Postal History of the World

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Algeria

Argentina

Algeria

Argentina

Algeria

Lot 2001

80.00 CAD

Live

1932 (June 4), ‘ACCIDENT DE MER’ handstamp on cover from Constantine to Paris, originating in Constantine, Algeria, with stamp(s)

1932 (June 4), ‘ACCIDENT DE MER’ handstamp on cover from Constantine to Paris, originating in Constantine, Algeria, with stamp(s) washed off in transit, bearing black handstamp with red underlining reading "ACCIDENT DE MER" at lower right, applied in Marseille; a scarce and intriguing maritime disaster cover. Although little is known about the incident, it likely occurred between 4 and 6 June 1932 on the Algeria–France mail route. No mailboat loss was officially recorded by the French postal ministry, but evidence suggests a fire aboard a vessel was extinguished by flooding the hold—one recorded cover shows burn damage, while others, including this example, exhibit varying degrees of water damage.

Argentina

Lot 2002

130.00 CAD

Live

1853 (June 27), stampless folded letter from Barracas to Marseille, France, via London, endorsed "per steamer Englisch [sic]

1853 (June 27), stampless folded letter from Barracas to Marseille, France, via London, endorsed "per steamer Englisch [sic] via Southampton", with bold red boxed Colonies &c Art. 13 handstamp credit handstamp, black Angl. Calais entry datestamp (14 Aug), and manuscript "16" decimes accountancy markings, reverse with partial Buenos Aires departure, partial red London / Paid transit (13 Aug), black Paris transit (14 Aug), and Marseille arrival (16 Aug), horizontal fold and small imperfections, else a fine letter with contents of historical interest. The letter reports on the volatile atmosphere following the 1852 Battle of Caseros and the fall of the Rosas dictatorship: a "division of the army" is passing through Barracas with "arms and baggage" under a "general alert," with further military defections anticipated. Although the writer suggests the political position is clearing up, he remains wary of "insignificant parties" and a landscape where one must "always be on guard." Local inflation is described with equal unease, the sender noting that "everything is expensive," with high prices for beef, cows, and hides forcing reliance on a pulpería (tavern) established in the countryside to "give drink and sell new things to the gauchos." To ensure these observations reached Europe, duplicates were despatched via the Arago, Gaston, and Pascale.

Argentina

South Australian

Lot 2003

70.00 CAD

Live

1942 (December 12), Buenos Aires to Vickers-Armstrongs Co., London, hand-painted patriotic airmail cover, franked with 30c Sheep, 40c Sugar

1942 (December 12), Buenos Aires to Vickers-Armstrongs Co., London, hand-painted patriotic airmail cover, franked with 30c Sheep, 40c Sugar Cane, and 5c Port of Rosario definitives, opened twice by British imperial censors with two different P.C. 90 labels (Examiner 5153 on front, Examiner 1158 on reverse), manuscript "I.C." notation identifying examination at the Imperial Censorship station in Bermuda, reverse with elaborate hand-painted map showing the "V" for Victory connection between the Americas and Great Britain, holiday greeting enclosed, light wrinkles, else very fine; an attractive cover posted to the manufacturers of the Spitfire and Wellington bomber.

South Australian

Tasmania Pre-philately

Victoria

South Australian

Lot 2004

40.00 CAD

Live

South Australia, 1908 (December 16), Jamestown squared circle on postcard to Mexico, franked with 2d Victoria, tied by Jamestown squared

South Australia, 1908 (December 16), Jamestown squared circle on postcard to Mexico, franked with 2d Victoria, tied by Jamestown squared circle, to Aguascalientes, with c.d.s. receiver and Chihuahua transit, some typical edge wear, a scarce foreign destination.

Tasmania Pre-philately

Victoria

Tasmania Pre-philately

Lot 2005

100.00 CAD

Live

1849 (February 3), Port Sorell manuscript cancel on stampless folded letter to Hobart Town, with manuscript "4" pence inland rating and

1849 (February 3), Port Sorell manuscript cancel on stampless folded letter to Hobart Town, with manuscript "4" pence inland rating and manuscript Port Sorell despatch notation (3 Feb), reverse with boxed Hobart Town arrival backstamp (6 Feb), scarce and very fine. The letter is from M. Robson to her cousin George Washington Walker, co-founder of the Hobart Savings Bank and a prominent Quaker missionary in Van Diemen's Land, expressing gratitude for the care given to her "invalid daughter" during a two-year stay in Hobart, and noting that maritime logistics were "greatly retarded" by an "imperfect chain cable" on the vessel Alligator during an unusually stormy season.

Victoria

Lot 2006

110.00 CAD

Live

1854 (May 17), stampless folded letter from the Ballarat gold fields to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, reverse with crowned rimless

1854 (May 17), stampless folded letter from the Ballarat gold fields to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, reverse with crowned rimless oval Ballarat / Victoria despatch strike (17 May) and Melbourne / Victoria transit (20 May), London transit (14 Sep), Greenock transit (15 Sep), and boxed Stornoway arrival in blue (20 Sep), endorsed "per first mail", manuscript "8" pence ship letter rate, crossed-out red manuscript "1/8" likely correcting a misapplied double-rate or packet fee, small repairs where seals removed, otherwise a fine-very fine example of correspondence from the Ballarat gold fields, sent months before the Eureka Rebellion.

Australia

Bahamas

Australia

Lot 2007

40.00 CAD

Live

1902 (November 8), incoming three-colour franking postcard from Germany, with 2pf, 3pf, and 5pf Germania, each tied by choice strike of

1902 (November 8), incoming three-colour franking postcard from Germany, with 2pf, 3pf, and 5pf Germania, each tied by choice strike of Minden c.d.s., addressed to East Adelaide, with superb strike of St. Peters squared circle at lower left, a beautiful card with ideal strikes, very fine.

Lot 2008

80.00 CAD

Live

1930 (February 20), ‘DAMAGED BY FIRE ON S.S. COMORIN’, handstamp on cover from Australia to London, originating in Sydney, franked

1930 (February 20), ‘DAMAGED BY FIRE ON S.S. COMORIN’, handstamp on cover from Australia to London, originating in Sydney, franked with 1½d rose red King George V definitive, tied by Sydney slogan cancellation, bearing black boxed handstamp "DAMAGED BY FIRE ON S.S. COMORIN" on front, imprint on flap of the Expanded Steel and Concrete Products Co, condition was expected for such a cover, a desirable example of disaster mail. The P&O steamer Comorin departed Sydney on 19 February 1930 bound for England; on the night of 12 March, as she prepared to depart Colombo, Ceylon, a fire broke out in Hold No. 3. Sea water was used to flood the hold, with the fire fully extinguished by 14 March. As a result, much of the mail was water-damaged. The Comorin resumed its voyage on 17 March and arrived in London on 2 April. On 3 April, the Postmaster General announced delays due to the need to dry the mail before delivery.

Bahamas

Basutoland

Bahamas

Lot 2011

60.00 CAD

Live

1930 (January 2), Nassau to Miami, registered first flight cover, unclaimed, forwarded to Argentina and returned, franked with 1sh black

1930 (January 2), Nassau to Miami, registered first flight cover, unclaimed, forwarded to Argentina and returned, franked with 1sh black and red War Tax overprint, corner block of four, tied by two black (Nassau) single-circle cancellations, red "First Daily Flight Nassau to Miami 1930" and "First Flight Nassau-Argentine Republic" cachets, black boxed "Non-Reclame", violet underlined "Return to Sender", blue "Nassau Bahamas" registration label, and black "Rebuts Buenos Aires" registration handstamp on front, reverse with violet Miami, Fla. (2 Jan) double-circle, Cristobal, C.Z. (6 Jan) single-circle, Registered Ret'd Letter Section oval, and three black Buenos Aires (13/14 Jan) transit marks, as well as Nassau, Bahamas c.d.s. (29 Jul), a striking and fine cover. (Sc. #MR8)

Basutoland

Belgian Congo

Brazil

Basutoland

Lot 2012

80.00 CAD

Live

1901 (October 21), Boer War prisoner-of-war cover from Mohale's Hoek, to Diyatalawa Camp, redirected to Ragama Camp, Ceylon, franked with a

1901 (October 21), Boer War prisoner-of-war cover from Mohale's Hoek, to Diyatalawa Camp, redirected to Ragama Camp, Ceylon, franked with a 1d rose-pink Hope Standing definitive, tied by Mohales Hoek / Basutoland c.d.s. (21 Oct), with small violet oval P.O.W. / Censored / Diyatalawa handstamp, redirected in manuscript from Diyatalawa to Ragama convalescent camp, reverse with Diyatalawa transit (1 Dec) and Colombo receiver (3 Dec), slight typical toning, else an unusual forwarded prisoner of war cover.

Belgian Congo

Brazil

Belgian Congo

Lot 2013

40.00 CAD

Live

1944 (October 21), Kalina to New York, officially sealed double-censored registered airmail cover, franked with 10Fr deep brown definitive,

1944 (October 21), Kalina to New York, officially sealed double-censored registered airmail cover, franked with 10Fr deep brown definitive, 15Fr dark brown & black, 15Fr brown violet, and 30Fr red orange pair airmail issues, each tied by six black "KALINA" single circle cancellations, with "LEOPOLDVILLE KALINA" registration label, "PAR AVION" label, Belgian Congo and U.S. censor tapes applied, backstamped with two black "LEOPOLDVILLE" (27 Oct) single circles, violet "MIAMI FLA." (7 Nov) double circle, two black double oval "NEW YORK" transits (11 Nov, 20 Nov) tying an "Officially Sealed" label, additional violet boxed U.S. "Customs label" marking, and "NEW ROCHELLE NY" (30 Nov) receiver, fine and unusual. (Sc. #224, C6, C13/14).

Brazil

Lot 2015

100.00 CAD

Live

1862 (November 24), Rio de Janeiro to New York, via France and England, transatlantic stampless folded letter carried on the French steamer

1862 (November 24), Rio de Janeiro to New York, via France and England, transatlantic stampless folded letter carried on the French steamer Navarre (departing Rio 25 Nov, arriving Bordeaux 20 Dec), red circular BRESIL / BORDEAUX (20 Dec) French entry cancellation and red boxed Am. Service cachet, manuscript "21" indicating the French debit to the U.S. and black circular New York (7 Jan 1863) c.d.s. for "30" cent charge due, circular CORREIO GERAL DA CORTE (25 Nov) Brazilian dispatch on reverse, very fine. The letter, written by J. Gestas in Rio de Janeiro to Messrs. Lanman & Kemp in New York, places an order for multiple cases of "Sarsaparilla de Bristol" and other medicinal preparations. Of particular interest, he warns of a significant "Contrefaçon" (counterfeiting) problem, with local counterfeits being advertised daily in the newspapers, causing buyers to abandon the genuine article and making the venture unsustainable; a fascinating piece for the collector of medical history.

British Guiana Pre-philately

Canada Pre-philately

British Guiana Pre-philately

Canada Pre-philately

British Guiana Pre-philately

Lot 2016

100.00 CAD

Live

1839 (March 13), Demerara to St. Affrique, France, via London and Calais, stampless folded letter, written by a son in the colony to his

1839 (March 13), Demerara to St. Affrique, France, via London and Calais, stampless folded letter, written by a son in the colony to his father, struck with red London transit tombstone PAID (6 May 1839) datestamp, red circular "P-D" (paid to destination), and red French maritime entry COLONIES PAR L'ANGLETERRE / CALAIS (8 May) on face, manuscript "4-6" and "2-6" for British packet and inland fees and "30" decimes for French carriage, black London (6 May) transit and St. Afrique (13 May) arrival on reverse, generally choice strikes, scarce and very fine.

Canada Pre-philately

Lot 2017

90.00 CAD

Live

1829 (January 15), Liverpool to St. John, New Brunswick, via New York, stampless forwarding agent letter, struck with red circular New York

1829 (January 15), Liverpool to St. John, New Brunswick, via New York, stampless forwarding agent letter, struck with red circular New York (30 Mar) transit, red PAID handstamp, and faint two-line ST. ANDREWS / NEW BRUNSWICK entry marking on face, bold black oval FORWARDED BY / THOS IRVING & CO. / NEW YORK agent's mark on reverse, manuscript "2/-" (shillings) double-weight British packet rate to New York, "9" (pence) currency inland charge from St. Andrews to St. John, filing folds, else very fine. Writing to the prominent firm John Ward & Sons, the sender discusses the ship Hannah's Jamaica voyage with a cargo of salt, noting the "cargo was likely to do well," before detailing his exhaustive and failed attempts to sell the vessel Emerald, having "offered her at public Auction & no bidders" despite advertisements in the "public rooms" and newspapers, concluding with the observation that the St. John Timber Market is finally "improving."

Lot 2018

60.00 CAD

Live

1830 (February 17), transatlantic stampless folded letter from Montreal to Leith, redirected to Edinburgh, originally rated "2/2" and

1830 (February 17), transatlantic stampless folded letter from Montreal to Leith, redirected to Edinburgh, originally rated "2/2" and corrected to "4/2" representing the 8d ship letter fee plus triple the 1/2 inland rate for the journey from the Devon coast to Leith, struck with black framed Kingsbridge / Ship Letter handstamp, with Carlisle Additional ½ handstamp on front, reverse with circular transits (17 May and 18 May), blue Leith arrival (17 May), and black "1" local delivery handstamp applied on redirection to Edinburgh, fine. The letter is a three-page correspondence from near Montreal to the sender's brother John Mackie in Leith. She describes their land and cattle as prospering and her husband as "always at work" and "a different man," but writes secretly and without her husband's knowledge to ask Mackie for a loan of £150 to clear debts owed to a Mr. Bruce, fearing that "men of law" might seize their property and drive her husband back to "drinking."

Lot 2019

50.00 CAD

Live

1834 (May 15), stampless folded entire from Rimouski to Quebec City, with clear red Rimouski / L.C. double-circle dispatch

1834 (May 15), stampless folded entire from Rimouski to Quebec City, with clear red Rimouski / L.C. double-circle dispatch cancel, straight-line Paid handstamp and manuscript "9" pence rate notationt, contents trimmed at one side, otherwise fine. The letter is from James Thompson to Louis Fisch. Thompson, an Englishman and former ship's carpenter wrecked near Rimouski in November 1828, describes years of struggle to secure fair wages from a local employer, Mr. Glen Miller, detailing work at saw mills and harbour points for two shillings per day, a series of broken promises and underpayments, and Miller's refusal to settle a long-standing debt on the grounds that he "kept no account at all" and relied on his memory.

Lot 2020

60.00 CAD

Live

1836 (October 28), transatlantic stampless folded letter from Kingston, Upper Canada, to Edinburgh, Scotland, with red circular Kingston /

1836 (October 28), transatlantic stampless folded letter from Kingston, Upper Canada, to Edinburgh, Scotland, with red circular Kingston / Up Canada postmark (1 Nov) and red boxed Paid handstamp, manuscript "18¾" pre-paid U.S. inland postage and manuscript "via N. York" routing instruction, struck on arrival with framed Liverpool / Ship Letter handstamp and rated "1/7½" due, handstamped with framed ½ for Scottish wheel tax, reverse with red circular Edinburgh arrival (7 Dec), slight separation along folds on one page, otherwise fine-very fine. The letter is from Alex Buchanan to his uncle in Edinburgh. Buchanan admits that "to live by farming for some time is impossible" and regrets his "unfortunate error" in attempting it; Bishop Alexander Macdonell, Roman Catholic Bishop of Kingston, is taking a "great interest" in his affairs and attempting to procure him a position at the Commercial Bank. Facing arrest for debt, Buchanan asks for a £50 loan, pledging his "word and honor" and offering to sell his watch and gun, his "poor Father's" only remaining belongings, to settle his accounts.

Lot 2021

90.00 CAD

Live

1837 (January 2), Glasgow to Dundas, Upper Canada, forwarded via Liverpool agents, stampless folded letter endorsed "p.

1837 (January 2), Glasgow to Dundas, Upper Canada, forwarded via Liverpool agents, stampless folded letter endorsed "p. Shakspeare" indicating carriage by the Black Ball Line packet ship, routed via forwarding agents Rathbone Brothers & Co., Liverpool, manuscript "1/4½" pre-paid single British packet rate, faint red "2/9" initial double-rate miscalculation corrected by large manuscript "1/9" due from recipient for American transit and Canadian inland carriage, green double split-ring QUEENSTON / U.C. (10 Mar 1837) arrival and red NEW-YORK / SHIP (8 Mar) transit on front, slight fold separations reinforced with glassine hinges sealing a tear along vertical crease at top, else of very fine appearance. Writing from Scotland, the correspondent describes a widespread influenza epidemic so severe that Sir Robert Peel's banquet was disrupted and "26 workmen" were absent from a single establishment. The recipient, Rev. Mark Young Stark, was a graduate of Glasgow University who became the first Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in Canada and a driving force behind the establishment of Knox College.