Worldwide Stamps and Covers continued...

MEXICO FRENCH SHIPS - 1862-63

LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
701			1862 FL written 10 December, franked with 2r Hidalgo (pre-print fold) and sent from Mexico City to Spain. The letter's text mentions that this is the first mail the French, who were then moving against Puebla the second time, let through, and then only letters going abroad by "extraordinario." This letter was endorsed to go via England but apparently missed the sailing of the British ship "Tampico" December 18th, thus the boxed handstamp "AprŠs de depart." Carried by an unknown vessel and forwarded at Bordeaux by "Georges Raffard", with transit and Madrid 28 January, 1863 arrival pmk. A fine example of usage during the French Blockade, ex-Todd collection (Image)	$2,000 SOLD for $1,800.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
702		6	1862 Cover from Mexico City, July 15 to Paris, double weight paid with a horizontal pair of 2r black on pink (also indicated with a manuscript "2"), conveyed via the French Packet "Floride", rated "16" (decimes) on arrival. The "1 Mexique 1" octagonal datestamp on front and the "Mexique-Floride" on the back were applied by the French consulate at Veracruz (which operated until April 1879), fine "semi-mixed" cover, with 1989 Mepsi cert. Illustrated in Mexican Maritime Mail (page 109) (Cat No. 6) (Image)	$3,000 SOLD for $3,750.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
703			1862 FL from Mexico City, 11 July, franked with 4r black on yellow, sent to France via steamship "Floride" (octagonal "Mexique-Floride 15 July 1862" on reverse), with appropriate transit and August 13th arrival pmks, rated 8 decimes, fine (Image)	$3,000 SOLD for $2,900.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM

MEXICO FRENCH SHIPS - 1863 Highest franking

LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
704			1863 Cover (opened for display) from Mexico City, October 15 to Paris, franked on back with 22 reales (composed of 1861 Issue, vertical strip of 3x2r black on pink and 2x8r green on red brown), carried by the French steamer "Louisiane" (16 October cds), rated by France "11f2" (as a 3½ ounce letter - 14 x 80c = 1.20fr). Cover professionally restored, all markings and stamps intact and fine. This is the highest recorded 1861 issue franking on a foreign destination letter, a wonderful and striking item, one of the gems of this collection (Image)	$10,000 SOLD for $9,500.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM

MEXICO SPANISH SHIPS - From Manila

LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
705			1863 FL from Mexico City, 15 December to Le Havre, franked with 1r green, sent via the steamer "Tampico" ("Mexique-Tampico" octagonal postmark on back), rated 2 francs, fine, with arrival pmk (Image)	$750 SOLD for $850.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM

MEXICO FRENCH SHIPS - 1863-66

LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
706			1863 wrapper from Mexico City to Paris by "Voie de St. Nazaire", franked with 1r green and backstamped with postmark of "Mexique-Tampico May 1863", rated "2f 40c" and "16" (indicating 16 times the 15c per ounce rate), this was apparently part of a bundle to the same destination for which this charge was applied since the weight of this one piece required only 1 real for internal Mexican postage, handstamped "Legation de France au Mexique" (Image)	$750 SOLD for $750.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
707			1863 Outer FL from Paris, paying 30c (10c and 20c Empire) for commercial ships rate (in force until October 1863) sent through the Maritime Bureau at Le Havre (cds), August 21st and placed aboard the "Montevideo" to Veracruz, red "P.D." (paid to destination), fine (Image)	$250 SOLD for $230.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
708			1863 Incoming FL from Glasgow, 14 October to Mexico City, franked with 2sh British postage to port (red "PP" supporting hs), via France with "Mexique Floride 18 Oct." octagonal ship postmark on reverse. This is the only recorded example of this ship's markings on covers originating from a European country other than France, with London and Calais transits, charged "6" reales due for Mexican internal postage, fine (Image)	$3,000 SOLD for $2,900.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
709			1863 Incoming FL from Glasgow, 14 September, franked with 2sh (pair of Victoria 1sh green) paying postage to port (supported by red "PP" handstamp), sent via London and Calais, with "Louisiane 16 Sept." ship cds on front. Only recorded example of this ship's markings on cover originating from a European country other than France, "6" reales due for Mexican internal postage, fine (Image)	$3,000 SOLD for $2,900.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
710			1864 FL from Veracruz to Bordeaux, with "Franqueado Vera Cruz June 10" departure datestamp, endorsed "Via St Nazaire", with octagonal "Mexique Guienne" datestamp, previously unrecorded out of Mexico. The 14 June date conforms to the schedule of the steamer "Louisiane", charged 8 decimes, with Paris transit and arrival pmks on back, fine and rare cover, with Robineau cert. (Image)	$750 SOLD for $800.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
711			1864 Large part of a FL (side panels missing) from Veracruz to Spain, with Mexican postage paid, indicated by sello negro "Correos Franco Veracruz" via the French Consular Agency ("Mexique" octagon) and paid to port of entry ("P.P." in blue) with French 80 centimes imperf. adhesive, cancelled by anchor in dots, carried by the steamer "Veracruz", with 4R due, with French transit and red "Irun" and Burgos arrival postmarks (Image)	$750 SOLD for $750.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
712		24a	1864 Cover (opened for display) from Mexico City (July) to Paris, franked with 2x4r Eagle (Mexico & 119-1864 overprints, "1" inverted) , sent via French Consular Agency ("Mexique" octagon) with backstamp of the steamer "Mexique-Tampico", rated "24" (decimes) for a quadruple-weight letter, fine, ex-Boris Rubio and J.Paulsen collections, with 1987 Mepsi cert. (Cat No. 24a) (Image)	$2,000 SOLD for $2,000.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
713			1865 FL from Mexico City, 8 March to Bordeaux, franked with 4r Eagle, via Veracruz where it was placed aboard the steamer "Imp. Eugenie" March 19th, arriving St. Nazaire April 15th and Bordeaux next day, charged 8 decimes due, fine, ex-"Aguilas" collection (Image)	$1,500 SOLD for $1,800.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
714			1865 Coverfront from Mexico City to Liverpool, franked with 4r Eagle, carried by the "Louisiane" to France, and then sent to Liverpool. Shows the seldom seen French-English exchange marking "FR/2F20", 1 shilling collected in England, 8 decimes debited by France, some toning, rare (Image)	$250 SOLD for $240.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
715			1865 Stampless FL from Mexico City, August 11 to London, via paquebot "Floride" and bearing the ship's postmark ("Mexique-Floride), with "FR 2F20c" exchange mark for letter to England via France, 1sh due, with transit and arrival pmks, fine (Image)	$500 SOLD for $450.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
716			1866 Large part of a FL (side panels missing) from Veracruz to Spain, with "Franqueado Vera Cruz 12 May", quadruple-weight paid with French strip of 4x80c "Empire", cancelled by anchor in dots, taken by steamer "France," arriving St. Thomas May 22nd and St. Nazaire June 6th, exchanged at Irun June 7th, "16Rs." due from recipient in Santander (Image)	$500 SOLD for $450.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
717			1866 FL from Guanajuato, June 14 to Hamm, Prussia, franked with 2r Eagle, sent per steamer "Panama" to St. Nazaire and from there by rail to Aachen. The "F48" handstamp signifies exchange according to Article 48 of the Franco-Prussian Convention for letters from overseas, rated "9" (groschen), with French Packet Ligne B, 14 June, 1866 cds (sometime during 1866 post facto in a September circular, a new set of four date-cachets were issued to replace those having the names of ships. These have "Vera Cruz" above and "Paq. Fr. B. No. (1-4)", the numbers corresponding to ships serving Ligne B, those assignments varying from year to year), also "Aus Frankreich per Aachen 12.7. and Bahnhofs 13.7. arrival pmks, filing folds just touching top and bottom of the adhesive, with additional tiny tear at bottom, otherwise fine and rare cover to Prussia (Image)	$2,500 SOLD for $2,300.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
718			1866 Outer FL from Tampico, 10 June to New Orleans, franked with 1r Eagle, carried aboard the steamer Sonora on the short-lived extension of the "F" line, with June 16 arrival cds, charged "Due 3" (cents). Ligne "F" operated from September 1865 to January 1868 servicing Matamoros, Tampico and Veracruz, where it connected with Ligne "B". New Orleans was added in 1866, but was dropped later that year. Mail arriving at the last minute was generally taken by the captain who would post it at the next available port of call. This is the only recorded example of "Ligne Annexe F" to New Orleans (Image)	$3,000 SOLD for $3,250.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM
719			1866 Cover from Mexico City, July 10 to Vienna, Austria, franked on backflap with 4r Eagle, sent via a French packet, ligne "B" (Vera Cruz 13 July octagonal datestamp), rated triple-weight - "1 florin 31" Kreuzers (noted twice on cover in pen and again in blue crayon). Carried by the steamer "Imp. Eugenie", arriving in St. Nazaire August 8th, with Voslau and red Vienna datestamps on arrival, some paper separations and cover creases, impressive item (Image)	$2,000 SOLD for $2,100.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM

MEXICO FRENCH SHIPS - 1866-67 Mixed Frankings

LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
720			1866 FL from Mexico City, January 9 to Madrid, via the French Consular Agency ("Mexique" 13 January departure pmk), franked with Mexican 4r Eagle, used in combination with French 80c Empire (faulty), carried by the steamer "France" to Spain, with "4R" postage due handstamp in red, transit and arrival postmarks on back, signed Calves. A major rarity of Mexican and French philately, one of only six such combination frankings recorded (Image)	$7,500 SOLD for $11,000.00 Closing..Feb-20, 10:00 AM