;) | A10 used KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent postmark on TRINIDAD stamp (PML.4), struck firmly on arrival as a "killer" due the indistinct TRINIDAD dbl-arc blending into the background of the Trinidad 1872 4d grey P.12½ (SG.71), tiny pin-hole. Exceedingly rare as this combination would not normally happen, let alone survive, almost certainly unique. £85 |
;) ;) | BARBADOS "USED ABROAD" U.P.U. POST CARD ACCEPTED IN ERROR AT DOMINICA 1886 use of Barbados QV 1½d brown UPU Post Card with cross-written text headed "Mar 29" pmk'd Dominica vertical "A07" at Roseau with C/AP 3 86 despatch cds alongside to Miss M.B. Clinckett, Rev. Canon Branch, The Rectory, Barrouallie, St. Vincent with only KINGSTOWN C/AP 8 86 arrival b/stamp, corner fault but a fine example of accepted mail which should not have been accepted without penalty. £275 |
;) ;) ;) | MISSENT or POST OFFICE KNOWS BEST, Dominica and St. Vincent postal history 1886 use of Dominica QV 1½d brown UPU Post Card with cross-written text headed "Dec 24" pmk'd vertical "A07" with C/DE 24 86 cds alongside to Miss M.B. Clinckett, Rev. Canon Branch, The Rectory, Barrouallie, St. Vincent with both KINGSTOWN and CALLIAQUA C/DE 30 86 transit and arrival cds alongside address panel. Barrouallie is situated 14 miles west of Kingstown on the Leeward coast whilst Calliaqua is about 8 miles east of Kingstown at the bottom of the island on the near Windward coast. £525 |
;) | CENSORED BOTH COUNTRIES JAMAICA to SURINAME postal history 1941 cover from Miss Marilyn Gregory, Halfway-Tree to Paramaribo City, Suriname with corner fault KG6 3d pmk'd HALF-WAY-TREE MY 30 41 with censor label and handstamp and 30.6.41 (one month later) arrival backstamp, two vertical creases. £25 |
;) | WARWICK-WEST to TURKS ISLANDS postal history 1907 b/w ppc of Royal Palms marked "Per S.S. Bermudian via New York" to Lindsay Smith, Grand Turk, Turks Islands with 1d Dock pmk'd WARWICK-WEST FE 18 1907 with TURKS ISLANDS FE 21 07 arrival cds alongside. £55 |
;) | BELVIDERE (CARRIACOU) GRENADA to ST. VINCENT postal history 1958 airmail inter-village inter-island cover from F. Paterson, Carriacou (reverse lower flap) to The Very Revd. Canon Ogden, St. Paul's Rectory, Calliaqua, St. Vincent with Federation trio pmk'd BELVIDERE */AP 22 58 cds, reverse top flap mostly missing, b/stamped CARRIACOU AP 28 58 (poor), GPO Grenada */AP 29 58, and poor CALLIAQUA */3 MY 58 cds. BELVIDERE should not be confused with BELVEDERE, the infamous mainland estate where Julien Fedon planned his rebellion (March 2, 1795 - June 19, 1796, also known as the Brigand's War) by converting his Belvedere coffee and cocoa plantation into a fortified headquarters for his army. The estate was near the top of a very steep mountain, and almost inaccessible, after the failure of one of the many unsuccessful British attacks Fedon ordered the death of 40 white hostages. £85 |
;) | TRINIDAD (village use?) postmark on GRENADA stamp (Proud D14, thought to be re-allocated duty to a newly opened office), measures 20mm (ink spread) but maybe 19mm cds dated DE 19 91 on Grenada QV 2½d (SG.32). £40 |
;) | KINGSTOWN, ST. VINCENT postmark on GRENADA stamp arrival dated A/OC 15 97 on Grenada QV 1d Keyplate (SG.49). £8 |
;) | CAYMAN ISLANDS postal history: 1947 First Flight cover Cayman Brac to Kingston, Jamaica with KG6 2½d pmk'd CAYMAN BRAC NO 3 47, b/stamped Half-Way-Tree NO 7 47. £30 |
;) ;) ;) | EARLIEST KNOWN USE OF A ST. VINCENT STAMP and a first sailing date of use (Placed in POSTAL HISTORY section for convenience): This QV 1d rose-red Perf. 14 to 16 (SG.1) in the accepted paler shade of colour of the first printing, as mentioned PML handbook Page 27, came from the first delivery invoiced from London on 27 March 1861 (56,040 stamps plus 10,020 6d deep yellow-green, SG.2) with expected arrival on 8 April 1861. These adhesives were seemingly not immediately unpacked as known covers of AP 9 61 and AP 24 1861 to the UK are cancelled with the red “PAID AT ST. VINCENT” pre-stamp handstamp. The Stanley Gibbons catalogue lists 8 May 1861 for issue date of the two denominations, which may be true. This 1d adhesive was cancelled by horizontal “A10” (PML.1) on the 8th, 9th or 10th for the 10 May 1861 sailing, and travelled on R.M.S.P. Teviot collecting BARBADOES dbl-arc arrival dated MY 11 1861 making this the EARLIEST KNOWN USE OF A ST. VINCENT STAMP and a first sailing date. The first known adhesive cover bears a strip of three QV 1d, pair QV 6d pmk’d JU 8 1861 addressed to Norfolk, Virginia and travelled in through New Orleans being possibly the finest known American Civil War blockade running cover. The second delivery of the QV 1d rose-red was not invoiced until 22 July 1862 (28,020 stamps), slight thinning. £450 |
;) | BERMUDA to ST. LUCIA postal history 1933 (FE 9) underpaid "Panton" (name erased) cover to Castries with ¼d Caravel pmk'd PAGET, tax handstamp and St. Lucia 2d Postage Due added and tied 15 FE 33 cds. £80 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | SMITH'S ISLAND, BERMUDA internal postal history In July 1609 Sir George Somers left Plymouth on the flagship Sea Venture as part of a fleet of 9 vessels with supplies for the new English colony at Jamestown, Virginia. In a severe storm she was separated and driven onto the reefs at Bermuda with all 150 sailors and settlers saved, this event is thought to be Shakespeare’s inspiration for The Tempest. With materials primarily stripped from the Sea Venture two new ships, The Deliverance and The Patience, were built and most set sail again on May 10 1610 for Jamestown. Smith’s island in St. George’s became Bermuda’s first settlement when three of the survivors, Christopher Carter, Edward Waters and Edward Chard (two were mutineers), set up camp becoming the first accidental permanent colonists. They built cabins, planted beans, melons, tobacco, maize, fished the coast and hunted wild hogs left there from an earlier visit by the Spanish. When the Plough arrived from England July 11 1612 with the first part of planned colonists Governor Moore was delighted with the garden produce because the Somer Isles Company in London had supplied him with some 80 varieties of seeds to try in Bermuda. Many of the first European crops Virginia and later American colonies saw were planted on Smith’s Island. The illustrated QV ½d Post Card, postmarked St. Georges 14 JA 1901, is addressed to C. W. McCallan, perhaps the only resident family on the 61 acre island, and perhaps the replied pricing for pupils at the Grammar School was intended for E.A. McCallan, the 1948 Bermudian author of “Life on Old St. David’s”. Also included u/m commemorative set plus pre-owned Gail Langer Karwoski's book "Miracle - The true story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture" (64 pages). £325 |
;) | ST. KITTS PAID (used during shortage 1d stamps for the internal rate) to NEVIS. 1889 stampless cover to Miss. Richardson, opposite the church, Charlestown, Nevis with the (1d) rate covered by black undated ST. KITTS PAID with ST. KITTS C/DE 10 89 despatch and NEVIS A/DE 11 89 arrival backstamp. Minor blemishes but unique as such and the latest recorded use. Ex BROOKES. The 1889 shortage of ½d, 1d, 2½d, 4d stamps currently spans a 22 day period NO 21 1889 to DE 12 1889. New supplies were invoiced NO 29 1889 comprising ½d dull green (6,080 stamps), 1d carmine-rose, 2½d ultramarine, 4d grey (6,100 each) all Crown CA wmk, with expected arrival in time for the DE 19 89 sailing to UK. Only four covers and two cover fronts are recorded comprising NO 21 89 (at the over 300 miles rate) to Trinidad, NO 21 89 and DE 5 89 cover fronts (at the 4d UPU rate) to Edinburgh and London respectively, DE 5 89 and DE 12 89 (at the 2½d under 300 miles radius rate) to Barbados and Antigua respectively, and DE 10 89 (at the 1d local rate) to Nevis. £1350 |
;) | ST. KITTS PAID (used during shortage 2½d stamps for the under 300 sea miles rate) to ANTIGUA. 1889 stampless cover to Joe Goodwin, High Street, (St. John's), Antigua with the (2½d) rate covered by black undated ST. KITTS PAID with ST. KITTS C/DE 12 89 despatch being the latest known date of use. Frontal vertical fold and with no arrival backstamp which is consistent with covers to Antigua at this time. Ex FORSYTH, BROOKES. The 1889 shortage of ½d, 1d, 2½d, 4d stamps currently spans a 22 day period NO 21 1889 to DE 12 1889. New supplies were invoiced NO 29 1889 comprising ½d dull green (6,080 stamps), 1d carmine-rose, 2½d ultramarine, 4d grey (6,100 each) all Crown CA wmk, with expected arrival in time for the DE 19 89 sailing to UK. Only four covers and two cover fronts are recorded comprising NO 21 89 (at the over 300 miles rate) to Trinidad, NO 21 89 and DE 5 89 cover fronts (at the 4d UPU rate) to Edinburgh and London respectively, DE 5 89 and DE 12 89 (at the 2½d under 300 miles radius rate) to Barbados and Antigua respectively, and DE 10 89 (at the 1d local rate) to Nevis. £1250 |
;) ;) ;) | VICTORIOUS "PORTLAND" RAN AGROUND in RIVER SHANNON and STRANDED, ANTIGUA INTERRUPTED PACKET MAIL This entire is headed “Antigua 28th Octr 1796” and marked “by Portland packet” from the Tudway correspondence to Wells, Somersetshire with handstruck S:KITTS rated 2/- changed 3/2. The “Portland” had left Falmouth with the mails for the Leeward Islands on AU 29 1796 and when off Barbados was attacked by a French privateer in which she beat off the attacker and preserved the mails. The Cook, William Thomson, lost a leg during the fighting and subsequently died of his injuries. In calm seas, near Guadeloupe, another armed privateer, the “Temeraire”, of much superior force gave chase. At daylight on October 18th the enemy hoisted her French colours and came alongside to board. The Master, Nathaniel Taylor, organised the passengers to open their musquetry upon her killing or wounding 41 of 68 on board. Captain Taylor was killed in the moment of victory. The “Temeraire” was taken into Montserrat as a prize, and the “Portland” left St. Kitts on 30th October bound Falmouth. Due a shortage of fresh water she put into the River Shannon on the west coast of Ireland on 6th January 1797. Sailing shortly after she had to put back because of bad weather, and whilst sheltering she was driven from her moorings and higher up the river ran aground. Stranded and waiting to be refloated on the Spring Tides she eventually arrived at Falmouth on 25th March. In the interim the Mate, Richard Leonard, personally took the mails from Limerick to London and they were placed in the post JA 14 97 per backstamp. This is the first recorded “Portland” interrupted mail entire clearly documenting its journey. The full story can be found in “The History of the Sailing Packets to the West Indies” by Len Britnor Pages 72-73 published by the BWI Study Circle 1973. £2250 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | ST. BARTHELEMY taken to St. CHRISTOPHER for posting to TURKS ISLANDS postal history 1879 entire headed "St Barths 11 Septr 1879" to The Post Master, Grand Turk, Turks Islands, enclosing a letter for Mr. Gibbs (presumed George Gibbs, the Salt Merchant, and Commission and Forwarding Agent at Grand Turk). Conveyed to neighbouring St. Christopher for onward transit where QV 6d green affixed and tied by the "APMY" dumb cds with weak ST. KITTS despatch (thought SP 12 79), rated red "4". On arrival most unusually handstruck internally with pristine TURK'S-ISLAND code removed/OC 10 79 cds probably as a record of receipt to show date acted upon for any future reference. Additionally unique for being the only known St. Christopher UPU member cover to a non-UPU member commanding a 6d rate (St. Christopher was full member from JY 1 1879, Turks Islands did not join the UPU until JA 1 1881). An exceptional showpiece conveyed through British Colonial Post Offices during the second year of French reoccupation. On NO 26 1781 St. Eustatius was captured by the French under Marquis De Bouille, St. Martin was seized the following day, and Saba and St. Bartholomew soon after. The latter island remained French until 1784 when it was suddenly sold by one of Louis XVI's ministers to Sweden in exchange for trading rights in the Swedish port of Gothenburg. In 1877 France bought back the island from Sweden for 400,000 francs with the agreement ratifield in Stockholm NO 9 1877 and in Paris MR 4 1878. On MR 16 1878 the French officially reoccupied St. Barthelemy. A census in 1875 indicated there were around 2,300 inhabitants on the island. (Note: this is similar to the expectation of how a Cayman Island cover for the period would travel, if one existed, and equally as rare). £12500 |
;) | GRENADA postmark on ST. LUCIA stamp showing 1d WINDWARD ISLAND RATE Grenada Parish "A" (St. John's) dated 26 AU 97 on St. Lucia QV 1d (SG.44). The special Windward island rate was introduced NO 1 1895 for mail between St. Vincent, Grenada and St. Lucia. £48 |
;) | GRENADA to Trinidad postal history 1872 mourning cover to Mungo Campbell, San Fernando, Trinidad with QV 6d orange-red (SG.7) tied "A15" with A/GRENADA/MY 02 72 despatch backstamp showing small part TRINIDAD MY 3 1872 arrival rated red crayon "4". Ex RUSSELL JONES, PITTS. £475 |
;) ;) | REMOVED/ADDRESS UNKNOWN, Left The Island, CAYMAN ISLANDS to JAMAICA postal history 1913 cover (opened 2 sides) to Chas H. Phelps, Milk River Baths (mineral springs, highly radioactive), Milk River P.O., Jamaica with KGV 1d red pmk'd Type 5 GEORGETOWN MY 3 13 (SG lists FE 25 13 as release or earliest date), re-directed in blue crayon to Moneague House Hotel, Kingston and three times endorsed manuscript "Left the Island" with purple "REMOVED/ADDRESS UNKNOWN." (Proud Type I100) and black "UNCLAIMED." (with stop), red RETURNED LETTER BRANCH, JAMAICA dated 9 JU 13 and presumed sender's name of "Mrs A.J. Robertson" in red crayon at left edge. A rare commercial inter-island cover full of character. £625 |
;) | DOMINICA postal history 1878 small stampless piece with red DOMINICA PAID/I/SP 27 78 cds (ERD) to J.W. Shannon, Barbados. £225 |