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;) | FIRST SAILING with NEWLY INTRODUCED BOOTHEEL DUPLEX, Barbados postal history (See BLOGS section) 1875 full contents entire with blue LOUIS & Co. buckled double oval sender's cachet marked "Via United States" to Messrs de Grinchy Renouf Clement Co., Burgeo, Newfoundland with 1d deep blue and (4d) dull rose-red (SG.66, 49) tied newly cobbled together BARBADOS open bootheel duplex dated A/JY 11 75 rated red "4" with circled black "5" due, backstamped New York and St. Johns AU 12 1875 transits. £750 |
;) | REDIRECTED, St. Vincent postmark/cancel (PML.99) straight line instructional mark on 1883 QV 2½d on 1d lake (SG.40), almost certainly unique on this stamp. Proofed at the GPO London in December 1866. PML handbook Page 129 records no known use, this being the only example seen by me. £275 |
;) | PARCEL POST, St. Vincent postmark/cancel Newly discovered and previously unrecorded 24mm cds with "B" code dated B/25 JU 26 on KGV 6d, 1/- (SG.115,138) piece. £120 |
;) ;) | BOOK-POST rate INDIA to JAMAICA postal history 1955 cover pmk'd Calcutta 9 III 55 with previously unrecorded boxed purple RETURN TO SENDER/FROM KINGSTON, JAMAICA handstamp (with "NAMES" instead of "NO POST OFFICE NAMED). Filing punch holes at base, reverse return backstamps of R.L.O. 31 MA 55 and Bare Bazar 16 JNE 1955. £48 |
;) ;) ;) | 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 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | Proofed/unrecorded ERRONEOUSLY APPLIED unique TRINCOMALEE/RETURNED FOR POSTAGE,CEYLON postal history 1845 wrapper from C. Brun fils, Port Louis pmk'd red MAURITIUS POST OFFICE d/ring dated NO 05 1845 marked "via Ceylon" to Veillon Freres, Bordeaux, France with "Paid 1/8" in dark black ink most unusually landed on Ceylon's north east coast (instead of the southern port of Galle) showing prepared for application TRINCOMALEE/RETURNED FOR POSTAGE datestamp for NO 22 1845 erroneously applied, crossed through, and TRINCOMALEE/STEAMER LETTER added for the next day in the same coloured ink. Carried via ALEXANDRIA (JA 7 1846) with 25mm chisels slits and large part PURIFIE AU LAZERET/MALTE handstamp added showing red PAQ. ANG. MARSEILLES (16 JANV 46) on address panel and Bordeaux (10 JANV 46) arrival backstamp with 96 decimes to be collected. Exhibition item collecting cancellations from five different countries. Similar RETURNED FOR POSTAGE datestamps were proofed for other Ceylon towns but none are known used. This remarkable example only exists due being wrongly applied. £7250 |
;) ;) ;) | RECEIVED/GPO FREETOWN/SCHED No....., Sierra Leone postal history New Walton handbook unlisted (Type 711 group, see Page 120) dated II MR 49 on stampless OHMS GPO Freetown Reply portion to Ernest B. Blango, Dillet Street (named after former postmaster Joseph Dillet), Freetown with pencilled "Try Government Medical Store" with red OFFICIAL PAID (035.99) dated both */7 MR 49 and */10 MR 49 alongside address panel. This instrument has continuous solid line after SCHED No and two examples of the same instrument can be viewed on the West Africa Study Circle website on Page 7 of the Frank Walton 1949 audit book. £250 |
;) ;) ;) | The unique HIGINBOTHOM & HUMPHRYS forwarding agents cachet, ANTIGUA postal history 1851 mourning band entire headed "St. Martin 2nd March 1851" marked "Particular care of R. Higginbothom Esq., U.S. Consul, Antigua" with "FORWARDED BY/HIGINBOTHOM & HUMPHRYS/ANTIGUA" double lined oval cachet posted with ANTIGUA MR 11 1851 dbl-arc to St. James Street, London locally directed Stratford Place rated 2/-. £1750 |
;) | POSTMEESTERS KANTOOR JOHANNESBURG, Transvaal postmark previously unrecorded dated 5 SEP 00 on cut-out piece £24 |
;) | TINA BRIDGE, Cape Of Good Hope postmark AP 19 11 on KE7 1d (SG.71) piece. No postmark previously seen for this office, Putzel unrecorded £28 |
;) ;) | BUTIABA, Uganda postmark (D1) the first dated example in purple ink for 13 MR without year on KGV 3c MCA wmk (SG.45), some toned perf tips at top. Proud handbook types illustrated £120 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | The MUSTIQUE ISLAND carriage labels - "No mint copies exist" This is the only known 10c yellow mint sheetlet of two labels, produced circa 1971, in fresh unmounted mint condition (small gum disturbance at lower right), accompanied by both 10c yellow label on inaugural first flight cover dated 1 SEP 1971 which terminated the private conveyance service, and subsequent Urch Harris "ballot" order form (included) for supply of the four covers. Lord Glenconnor, Colin Tennant, owner of Mustique island conceived the idea of 10c labels to privately convey island mail, with Government consent from the Hon. Hudson Tannis, Minister for Communications & Works, by more flexible regular use of small aircraft to mainland St. Vincent circumventing the slower and less frequent by boat service offered by the Mustique Post Office. Four differing colour same design labels were printed, and stocks ultimately depleted when they were affixed, alongside St. Vincent GPO issues, to SP 1 1971 first day covers for the official inaugural flight Mustique to St. Vincent. Cancelling of the covers was firstly undertaken by Doreen Simon, the Mustique schoolmistress who doubled as the island post mistress, and secondly by the mainland Kingstown G.P.O., and the bulk were carried back to London by a member of the Mustique management team in a suitcase via Luxembourg (accompanied by Princess Margaret). The Bristol based Urch Harris company, famed for their distribution of new stamp issues, marketed them . These covers were not only First Day Covers but also LAST DAY COVERS. The Urch Harris catalogue listed printing quantities as 10c orange (2000), 10c blue (550), 10c yellow (250), 10c mauve (70). The Wilson figures for both blue and yellow are inaccurate and the estimated use for yellow labels used on inaugural flight covers is 234 leaving 14 labels (or 7 sheetlets) unaccounted for. No "earlier" service 10c orange labels are known on cover. Accompanied by scan of BWISC Bulletin article being the UH copied source for quantities affixed to first flight covers. £1200 |
;) | HEILBRON R.O., Orange River Colony postmark Newly discovered and previously unrecorded HEILBRON RAILWAY OFFICE dated 24 DEC 1910 in purple ink on KE7 2d (SG.141). £120 |
;) | Njassa., Tanganyika postmark Proud unlisted temporary rubber str. line with separate 21.AUG.30. str. line date on KGV 15c (SG.95) piece. £160 |
;) | Manuscript "Middle Quarters", Jamaica postmark NEWLY DISCOVERED manuscript "Middle Quarters" on QV 2d Crown CC (SG.9a) dated Kingston A/JY 29 76 used pending the arrival of the "A.82" numeral, currently unique. The Middle Quarters office was opened during May 1876 and the A.82 (Type M) numeral stated to have been sent during 1876. The earliest confirmed date of use for A.82 is currently JU 30 1882 on QV 1d Post Card (ex Surtees) £725 |
;) ;) ;) | OBU(ASSI), Gold Coast postmark part strike in purple ink on QV 4d Crown CA wmk (SG.16), previously unrecorded. The text "WEST AFRICA" - I suspect - may have something to do with the fact that the cancellation was used by the "Ashanti Goldfields Corporation," which also mined gold in other parts of West Africa (e.g., in french territories like Mali and Ivory Coast). A similar three-lined oval cancellation is also used, for example, by the "NIGER COMPANY CHARTERED" in Akassa (Niger Territories). The Ashanti Goldfields Corporation is a gold mining company based in Gold Coast that was founded by Joseph Ellis and Joseph Biney both from Cape Coast. The Ashanti Mine, located at Obuas(s)i, 56 km south of Kumasi, has been producing since 1897. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation was one of the most important gold mining companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. £300 |
;) ;) ;) | MUSTIQUE ISLAND stamps: The currently only known 10c blue MUSTIQUE COMPANY LIMITED mint sheetlet Produced circa 1971 in fresh unmounted mint condition, small surface abrasion lower right edge. 550 blue labels were printed and an estimated 525 blue labels used up on the inaugural flight covers which terminated the private conveyance service. Only an estimated 25 labels (or 12 sheetlets) remain unaccounted for. No earlier service 10c blue labels are known on cover. One 10c blue label is illustrated in Nicholas Courtney's book (available internet) alongside later cover which importantly shows the handwriting style of Colin Tennant matching the unique proving cover of the earlier service. £850 |
;) ;) ;) | POSTAL STATIONERY ENVELOPE with COMPLETE OFFSET, BRITISH GUIANA postal history 1896 use of complete 2c carmine PSE locally to Hopetown, West Coast, Berbice pmk'd Georgetown and on reverse FORT WELLINGTON OC 10 96 d/ring opened 3 sides to show full intense offset of the printed design. Not recorded in T+H handbook £140 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | INTRODUCING THE LADY ANNE COVER, the greatest and most significant item of MUSTIQUE postal history It was always assumed that the four Mustique Company labels were solely produced for the SP 1 1971 Government run inaugural First Flight covers between Mustique Post Office and mainland, St. Vincent, but this UNIQUE PROVING COVER shows that a Government approved PRIVATELY OPERATED LOCAL CARRIAGE SERVICE existed (by-passing the Mustique post office, and perhaps for only a few months) which REMAINED UNDISCOVERED for nearly 45 YEARS - 1971 commercial cover hand addressed by Colin Tennant to Lady Anne Tennant with MUSTIQUE COMPANY LTD 10c MAUVE label tied by their 10 JUN 1971 company handstamp for air carriage of 18 miles to mainland, and St. Vincent 50c Bird postmarked the next day KINGSTOWN */11 JU 71 to the family home at Tite Street, London. Arrival confirmed by automatic letter sorting machine luminescent dots applied at the London Eastern Central District Office as seen lower right of cover. No early ORANGE, YELLOW, or BLUE labels are known on cover. LADY ANNE TENNANT (formerly Lady Anne Coke), wife of Lord Glenconnor, Colin Tennant, owner of Mustique, was a Maid of Honour to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Her Coronation and is best seen holding the Queen's gown during the procession down the aisle at Westminster Abbey. Lady Anne was also Lady-In-Waiting to H.R.H. Princess Margaret. (Accompanied by early example of the SP 1 71 10c mauve on First Flight cover typewritten address - ie before use of printed address labelling). This is the ONLY KNOWN COVER leaving just 5 labels unaccounted for as only 70 of the 10c mauve label were printed for exclusive use by the owners of Mustique - the remaining 64 labels known to have been used up on the later First Day Covers for the SP 1 1971 inaugural flight Mustique to St. Vincent. The normal Mustique Post Office was fully operational since 1958 but the company service offered a more flexible air connection to the mainland. The labels were printed in units of two. £18500 |
;) | SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica railway postmark (S4a, Proud unlisted with JAMAICA GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS at top) in unrecorded purple ink dated NOV 25 1924 (LRD) on ½d Exhib (SG.94). £240 |