Sparks 56th Auctions Spring 2026 - Stamps & Postal History of the World

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Switzerland

Switzerland Postal stationery

Switzerland

Switzerland Postal stationery

Switzerland

Lot 746

600.00 CAD

Live

1889 (January 25), registered cover from Bern to France, forwarded to the Seychelles, cover franked with 25c green and 50c blue Standing

1889 (January 25), registered cover from Bern to France, forwarded to the Seychelles, cover franked with 25c green and 50c blue Standing Helvetia, tied by Bern c.d.s., handstruck "R" and framed "Chargé" alongside; reverse with Ambulant No. 7 and Ardèche receiver (26 Jan) backstamps, forwarded to the Messageries Maritimes vessel Pei-Ho at Mahé, Seychelles, with octagonal "Ligne T Paq. Fr. No. 6" c.d.s. (18 Mar) and endorsed "par paquebot Yara", the odd imperfection consistent with its journey, an exceptional and well-traveled cover to an exotic destination, almost certainly a unique destination for registered mail in this period, paritcularly desirable in such quality.

Switzerland Postal stationery

Lot 747

150.00 CAD

Live

1892 (December 3), Le Chaux de Fonds to Sandakan, North Borneo, 10c postal stationery card, postmarked with crisp Chaux-de-Fonds despatch

1892 (December 3), Le Chaux de Fonds to Sandakan, North Borneo, 10c postal stationery card, postmarked with crisp Chaux-de-Fonds despatch c.d.s., to Sandakan, with c.d.s. receiver, endorsed "via Brindisi" and from the watchmaking firm of Albert Dreyfuss, very fine, an exceptional destination.

Lot 748

120.00 CAD

Live

1894 (April 30) illustrated stationery from Reconvillier to Stratford, Canada, 25c postal stationery cover featuring a illustrated

1894 (April 30) illustrated stationery from Reconvillier to Stratford, Canada, 25c postal stationery cover featuring a illustrated advertisement for F. Ulysse Munier Fils, specialists in precision milling cutters ("Fabrique de Fraises en tous genres"), sent via New York (10 May) with next-day Stratford arrival backstamp, a very example of private advertising stationery from a firm integral to the Swiss watchmaking trade.

Switzerland Postal stationery

Switzerland

Lot 749

150.00 CAD

Live

1895 (March 13), Aarau to Batoum, "Asiatic Russia", 25c postal stationery cover, postmarked with Aarau despatch c.d.s., to Batoum, with

1895 (March 13), Aarau to Batoum, "Asiatic Russia", 25c postal stationery cover, postmarked with Aarau despatch c.d.s., to Batoum, with c.d.s. arrival backstamp, opening tears at bottom mostly confined to reverse, a few small hinge marks at edges, but an exceptionally scarce destination.

Switzerland

Lot 750

350.00 CAD

Live

1896 (April 3), Gerisau to Calcutta, India, via Brindisi, registered three-colour franking cover, mixed issue franking comprising 25c green

1896 (April 3), Gerisau to Calcutta, India, via Brindisi, registered three-colour franking cover, mixed issue franking comprising 25c green Standing Helvetia, 10c red, and multiple 3c grey Numeral issues, all tied by Gerisau (3 Apr) c.d.s., Gerisau registration label No. 753, addressed to F.N. Schiller care of Messrs. Gisott Chapman & Co., Calcutta, reverse with Sea Post Office (13 Apr) and Calcutta (21 Apr) transit markings, a desirable franking combination on a very fine registered cover to India, attractive and scarce.

Lot 751

200.00 CAD

Live

1898 (December 12), cover from Clarens to Cobourg, Ontario, franked with 25c Standing Helvetia tied by Clarens c.d.s. with free strike

1898 (December 12), cover from Clarens to Cobourg, Ontario, franked with 25c Standing Helvetia tied by Clarens c.d.s. with free strike alongside, original address citing a cottage only, amended in manuscript to add a street address, the correction apparently resulting in misdirection to Hintonburg, Ontario; reverse with New York (21 Dec), Cobourg (23 Dec), Ottawa (23/24 Dec) and Hintonburg (24 Dec) backstamps, Hintonburg split-ring also struck on face (24 Dec); repaired tear, otherwise fine, quite striking and most unusual.

Switzerland Postal stationery

Switzerland

Switzerland Postal stationery

Switzerland

Switzerland Postal stationery

Lot 752

180.00 CAD

Live

1899 (February 18), Thalwil to Makovskaya, Transbaikalia, "Russian Siberia," 10c postal stationery card, postmarked by Thalwil c.d.s., with

1899 (February 18), Thalwil to Makovskaya, Transbaikalia, "Russian Siberia," 10c postal stationery card, postmarked by Thalwil c.d.s., with Moscow transit and Makovskaya Transbaikal Postal Section arrival c.d.s., the message on reverse to Giuseppe Borta from his father Luigi Borta, very fine, an extremely scarce destination. Makovskaya was a station on the Trans-Siberian Railway then under construction (1891–1904); the recipient of this card was likely one of the many Italian labourers employed on the project.

Switzerland

Lot 753

120.00 CAD

Live

1901 (November 14), Basel to German Military Regiment in Peking, China, "Ersten Briefmarken der Schweiz" postcard, illustrating the Basel

1901 (November 14), Basel to German Military Regiment in Peking, China, "Ersten Briefmarken der Schweiz" postcard, illustrating the Basel Dove, franked with 10c Numeral, tied by Basel / St. Alban c.d.s., endorsed "feldpostkarte" and addressed to Sergeant H. Stratzberg, 9th Company, 2nd Asiatic Occupation Regiment, Peking, with Victoria, Hong Kong (16 Dec), oval PEKING datestamp (27 Dec) of the British Post Office, fine-very fine, an unusual routing.

Lot 754

250.00 CAD

Live

1902 (December 10), Zurich to Delhi, India, multi-redirected postcard, franked with 10c Numeral, tied by Zurich c.d.s., to Maiden's

1902 (December 10), Zurich to Delhi, India, multi-redirected postcard, franked with 10c Numeral, tied by Zurich c.d.s., to Maiden's Metropolitan Hotel in Delhi, an exceptionally well-travelled card, utlimately reaching Ceylon, its circuitous journey traced through cancellations of Sea Post Office (21 Dec), Coronation-Durbar / Central Head Office (28 Dec), Maiden's Hotel / Coronation Durbar (28 Dec), Bombay (30 Dec and 21 Jan), Agra (23/25 Jan), Bombay (30 Jan) and Colombo (31 Jan), some edge wear as expected, but a striking and scarce card. Maiden´s Hotel Delhi was chosen to accomodate notable visitors to the celebrations of the Proclamation of King Edward VII as Emperor of India. The event was a massive display orchestrated by the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, to formally announce the King's reign to the Maharajas and the people of India. The various Coronation cancellations were from special temporary post offices established specifically for the massive "Tent City" that was established for the event.

Lot 755

500.00 CAD

Live

1902 (June 5), Neuchatel to Tonkin, returned military cover, franked with 25c Standing Helvetia, tied by Neuchatel c.d.s., to a Corporal of

1902 (June 5), Neuchatel to Tonkin, returned military cover, franked with 25c Standing Helvetia, tied by Neuchatel c.d.s., to a Corporal of the 13th Company, 4th Battalion,, 2nd Régiment of the Foreign Legion, crossed-out and handstamped "RETOUR / A L'ENVOYEUR", with manuscript "Voir au dos" ("see over") alongside, backstamped with Tonkin (16 Jul), Neuchatel (14 Sep), Annemasse (14 Sep) and further indistinct backstamps, with label affixed "Libéré le 1er Aout 1902 / s'est retiré a / Annemasse / (11th Savoie), a remarkably fresh and exceptional returned military cover, the addressee having evidently completed his service in Indo-China prior to receiving this letter. The Second Regiment was frontline unit of the French Foreign Legion, at the time engaged in the protection of the strategic Lang Son railway., as well as being engaged in counter-insurgency, border security, and colonial infrastructure construction.

Lot 756

500.00 CAD

Live

1902 (March 14), Basel to Dehra Dun, India, redirected to Bandipur, Nepal, cover franked with 25c Standing Helvetia, tied by BASEL FIL.

1902 (March 14), Basel to Dehra Dun, India, redirected to Bandipur, Nepal, cover franked with 25c Standing Helvetia, tied by BASEL FIL. P.IV / GUNDELDINGEN (14 Mar) c.d.s., redirected via Kashmir to Bandipur, Nepal, with Sea Post Office (4 Mar) transit backstamp as well as c.d.s. markings of of Bandipura, Srinagar, and three different strikes of Dehra-Dun, the only known cover from Switzerland to Nepal from this period, routed via Dehra Dun and Kashmir to Bandipur during the Rana Dynasty era, portion of back flap cutout, and repaired diagonal tear through reverse, leaving postmarks intact, a fine destination rarity of the first order.

Lot 757

100.00 CAD

Live

1903 (July 10), Niederteufen to Freetown, Sierra Leone, lovely colour lithographed "Schweizerische Alpenpost" postcard franked with 10c

1903 (July 10), Niederteufen to Freetown, Sierra Leone, lovely colour lithographed "Schweizerische Alpenpost" postcard franked with 10c Numeral, tied by Niederteufen c.d.s., with London OF (12 Jul) transit alongside London Foreign Branch quartered datestamp (12 Jul), alongside Freetown c.d.s. receiver (23 Jul), some minor edge wear, a late use of the Foreign Branch postmark, and a scarce West African destination.

Switzerland

Switzerland Picture postcards

Lot 758

120.00 CAD

Live

1904 (May 19), Bern to Lourenco Marques (Portuguese Mozambique), franked with 25c Standing Helvetia, tied by Bern c.d.s., reverse with

1904 (May 19), Bern to Lourenco Marques (Portuguese Mozambique), franked with 25c Standing Helvetia, tied by Bern c.d.s., reverse with clear hexagonal receiver (10 Jun), a few light creases, one crossing stamp, yet a rarely-encountered destination.

Lot 759

100.00 CAD

Live

1904 (June 17), Le Chaux de Fonds to Gandu, Belgian Congo, franked with 10c Numeral, tied by Chaux de Fonds c.d.s., to Poste de Gandu,

1904 (June 17), Le Chaux de Fonds to Gandu, Belgian Congo, franked with 10c Numeral, tied by Chaux de Fonds c.d.s., to Poste de Gandu, Lualaba Kasai, Congo Belge, endorsed "via Anvers", with neatly-struck Boma (13 Jul), Leopoldville (16 Jul) c.d.s. in black and choice Basongo (5 Aug) c.d.s. in blue, a lovely and scarce card.

Switzerland Picture postcards

Switzerland

Switzerland Picture postcards

Lot 760

200.00 CAD

Live

1904 (July 5), picture postcard from Rheineck to Missionary C. Spiess, Lomé, Togo, franked with two 5c Numeral tied by Rheineck c.d.s.,

1904 (July 5), picture postcard from Rheineck to Missionary C. Spiess, Lomé, Togo, franked with two 5c Numeral tied by Rheineck c.d.s., multiple transit strikes alongside including London (6 Jul), Accra (24 Jul), Kwitta (Keta) (29 Jul), with Lome receiver (30 Jul), a fine card to an elusive destination. Carl Spiess served as a missionary of the Norddeutsche Missionsgesellschaft at Lomé from 1892 to 1914; some 500 artefacts collected by him in German Togo and the Gold Coast are held by the Übersee-Museum, Bremen.

Switzerland

Lot 761

100.00 CAD

Live

1904 (August 19), Meiringen to St. John's, Newfoundland, postcard franked with 5c Numeral horizontal pair, tied by Meiringen c.d.s, violet

1904 (August 19), Meiringen to St. John's, Newfoundland, postcard franked with 5c Numeral horizontal pair, tied by Meiringen c.d.s, violet handstamp of the Grand Hotel des Alpes und Hotel Pension Reichenbach in Reichenbachfalle, to St. John's, with c.d.s. receiver (1 Sep), some trivial edge wear, but an extremely uncommon destination for the period.

Lot 762

90.00 CAD

Live

1905 (August 31), Weissbad to Windhoek, German South West Africa, "Hotel a.d. hohen Santis" handstamp on postcard depicting the Guesthouse

1905 (August 31), Weissbad to Windhoek, German South West Africa, "Hotel a.d. hohen Santis" handstamp on postcard depicting the Guesthouse & Observatory at Santis, franked with 5c Numeral horizontal pair, tied by Weissbad c.d.s., to Windhoek, with clear arrival strike at left (28 Sep), fresh and very fine.

Lot 763

250.00 CAD

Live

1905 (June 30), Grosswabern to Nsaba, Gold Coast, via Accra, part newspaper wrapper, with undated partial newspaper enclosed, uprated with

1905 (June 30), Grosswabern to Nsaba, Gold Coast, via Accra, part newspaper wrapper, with undated partial newspaper enclosed, uprated with 5c Numeral, tied by Ambulant (railway) despatch handstamp, manuscript routing "via Liverpool," HAMBURG (30 Jun) transit c.d.s., addressed to Missionary Otto Lädrach care of the Basel Mission, Accra, Gold Coast, West Africa, redirected in manuscript to Nsaba with boxed GROSSWABERN and red manuscript NSABA forwarding marks, reverse with Accra c.d.s. and indistinct c.d.s. alongside, very fine and rare; Gold Coast is an exceptional destination for this period, the newspaper wrapper usage even further enhancing its desirability. The addressee, Otto Lädrach (1875–1949), served with the Basel Mission on the Gold Coast from 1898 to 1911, where he witnessed the Ashanti Uprising of 1900 and assembled a collection of 100 Akan gold weights and other artefacts that entered the Historical Museum Bern in 1902–11. He later served as travelling preacher for the Basel Mission in the Canton of Bern, as a minister in Habkern and Witzwil, and wrote several popular books about his African experiences.