Lot# 4137 - 177-180 Auction

60 reis black, Late Early Impression horizontal pair with enormous margins all round (Second Large Plate, positions 17-18), used on July 1844 entire letter from Montevideo/Uruguay to the U.S. Consul in Rio Grande, with cover endorsed "Vapor" at lower left. Carried privately from Montevideo to the care of a Forwarding Agent, with reverse showing "Rio de Janeiro, Aug 29, forwarded by C. Coleman & Co.", who applied the adhesives which are neatly tied by bold "Correio Geral Da Corte" datestamp (Aug 30) in black, paying the 'By Sea' rate of 120 reis. Some splitting on one file fold mentioned for accuracy, otherwise a marvellous and extremely rare entire in paramount condition-certainly one of the prettiest Bulls Eye covers-and one of the great rarities of South American Maritime philately, this being the earliest entire letter from Uruguay bearing an adhesive postage stamp. Cert. Holcombe (1993), Moorhouse (2013). Provenance: Collection Saul Newbury (1967); Angelo Lima (1993).