Tradition und Erfahrung in klassischer Philatelie seit 1919
Erweiterte Suche

Losnr. 4258 - 265.-273. Auktion

  • Losnr. : 4258 Malta

    1 / 3
    Hauptbild herunterladen Teilen
    1856: Cover probably mailed either from the Crimea or, more likely from Constantinople and addressed to London; franked by 1855 1 d. red-brown, wmk. Small Crown perf. 14 and 2 d. blue pl. 4, single example lettered PD and a horizontal strip of four OD-OG all cancelled by ink manuscript from the Crimea/Constantinople to London. Reverse with Malta double arc cds in black (Jan) and London arrival (Jan 21, 1856 but faint strike) in red alongside embossed flap reading "Soyez Ferme" (Be Steadfast) with Dragon vignette of the Hyde family. One 2 d. with small fault but a wonderful and extremely rare cover.rnNote: Robson Lowe article accompanies the lot stating January 1855, we however feel the date of the letter to be 1856. The letter was correctly franked with 11d. for the British Packet letter rate to Britain and handed directly to the packet at Constantinople leaving for Malta. The Contract packet employed in conveying the Mails did not, in 1856, have their own numeral cancellator on board, the Mail officer cancelled the adhesives with a wavy pen stroke. Unfortunately the letter missed the P.&O. packet  'ALMA'  at Malta (9 January 1856) en route from Alexandria to Southampton by one day. In order not to wait two weeks for the next P.&O. packet leaving Malta for Southampton, the letter was mailed on from Malta on 10 January 1856  by 'Closed Mail' via Marseilles by French Packet which required 1s. 9d. postage. The 11d. prepaid was not accepted as part payment when conveyed by French Packet (Moubray states "Underpaid: As unpaid"), and therefore taxed as unpaid with '1/9' in black ink to be paid by the recipient on delivery in London.    rnAnother cover dated 31 July 1855 which may confirm the practise of pen-cancelling late letters directly handed to the Mail packet is recorded bearing POST OFFICE BRITISH ARMY (code 'B' / Balaklava) datestamp on reverse addressed to Gibraltar. The five 1d. adhesives are also pen-cancelled (on board the Mail Packet from Constantinople?) and charged additional 5d. for the deficient amount for a letter by British Packet to Gibraltar. The address on both pen-cancelled letters may or may not be from the same sender. Copy with the lot.rnWe do concur that the address to the Union Bank of London, 4 Pall Mall, London with "A & N Club" at lower left was probably a request from the writer to the Bank to pay his annual dues for membership of the Army & Navy Club.rnrnProvenance: Collection T.V. Roberts, RL, London, 26 April 1989, lot 2164.rn 
    Ausruf : 3.000,00 CHF
    Zuschlag : nicht verkauft