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Lot# 9001 - Auction 274-283

  • Lot# : 9001 Ceylon

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    Wreck Mail 1862: Cover from Galle to London endorsed "via Southampton", carried on P.& O. Steamer ‘Colombo', with "GALLE / POST PAID" despatch cds in red (Nov 6), overstruck by fine strike of framed "Saved from the wreck of / the Colombo" in black. The adhesive floated off due to the wreck, with 'London EC / Paid' cds of receipt (Jan 1, 1863) in red below. Condition much above average for these submerged covers, a scarce and most attractive example.rnrnNote: The 'Colombo' was en route from Australia to England and foundered off Minicoy Island, the most southern of the Laccadives in the Indian Ocean, three hundred miles due west of the southern tip of India on November 19 in a monsoon. The ship was flooded, but all the passengers were safely transferred by lifeboats to the island. The passengers and mail were all rescued by the ‘Ottawa’ on November 30. The boxes of mail were recovered by divers. This is the first recorded cachet applied to Australasian wreck mail.
    Starting bid : 300 CHF
    Hammer price : 650 CHF