Lot# 1359 - Auction 309-320
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Lot# : 1359 Great Britain
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1847, Embossed, 1 s. pale green, die 2, hoizontal pair, used on cover, from Glasgow to Valparaiso, Chile, dated 16 June 1856, just touching top of right stamp otherwise good margins all round, tied by the distinctive experimental 'Madeleine Smith' "159" Glasgow duplex cancel in black, good to large margins all round, endorsed "p Parana", internal note indicates arrival 9 August 1856, there is a horizontal filing crease well clear of stamps, slight soiling, a fine multiple, scarce pair on mail to South America, from the well known "Graham Rowe, Valparaiso Correspondence" and sent on a Royal Mail Steam Packet ship Parana. Gi H1(1) = £3'800+ as two singles on cover.rnrnRemarks: Madeleine Smith (1835 to 1928) was a 19th-century Glasgow socialite accused of poisoning her lover, Pierre Emile L'Angelier, who was of a lower social standing. The case became a highly sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857. Although the evidence pointed to her gullt a verdict of "not proven" was passed by the jury. Central to the case against her were a series of letters which all featured the experimental "159" Glasgow cancel to the envelopes, the dates of which many were illegible, an aspect critised by the Judge. As a consequence, these postmarks have become known as the "Madeleine Smith" 159 Glasgow cancel. rnrnProvenance: Corinphila, 3-6 December 2019, lot 1687.Starting bid : 600 CHFHammer price : 800 CHF -
