" in combination with U.S. Washington 3c green tied New York JAN 12 79 "2" duplex, reverse BAHAMAS DE 31 1878 despatch dbl-arc and Boston, Mass, Carrier JAN 13 arrival plus pencil address of sender staying at the Royal Victoria Hotel, Nassau.
As of JA 1 1879 and until Bahamas joined the UPU JY 1 1880 USA 3c green adhesives could be bought in Nassau by those who wished to prepay the USA internal postage on letters thus avoiding Postage Due on arrival. Only three other covers are currently recorded with prepaid Washington 3c green for MR xx 1879, MR 19 1879, DE 1 1879. A further seven covers are recorded with U.S. 3c brown Postage Dues added on arrival for SP 20 1879, JA 5 1880, FE 10 1880, MR 8 1880, MR 16 1880, MY 20 1880, JU 18 1880.
£1500



Mail to St. George's DETAINED AT AMERICAN CONSUL FOR 13 YEARS, Bermuda postal history
1879 cover from P.D. Slocum & Co., Clothiers, New Bedford, Massachusetts to Mr. Holder B. Slocum, 1st Mate Brig V.H. Hill, Capt. Sylvia, Bermuda (showing "Care Am Consul" at lower left) with U.S. 5c blue Zachary Taylor tied New Bedford cork dated MAY 10 with Boston MAY 10 transit and ST. GEORGES MAY 20 1879 oval receiving backstamps (LRD on incoming mail), after 13 years marked in red manuscript "Remained at American Consulate until 23rd April 1892/Not called for" with presumed Consulate Dead Letter Office purple pointing hand "RETURN TO THE WRITER. D.L.O." handstamp and placed in the mail with ST. GEORGES B/AP 23 92 cds (H1, usually applied at a transit or arrival datestamp, Ludington Page 141) with DEAD LETTER OFFICE/S A triangle dated MAY 11-92 on reverse. A fascinating item.
Previous history: The whaling schooner Varnum H. Hill of and from Provincetown, was captured by the rebel steamer "Florida" on 27 June 1863 and released on bond of $10,000 on condition that she would take prisoners belonging to the destroyed ships "Southern Cross" (June 6, burnt same day), "Red Gauntlet" (June 14, kept in company as carrying coal and burnt on the 26th), "Benjamin Hoxie" (June 16 carrying silver bars valued at £500,000, sunk June 27) into Bermuda. Some 54 seamen were landed at Hamilton on 4 July and were taken in charge by the American Consul, and on 7 July Captain Doe of the British brig "Henrietta" agreed to take the seamen brought in by the V.H. Hill to New York. (Research shows no further mention of the V.H. Hill allowing no explanation for this incoming letter of 1879, and it being detained at the American Consul for 13 years until released in 1892). The "Florida" was a highly successful commerce raider in the Confederate States Navy capturing 37 prize ships.
£525




BRITISH HONDURAS and UNITED STATES combination postal history (Ex Ralph HART)
c1868 exceptional and exquisite combination piece with vertical strip of four plus horizontal pair British Honduras 1865 QV 1d pale blue No wmk P.14 (SG.1, Cat.£65) tied "A06", and pair 1861-62 U.S. 3c rose Washington tied partial cds and pmk'd segmented cork cancels at New Orleans where framed "STEAMSHIP" also applied. The U.S. 6c, by adhesives, show the double rate and the manuscript crayon "due 14" completes the 20c rate, the double rate franking with BRH adhesives should have totalled 8d. Some adhesive faults but a unique franking (Ex Ralph HART 1978, Lot 264 as pencilled).
Letters from British Honduras 1866 to 1869 could prepay the U.S. internal postage and supplies of the U.S. 3c rose Postal Stationery Envelope were evidently available in Belize for partial pre-payment as witnessed by covers (as per scans) of JA 12 1868 to Natchez, Mississippi (ex Edward S. Knapp, Maurice Burrus), and FE 27 1868 to Shreveport, Louisiana (Ex Ralph Hart). As the normal U.S. internal rate was 10c single rate, it is not understood why partial franking of 3c were the chosen partial prepayments, but this may have been the fee payable to the private contract steamboat carrier that made the trip between New Orleans and Belize City once a month starting in May 1867.
£1725





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


AROUND THE GLOBE IN 100 DAYS, York, Halifax N.S, San Francisco, Honolulu, Hong Kong, Batavia
1879 QV One Penny Farthing Foreign Post Card written by "John G. Dayn Jan 13th 1879 8pm" and pmk'd same night with YORK "930" duplex dated I/JA 13 79 with addresses and instructions for a bid to travel around the Globe in 100 days via Halifax, Nova Scotia, San Francisco, Honolulu, Hong Kong, Batavia, Java (with comment "out of the direct course"), and back to York showing Halifax JA 27 79, Hong Kong A/MR 19 79, Weltevreden 31 3 79 cds, some toning and closed base tear.
Two other similar items are noted for the period with Hong Kong MR 21 79 cds on Denmark post card with USA, Hong Kong, Hawaii adhesives, and Hong Kong MY 10 79 cds on German post card with Hong Kong, South Australia adhesives and via Uruguay address. Jules Verne published his novel "Around the World in 80 days" in 1873.
£225

Mail to the "U.S.S. Michigan" (Fenian Raids/Canada), MALTA postal history
1872 cover marked "Via Italy & Germany" to a U.S. Naval Lieutenant on the U.S.S. Michigan, Erie, Pennsylvania with GB QV 1d, 3d, 6d pmk'd Malta "A25" duplex dated B/NO 18 72 showing London Paid (NO 26) but without arrival backstamps, small corner fault.
U.S.S. Michigan was the first iron-hulled ship in the U.S. Navy and was built in response to the British Government arming two steamers in response to the Canadian rebellion in the late 1830's and operated on the Great Lakes out of Erie, Pennsylvania. Irish immigrants in the Fenian Brotherhood, after the American Civil War, saw their opportunity to attack the British Empire at their weakest point on the borders with Canada, and seize a sufficient portion of Canada to form a belligerent government recognised by the United States. In early June 1866, 850 Fenians led by Col. John O'Neill crossed the Niagara River. Battles with Canadian Volunteer Forces and British regiments were fought at Ridgeway and Fort Erie, and with some 2,000 to 3,000 re-inforcements unable to cross from Buffalo the raid was effectively over. In 1866 the 'Michigan' intercepted and interned the army of the Fenian Brotherhood as it returned from its invasion of Canada near Buffalo.
£625

MAIL TO YALE UNIVERSITY SCROLL AND KEYS SECRET SOCIETY CO-FOUNDER
1875 cover to William L. Kingsley, New Haven, Connecticut with GB QV 2½d rosy mauve pmk'd London AU 2 75 duplex showing New York Paid All, forwarded with U.S. 3c green to Keene Flats, Essex County, New York arriving AUG 14.
£240



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


QUEENSLAND postal history
1875 Wagstaff family cover from California with U.S. 3c x 2, 10c tied segmented cork cancels with adjacent red SAN FRANCISCO PAID cds dated MAR 8 and marked "per City of Melbourne Ship" to John Wagstaff, Agricultural (Station?), Rockhampton, Queensland forwarded with tied Queensland QV 2d blue to Lily Vale via Gainsford, backstamped Brisbane AP 5 75 with Rockhampton AP 9 75 arrival and forwarded Rockhampton AP 22 75 with Lilly Vale MY 3 1875 arrival. An exceptional combination.
On JA 1 1874 the rate to all Australian Colonies, New Zealand and Fiji was reduced to 2d.
£3000

GREY-TOWN, Nicaragua postal history
1856 piece addressed Edward Clark, Granada, Nicaragua with US 1c blue, 3c rose-red x 2, 3c dull red tied NEW YORK JUN 21 with GREY-TOWN JU 28 1856/A arrival dbl-arc.
Only one other example of the GREY-TOWN double-arc dated MR 1 1856 recorded in the GB used abroad Parmenter/Gordon handbook (Page 4/49).
£480

JAMAICA postal history:
1871 cover with pairs USA 2c brown, 3c green pmk'd cork cancels with BROOKLYN MAR 21 despatch to wife of Alex Lindo, Attorney at Law, Kingston, handstruck black "4" applied St. Thomas changed to blue crayon "5" at Kingston, reverse ST. THOMAS A/MR 30 71 and KINGSTON C/AP 3 71 cds.
Carried by U.S. and Brazil Mail Steamship "North America" departing New York MR 23 71 and arriving St. Thomas MR 30 71. Transferred to R.M.S. Elbe departing St. Thomas AP 1 71 arriving Kingston shortly after midnight AP 3 71.
£225
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