Great Britain and British Commonwealth EXCEPTIONAL 1d BLACK COVERS
Sale No: 856
Lot No: 1273
Symbol:
VERY RARE COVER WITH 1d BLACK USED IN THE IONIAN ISLANDS - TIED BY DISINFECTION SLIT ON THE REVERSE; Extraordinary 8 Oct. 1840 EL (some understandable wear and some weak folds) sent from "CORFU" (15 Oct. fancy oval d.s. on reverse) to Cambridge via Trieste (Austria) and Huningue (France; red 28 Oct. cds on the front) prepaid "3[d]" in cash in Corfu (with fine large oval Corfu 'Arms' mark). It was then disinfected on arrival in Trieste (" ." and "AT" – Austria Transit – marks on the front) and so is peppered with the small 'Chisel-slits' of the rastel disinfection punch. On arrival in London (30 Oct. backstamp) it was charged "1/7", the single rate from Austria. The 1d Black used to 'seal' the letter was probably intended to cover the extra 1d surcharge for letters sent from the Ionian Islands to overseas areas* but was not in fact necessary. It was left uncancelled and was unsurprisingly torn upon opening, but the 1d Black is fortunately well tied by one of the disinfection chisel-slits. There is no mention of the 1d Black in the lengthy travelogue letter, which one would have expected if it was merely intended as a novelty. Only a handful of covers with 1d Blacks applied overseas have been recorded. This is one of only two known usages of the 1d Black in Corfu (both from the same correspondence and both posted on the same day); a most significant G.B. Used Abroad cover. [*The 21 May 1840 Ionian Islands Decree on the "Tariff for the Postage of Letters" had four "EXPLANATIONS" incl.: "1. This Tariff does not include the Postage of the Foreign Post Offices. 2. For every Letter sent to, or received from, Foreign Countries, there is to be paid one Penny, on every Single Letter, besides the three pence every time it is forwarded, from the Island in which it arrives, to the Island to which it is addressed." This explains why a tourist might have thought that an extra 1d postage had to be prepaid for each letter to England, hence the 1d Black.] Cross Reference: IONIAN ISLANDS, G.B USED ABROAD STAMPS & COVERS, DISINFECTED MAIL (Image)
Opening GBP 1,000.00
Sold...GBP 1,000.00
Closed..Mar-07-2024, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 1000
Sale No: 856
Lot No: 1274
Symbol:
COVER FROM U.S. TO G.B. WITH 1d BLACK APPARENTLY APPLIED BEFORE POSTING - CANCELLED IN LIVERPOOL; Curious 24 Nov. 1840 EL (most folds reinforced neatly) from "Walterborough" (S. Carolina; about 50 miles inland from Charleston) to Reading G.B. with fair "LIVERPOOL/SHIP LETTER" on the top flap overstruck by a red London transit cds (2 Jan. 1841, which fits in with a transit of the ship 'Henry Leeds' from Charleston that reached Liverpool on 31 Dec.; per 1 Jan. 1841 Lloyd's List - copy included) and having a fine Liverpool h.s. "8" (Ship Letter rate) on the front. Most exceptionally there is also a fine 4-margin 1d Black (QC) on the front beside the h.s. "8" which is tied by a fine black (slightly oily) Maltese Cross... Red ink was used for the MX in Liverpool and London, so could this cancellation - unnecessary in that the 1d Black (presumably applied by the sender in the US) was not needed for postage in this case - have been applied in the Liverpool Ship Letter office? Spectacular and possibly Unique?Cross Reference: TRANSATLANTIC MAIL, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LANCASHIRE - LIVERPOOL, SHIP LETTERS (Image)
