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Lot# 6291 - Auction 244-249

  • Lot# : 6291 Transvaal

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    Typographed by M.J. Viljoen in Pretoria 1870 (May 24): 1 s. deep green, coarse impression, on thicker hard paper, an imperforate example with large margins all round, used on May 18, 1870 entire letter at double rate from Pretoria to Colesberg, Cape Colony, cancelled by circular target obliterator in black. PRETORIA / Z.A.R. / ZUID AFRIKA despatch datestamp struck twice on front (May 22) in black, the reverse showing a fine strike of POTCHEFSTROOM / Z.A.R. / ZUID AFRIKA transit cds (May 30) in black. 'Colesberg / Cape Colony' arrival (June11) on obverse in black with '6' (pence) credit to the Orange Free State for transit via Kroonstad and Bloemfontein in red crayon, the Cape Post Office not charging any extra as Colesberg shared the border with the OFS. The cover with minor imperfections to letter sheet of absolutely no significance, this being the earliest recorded usage of a Transvaal stamp on letter (Jorgensen census #1) and one of just three stamped covers mailed from the Transvaal in 1870. An item of great philatelic importance mailed within a few days of the stamp being printed and a cover of great historic significance.rnrnNote: The stamp is in the Viljoen deep green shade, with enormous margins, and has been lifted at one corner for checking and shows traces from the streaky yellow gum, thus the stamp is Gibbons 14 and not 20, as this latter stamp was only delivered on July 4, 1870. The article in the Transvaal Philatelist accompanying the lot (Vol 35, No. 3, whole number 135) of August 2000 written by the late Dr. Alan Drysdall is unusually erroneous, the entire, whilst now weighing under ½ ounce, is either a double rate entire - the first lines of the letter reading: "Enclosed I send a set of bills drawn on London for £200 which please negotiate to my credit at best terms" or registered to the border. The content would of course, have raised the weight (and the value) substantially.rnrnProvenance: Collection E.H.Collins, 18 May 1928.rn                   Collection Maurice Burrus, Robson Lowe, London, 10 March 1964, lot 522.
    Starting bid : 2,500 CHF
    Hammer price : 3,200 CHF