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| Country: All Subject: Pre-stamp entires Clear | Sort: Newest listed first |
;) ;) ;) | BELIZE via HAVANA to CADIZ, SPAIN, British Honduras postal history 1842 entire headed "Belize Honduras 13 April 1842" carried privately to Havana where identified with red 2-line ISLAS DE/BARLOVENTO (Windward Islands) and marked by forwarding agent in Havana as received AP 19 and sent AP 23, red handstruck "5R" charge mark. £450 |
;) ;) | BERBICE dbl-arc, British Guiana postal history 1841 wrapper to the Revd A. Tidman, London with BERBICE DE 31 1841 seriffed dbl-arc (T.6, ERD, showing inverted figure "1" in year) rated 1/- (last date of quarter ounce rate, introduced JA 1 1840) unpaid with FE 18 1842 arrival and docketted "acknowledged 1 March 1842". Exhibition quality (the only example dated 1841) and possibly the only example carried by the old Falmouth sailing packets. The last old sailing packet "Seagull" landed mail fom Jamaica at Falmouth on 3 March 1842. The packet rate was reduced to 1/- per half ounce on 1 January 1842. £325 |
;) | CAPE OF GOOD HOPE postal history 1839 lengthy cross-written entire headed "Bedford Wednesday Feb'y 6th 1839" and marked "Post paid March 8th" to Mrs Maclear, Royal Observatory, Cape Town with red ink PAID-SHIP LETTER/(crown) 9 MR 9 1839/LONDON and black SHIP LETTER/(crown)/CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. £150 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | 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 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | THE UNIQUE B.W.I. "DOUBLE COUNTRY" JAMAICA and BAHAMAS SAILOR'S CONCESSIONARY RATE ENTIRE 1835 entire "From Alexander Spain on board His Majestys Brig Wasp" to his sister Charlotte Spain in Southampton countersigned on face by J.N. Syke, Lt. Acting Commanding Officer with "Paid 1" in horizontal oval and matching red ink LIVERPOOL AP 14 1835 arrival backstamp. Written at Port Royal, Jamaica 12th February, travelled with him to Belize, with cross-written finish at Nassau, Bahamas 12th March with "since writing the first part we have been with troops to Honduras in New Spain and thence to this place on the same errand". Opening tear into address panel hardly detracts, some small internal splits but clean with delightful content including mention of fond memories of picking buttercups and daisies on their way to school. No privilege rate countersigned pre-stamp Sailor's letters are currently recorded from Jamaica (which is quite extraordinary for such a large island) or the Bahamas, and the only two recorded entires as such for the B.W.I. group, are from Antigua (HMS Pique MY 26 1845) with rate paid by attached sewn 1d coin, and 1d paid from Alexander to his sister Charlotte Spain on the Wasp while again at Belize 30 June landed Dartmouth 29 August 1835. The "Wasp" was built during 1811-12 and at this time was on duty on the North America and West Indies station with 85 officers and men, 24 boys, 20 marines. Alexander Spain was a first class boy waiting to be rated. He mentions homecoming in about 20 months - the Wasp arrived Portsmouth 15 April 1837 having left Jamaica 11 February but during a gale on 4 April she lost her foremast and straps plus her bowsprit during a mid-Atlantic collision with the Elizabeth due poor visibility. £2800 |
;) ;) ;) | 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 |
;) | POSTMARKED DAY GB STAMPS ARRIVED and also on DAY THEY WERE PLACED ON SALE, Jamaica postal history FROM AN OFFICE ABOUT TO BOYCOTT THEM!: 1858 entire to Archibald Campbell in London with weakly struck GRANGE-HILL manuscript dated 6 May (185)8 marked "Paid "6" in red crayon showing both red JAMAICA/PAID MY 8 1858 and London Paid MY 31 58 arrival. This being a unique "associated first day cover" for the day that GB QV adhesives were placed on sale in Kingston, Jamaica. The GB QV 1d, 4d, 6d arrived on "Solent" MY 6 1858 and were placed on sale at Kingston MY 8 1858. When Grange Hill received its supply of GB adhesives it boycotted their use for some 3 months along with about 30 other offices (Thomas Foster handbook Page 127) as GPO London ruled on April 16 1858 that the PMG's deputies at the Post Towns would receive only 1% commission on sale of the GB stamps whereas they had been receiving 15% commission on prestamp letters prepaid in money. £350 |
;) ;) ;) | SAILOR'S LETTER WITH CONCESSION RATE PAID BY 1d COIN, Antigua postal history 1845 entire headed May 26th 1845 from John King, Master at Arms on board Her Majesty's Ship Pique, Antigua (a naval soldier responsible for discipline and law enforcement aboard a ship) countersigned Horace Baker (Lieutenant & Commanding Officer) to his wife in Devonshire Buildings in Bath without the customary manuscript "1d paid" in red ink (as applied on land) but with his last ("my last") GB QV 1d coin sewn alongside the address panel confirmed by London PAID JU 20 1845 transit (not deemed overweight or subject to additional charge). Although a few dozen Soldier's Letters are recorded for the prestamp period this seems to be the only recorded accepted stampless Sailor's Letter from the BWI prior 1850. Contents include mention of discovery that the Foremast is so rotten, and a portion sent to the Admiralty with expectation of being ordered Home by September unless the mast is ordered to be built at Halifax or Port Royal "which I do not think they will do now the ship is three years in Commission". (Between 1841 and 1846 Pique, a sailing frigate with 36 guns, served on the North America and West Indies Station, on 10 March 1842 the Illustrious (see David Pitts lots 39, 159), with the Pique, Fair Rosamond and Spitfire departed Barbados for Antigua and Jamaica). A scan of the entire has been mounted on card and an actual 1845 1d coin has been sewn on with hemp, using the original 7 in and 7 out needle holes, to simulate how it could have looked, although it was on reverse in actual transit. Only one other BWI prepayment by sewn 1d coin entire is known written January 24th 1847 and posted on land with ANTIGUA double arc JA 27 1847 on a Soldiers Letter (ex Gerald Sattin) to a shoe maker in Edinburgh, the coin evidently was also sewn to the reverse as the circumference of the sewing holes obscure the frontal addressing. £6500 |
;) | SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica postal history (P1 in black) dated MY 30 1835 (the Foster ERD) on wrapper docketted as from St. Mary (MY 27) to London rated 2/2. £85 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1852 wrapper, no side flaps, to George Clerk, Ireland Island with red HAMILTON+BERMUDA (PM4) dated JA 1 1852 (day slug inverted) struck on face due being a locally addressed letter. Ex TUCKER, ULRICH, "LONGTAIL". The Forand/Freeland handbook only records two red PM4 entires to Ireland Island (other dated OC 4 1854). £375 |
;) ;) | Return by RMSP "Tay" (28th home, arriving Falmouth MR 19), JAMAICA postal history OCANA - SANTA MARTA - KINGSTON - LONDON: 1843 wrapper docketted from Marcelino de Pinillos, Ocana (Colombia) JA 2 with manuscript forwarding at coastal town Santa Marta on JA 20 with Q.B.S.M. (que besa su mano - who kisses your hand) with KINGSTON FE 16 1843 dbl-arc transit addressed Federico Huth, London (MR 21) rated 1/-, address panel soiled which would display opened in inverted position. £185 |
;) ;) | GRENADA postal history GRENADA dbl-arc (A11) with code "B" inverted: 1853 entire to John Richards, London rated 1/- with top flap (portion missing) displaying GRENADA dbl-arc dated AP 25 1853/B. Only four examples code "B" currently recorded, others dated OC 28 1852/B (Pearce Est.£300/350); JA 29 1853/B (Russell Jones Est.£450), AP 10 1853/B as arrival on incoming Trinidad (1d) cover (WD Walker). £325 |
;) ;) ;) | MARTHA/BRAE and IAMAICA, Jamaica postal history 1792 lengthy entire from David Hood headed "Trelawny, Jamaica 7th Feb 1792" to James Stothart in Dumfries rated 1/- changed 1/7 showing weak MARTHA/BRAE (overstruck MAR 26 arrival) and IAMAICA (42 x 6mm). Contents include "Mr. Meredith, Postmaster & clerk of the vestry, died lately at Martha Brae" £120 |
;) | Port Antonio, JAMAICA to FRANCE postal history 1853 entire to Orleans, France re-directed to Charing Cross, London rated 1/2 with framed red "POSTAGE NOT PAID/TO LONDON" despatched with PORT-ANTONIO dbl-arc (P3) dated MY 6 1853. Lengthy content from John Richards describing the discovery of "copper well interspersed with silver" found on one of his properties and "strong indications of Black Lead" on another. The letter goes on to describe the boom in mining and exploration - "The Parish of Portland seems to be one vast lump of mineral worth, every day brings a new discovery". £240 |
;) ;) | JAMAICA postal history January 1st 1851 printed circular from Kingston to London rated 1/- in black with MR 10 1851 arrival additionally showing circular 5/NEW YORK/FEB 26 and red framed MAITLAND PHELPS & Co/NEW-YORK cachet. The circular 10/NEW YORK (half ounce mail) and 20/NEW YORK (under one ounce mail) are regular seen, but the 5/NEW YORK on printed matter very seldom seen on BWI correspondence. £65 |
;) ;) | JAMAICA postal history FIRST DAY WITH NEW 1/- PER QUARTER OUNCE PACKET RATE to BWI based on progressive weight (previously based on sheets): entire written Ayr 30th December with light boxed AYR/DEC 30 1839 and red (London) N/1 JA 1/1840 which display top flap to Alex C. Logan, Great Valley, Manchester, Jamaica rated 1/- unpaid with 2/3½" (local currency) below and red "silver" (unknown whether contemporary), docketting on lower flap, some soiling but finding another would be like looking for a needle in a haystack! The new rate introduced from G.P.O. London January 1st 1840, increased to 1/- per half ounce January 1st 1842. £225 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1832 faded archive backed entire written "Hamilton 14th Sept 1832" to Darrell & Smith, Halifax, N.S. with poor St. George's 14 SE 1832 fleuron (PM2) rated 8d changed 9 1/10. Only four fleurons recorded on entires to Nova Scotia, all from the same faded correspondence £225 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1832 faded archive backed entire written "Hamilton 14th Sept 1832" to Darrell & Smith, Halifax, N.S. with poor St. George's 14 SE 1832 fleuron (PM2), marked rate by weight "1¼oz" and with 1/8 changed "1N10". Only four fleurons recorded on entires to Nova Scotia, all from the same faded correspondence £225 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | Confirmation new 6d rate with locally handstruck "6d", Jamaica postal history entire headed "Duplicate. Kingston Jamaica 24th June 1854" pmk'd KINGSTON-JAMAICA JY 11 1854 dbl-arc to John Mathie, Stirling, North Britain rated manuscript "6" unpaid confirmed with handstruck "6d" which appears to be in matching ink colour. Red JY 31 1854 (applied London) and red circled M/NR (Morning, Northern Railway applied London) and STIRLING AU 1 1854 in paler black ink. Currently the only known example. The new 6d rate per half ounce was introduced MR 23 1854. Three experts on UK postal history have been approached and their combined opinion is that the handstruck "6d" is not a British handstamp, and therefore most probably applied at Jamaica (a similar handstruck "6" is known on two ingoing unpaid Barbados entires) £725 |
;) ;) | POSITIONING VOYAGE of TWEED - PRIOR START R.M.S.P. SAILINGS FROM FALMOUTH 3rd JANUARY 1842 1841 business entire from Messrs. Stewart & Westmoreland, London to Alexander Logan, May Hill P.O., Manchester, Jamaica initially marked “Paid” and rated “8” with red PAID SHIP LETTER/(crown)/17 DE 17/1841/LONDON, but with the “Tweed” leaving for her West Indies station the following day the entire changed to “p. packet” and duly rated 1/- (unpaid) prior precise inscription of “By Ship” (no R.M.S. prefix as the R.M.S.P.Co not officially up and running) and “Steamer Tweed” arriving as a “ship letter” as handstamped KINGSTON SHIP LETTER (SL3) dated JA 17 1842. An exceptional first page item of R.M.S.P. Co. postal history showing all the intricate detail of “first ever” mail carried by the company to the West Indies. The R.M.S.P. handbook by Kenton & Parsons notes on Page 10 that the Tweed “carried some Ship letter mail to Jamaica and Arr. 17/1” £5250 |