;) ;) | PRESTWICK AIR CRASH, Bahamas postal history 1954 charred and grimy commercial cover to Kenneth Mackintosh, Nassau from Williamson's Linoleum store posted with red Lancaster & Morecambe meter machine for 1/3d dated 22 X11 54, three days later boxed purple "SALVAGED MAIL/AIRCRAFT CRASH/ PRESTWICK 25-12-54" cachet applied, intact Williamson & Son Statement of Account to the Community Furniture Store for goods received. £125 |
;) ;) | VANTS DRIFT self-printed Post Card, Natal postal history 1904 chrome photo of the Vants Drift Hotel & Store from Austin to Miss Gearing, Brighton, England with KE7 1d pmk'd VANTS DRIFT C/JA 30 1904, text includes "I will print some different ones for you all next week". £48 |
;) | BELVIDERE (CARRIACOU) GRENADA to ST. VINCENT postal history 1958 airmail inter-village inter-island cover from F. Paterson, Carriacou (reverse lower flap) to The Very Revd. Canon Ogden, St. Paul's Rectory, Calliaqua, St. Vincent with Federation trio pmk'd BELVIDERE */AP 22 58 cds, reverse top flap mostly missing, b/stamped CARRIACOU AP 28 58 (poor), GPO Grenada */AP 29 58, and poor CALLIAQUA */3 MY 58 cds. BELVIDERE should not be confused with BELVEDERE, the infamous mainland estate where Julien Fedon planned his rebellion (March 2, 1795 - June 19, 1796, also known as the Brigand's War) by converting his Belvedere coffee and cocoa plantation into a fortified headquarters for his army. The estate was near the top of a very steep mountain, and almost inaccessible, after the failure of one of the many unsuccessful British attacks Fedon ordered the death of 40 white hostages. £85 |
;) ;) | ANTIGUA revenue receipt Church re-building fund (consequences of earlier hurricane) 1964 QE2 2c postal adhesive used for revenue purposes on receipt dated August 15th from Mrs. A Nugent for £5 donation towards the St. George's Church Re-building Fund. History of church enclosed. £24 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | SYRIAN COMMUNITY in ANTIGUA postal history 1957 printed KALLIL SHOUL sender cover reg. to London with QE2 4c, 6c, 12, 24c pmk'd St. Johns */20 AP 57 d/ring. Kallil Shoul established the business in 1908, history of firm and family enclosed plus printed photo of the original shop decorated to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. £28 |
;) ;) ;) | F87 used SMYRNA, British Levant postal history 1877 mourning cover with content to Mrs. H. Lee Wilson, Lancaster Gate, London with GB QV 2½d rosy-mauve Plate 9 tied "F87" with SMYRNA A/DE 14 77 cds alongside, reverse red PADDINGTON Z/DE 20 77 arrival. Part letter, one sheet, enclosed which talks about a walk around the town, mention of the Roman, Saxon, Norman remains, and of the stone coffins containing glass and jewellery excavated whilst building the new railway stations. £200 |
;) | DOMINICA to AUSTRALIA postal history 1948 printed A.C. Shillingford & Co, Roseau cover to South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia with corner fault KG6 2/6d pmk'd Roseau */17 AP 48 d/ring. Interesting social history about the Shillingford family enclosed. £20 |
;) ;) | COLIHAUT, Dominica postal history 1948 printed Edwin E. Williams, Colihaut, Importer of Agricultural Machines sender address cover to New York with KG6 3½d pmk'd Roseau */6 MY 48 d/ring. £14 |
;) ;) | DOMINICA postal history 1932 printed sender cover from A.A. Baron, BELL HALL & BARON GARDEN ESTATES to New York marked "Per S.S. Munamar" with KGV 2½d pmk'd New York PAQUEBOT arrival duplex dated JUL 19 1932. £25 |
;) ;) ;) | BEACHMOUNT HOTEL, BATHSHEBA, ST. JOSEPH, Barbados postal history 1936 Beachmount Hotel cover to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania with 2½d Badge pmk'd Barbados 18 AUG 1936 machine with 4-sided printed brochure extolling the virtues of this recently renovated hotel (rates from $2.00 to $3.00 per day, no mosquitoes). £48 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | "V" day, Meikles shop celebrates with "a dummy of Hitler in a real coffin", Rhodesia postal history 1945 use of 3d Victoria Falls ACTIVE SERVICE AIR LETTER headed "V" day!!! Tuesday 8th May pmk'd GWELO 8 MAY 45 to F/Lt E. Thompson, No.2. E.V.T. Instructors School, R.A.F. Middle East from his very worried and loving wife with salutation "My own adorable little Welsh Husband" with contents including "listening to London last night when we heard the news flash - it seems almost too good to be true" and "we shall listen to Mr. Churchill at 3, and again to the King at 9 o'clock". There is mention of "Gwelo looking "quite gay" with flags flying everywhere", and that Meikles Window for "V" day is lined with black crepe and they have "obtained a real "coffin" in which they have placed a dummy of Hitler". An exceptional end of war item for the KG6 collector; a Waterfalls thematic collector; and a sensational item for anyone exhibiting Postal Stationery. VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day which took place on Tuesday May 8, 1945, VE Day was the day on which the allied forces announced the surrender of Germany in Europe. It marked the end of Adolf Hitler's war and sparked celebrations around the world. The day before at 2.41pm on May 7, 1945 Germany had surrendered. This special Active service Letter Card was for use by servicemen, and civilian use was forbidden and any such usage resulted in surcharge. £925 |
;) ;) ;) | THE UNITED FRUIT COMPANY, Jamaica postal history 1901 cover and enclosure on printed sender address envelope and letterhead to Mrs. L. D. Baker, Hotel Tourraine, Boston, Massachusetts posted with QV 2½d Keyplate pmk'd Port Antonio DEC 18 01. This letter from Joshua on Capt. Lorenzo Dow Baker letterhead to Mrs. L.D. Baker would infer that this is from a second son. The letter mentions dear old Bowden, having a vaccination which did not take, and children Edith and little Dow. £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 |
;) ;) | MAIL TO THE WRITER OF THE WHITE HORSES OF WILTSHIRE, Canada postal history 1868 cover to The Reverend W. Ch. Plenderleath (1831-1906), Cherhill Rectory, Calne, Wiltshire with QV 12½c tied Quebec oval of bars with cds dated FE 1 68, reverse very fine Chippenham A/FE 21 68 arrival. Accompanied by good condition copy of his illustrated book. Travelled by Allen Line "S.S. Austria" sailing from Portland FE 9 68 arriving Liverpool FE 20 68. £225 |
;) ;) | NEW ZEALAND postal history 1870 mourning cover from the Reverend A. Stock to the Reverend E.H. Heywood, Cathedral Library, Auckland with the interprovincial rate paid by 1d pale orange-vermilion and 2d blue pmk'd Wellington "070" duplex dated JU 25 70, backstamped Auckland JU 29 arrival. Reverend Arthur Henry Stock (1823-1901) was a photographer and the b/w photograph shows his house in the Te Aro district of Wellington. £225 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION label to CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, British Guiana postal history 1925 reg. cover with full letter from W.A. Husbands on Victory Philatelic Society letterhead paper to Queenstown, Cape Province, South Africa with KGV 1c x 2, 2c x 2, 2c War Tax, 5c lightly pmk'd Registration */14 JY 25 cds, reverse with BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION label tied QUEENSTOWN R.L.S. 14 AUG 25 d/ring. The label is perforated both vertical sides and shows broken top to "H" in "BRITISH". £825 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1898 cover to Mrs. Alexander Smith, "Durnford", St. Georges with pair QV ½d deep grey-green pmk'd BAILEY'S BAY B/JU 6 1898 with St. Georges C/JU 6 1898 backstamp. Durnford House (36 Wellington Street, St. George) was built in 1795 by Mayor Andrew Durnford as his residence; he was the first mayor of St. George and came to Bermuda to look after the construction work of the forts in St. George's. It is said that a part of the fund allocated for forts were diverted to build this house, and it was called 'The Fifth Fort' by some of his enemies. Durnford did not live long enough to enjoy the grounds and views of the town and harbour as he died September 11th 1798 and was buried in the grounds. £60 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | BRITISH KAFFRARIA WRAPPER from a SURVIVOR OF THE H.M.S. BIRKENHEAD TROOPSHIP DISASTER In response for requests for testimonies from survivors the only surviving letter from the Cape: 1858 wrapper docketted "Andrews 20 Nov 1858" (the content removed but published) to David Seton, Portabello, near Edinburgh marked "Registered at King W Town 25.11.58" and "K.W.T. C.G. Hope" at lower left with two damaged copies 4d blue tied triangular handstamp with CAPE PACKET DEVONPORT JA 26 1859, red Crown/REGISTERED and red oval REGISTERED/LONDON 27 JA 59 alongside address panel, reverse red CAPETOWN DE 2 1858 transit, black Edinburgh and blue PORTABELLO JA 28 1859 arrivals. Younger brother (Major) David Seton was quite determined from an early stage to gather as many facts as possible. He met many of the survivors personally and continued with his determination that the heroism displayed by his elder brother Alex should always be associated with the ‘Birkenhead’. Personal interviews, and correspondence with testimonies from survivors, continue as late as 1858-59 and he printed a little book on the Wreck of the ‘Birkenhead’ in Edinburgh in 1861, and again in 1873 and 1890 which was initially intended for private use and not for publication or sale. The Andrews testimony is published on pages 134/5 in "A Deathless Story" by A.C. Addison being a 318 page account of the Birkenhead. £7250 |