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Lot# 1171 - 210-212 Auction

  • Lot# : 1171 Japan

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    The correspondence of Carl Eduard von Martens. The following eleven covers (lot 1172-1182), offered for sale for the first time on the philatelic market, are all envelopes, without contents, addressed from this famous German Zoologist, who travelled on the 'Thetis' Expedition to Asia between 1860 and 1862. Born in Stuttgart in 1831, he became a world famous for his work at the Berlin Museum, discovering over 150 new species of Molluscs. He was a prolific scientific writer and interested bidders will find more about this fascinating pioneer on Wikipedia etc. His correspondence is held in the Russian Academy in St. Petersburg. All the following covers have contemporary docketing of sending and receipt on reverse in ink. All are addressed to Stuttgart, Württemberg.

    1860 (June 7): Cover from Rio de Janeiro mailed at at the British P.O. in Rio de Janeiro (June 7), via London (July 4) where struck with Anglo-French Accountancy marking 'GB / 1F 60c.' in black. Thence carried unpaid via Calais to Stuttgart with reverse showing Railway handstamp (July 6).

    1860 (Aug 3): Cover from Singapore endorsed 'Overland Mail via Marseille', struck on front with SINGAPORE P.O. datestamp (Aug 3) in black. Circular PAYS ETR. / V. SUEZ AMB. in red on front, and reverse with French transits and 'K. Württ. Fahrend Postamt' datestamp (Sept 13) and arrival in black.

    1860 (Sept 18): Cover from Yedo, Japan struck solely in transit by Austrian P.O. ALEXANDRIEN datestamp in blue (Dec 4). Reverse with 'K. Württ. Fahrend Postamt' datestamp (Dec 13) and arrival in black. Mail from Japan at this date is of the greatest scarcity.

    1861 (Jan 1): Cover from Yedo, Japan carried outside the mails and posted unpaid on the letter's arrival in England with manuscript 'via Ostende' and struck with 'Charing Cross' datestamp in black on front (March 21) and, with the same date on reverse in red. Circular 'Aus England Per Aachen' on reverse (22/3) in red and arrival datestamp of the following day.

    1861 (March 17): Cover from Shanghai, China carried at double rate (manuscript '2' at left), endorsed 'via Marseille, Overland Mail', struck on reverse with single ring HONG KONG datestamp (March 28) in black. Paris transit cds (May 12) and framed Railway datestamp (May 13) alongside arrival datestamp.

    1861 (April 11): Outer letter sheet from Hong Kong with, on reverse, single ring HONG KONG datestamp (April 13) in black. Front with circular POSS. ANG. V. SUEZ / A MARSEILLE B in red (May 24). Two French TPO cds's and framed Railway datestamp (May 26) alongside arrival datestamp.

    1861 (April 18): Outer letter sheet from Hong Kong initially endorsed 'Registered', this erased and 'via Marseille' inserted, carried at double rate with manuscript '2' at left. Reverse with single ring HONG KONG datestamp (April 20) in black. Front with circular POSS. ANG. V. SUEZ / A MARSEILLE B transit in red (June 12). Two French TPO cds's and framed Railway datestamp (June 14) alongside arrival datestamp.

    1861 (May 20): Cover from Manila, Philippines endorsed 'via Marseille' at double rate (manuscript '2' at left), mailed through Hong Kong with oval FORWARDED BY ...& Co. / HONG KONG in red obscrured by red wax seal, circular POSS. ANG. V. SUEZ / A MARSEILLE B datestamp in red (July 15) and reverse with single ring HONG KONG datestamp in black (May 27). Two French TPO's and framed Railway datestamp (July 17) alongside arrival datestamp.

    1861 (June 12): Cover from Zamboanga, Mindanao, Philippines with manuscript 'via Marseille' deleted; carried by hand and presumably posted on arrival in Germany with oval HEINRICH WAGNER / HAMBURG Forwarding Agent's cachet in blue and Thurn & Taxis 'Hamburg' datestamp (Sept 15) in black. Reverse with 'K. Württ. Fahrend Postamt' datestamp (Sept 16) and arrival in black.

    1862 (Feb 1): Cover from Petchaburi, Thailand endorsed 'via Marseille' at double rate (manuscript '2' at left). Struck in transit with SINGAPORE P.O. datestamp in black (Feb 27) and circular POSS. ANG. V. SUEZ / A MARSEILLE B in red (March 28). Reverse with further docketing and manuscript 'Bangkok 1/2 62' , Paris transit cds (March 29), oval FRANKREICH / über / BADEN in black and arrival datestamp. Mail from this perios from Thailand is almost unknown. An extremely early cover from Thailand.

    1862 (June 12): Cover from Batavia, Netherlands East Indies endorsed 'via Trieste' and presumably carried through either Hong Kong or Singapore as prepaid with '2/-'  (two shillings) in red manuscript on front alongside BATAVIA half round datestamp of despatch (June 12) in black. Reverse with 'K. Württ. Fahrend Postamt' datestamp (July 28) and arrival in black.

    The Carl Eduard von Martens correspondence from the ‚Eulenburg expedition‘ to Stuttgart will first be offered individually cover by cover (lot 1172 to 1182).

    After all lots have been offered individually, the correspondance will be offered intact as one lot (lot 1171).  
    The starting price of the entire correspondence will be fixed by the auctioneer based on the total of the realisations of all individual lots plus 10%.  For the calculation of the starting price for the entire correspondence the auctioneer will calculate written bids on individual lots at their maximum bid (and not at their individual realisation) to avoid that the entire correspondence will be sold below a written bid on a single lot.      



     
    Starting bid : 2,500 CHF
    Hammer price : 10,500 CHF