Worldwide Stamps and Covers Hong Kong through Tonga
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 764
Symbol:
Tonga, 1936, Tin Can Mail cover to New Zealand, legal-size, with numerous cancels and cachets. Cover folded vertically and stained at right, otherwise Fine,
Tin Can Mail originated in the Niuafo'ou island of Tonga whereby isalnders would use native mulberry poles that were buoyant to assist them in swimming to passing ships holding the mail wrapped in oilcloth and tied onto these spears. The packet was tied to the line and hauled up to the ship and placed in the mailstream at the next port of call. The purser on the ship would place incoming mail to the islands into an empty kerosene or cracker can and toss it overboard for the swimmers to retrieve. Around 1920 a German trader named Walter George Quesell, who worked for Burns Philp and Co., began rubber-stamping his outgoing mail with the mesage "Tin Can Mail". It didn't take long for stamp collectors and tourists to catch on and it became a phenomenon to witness. One fateful day in 1931 or 1932, one of the swimmers was bitten by a shark. The wound was fatal, and, as a result, the Tongan government decreed that swimming for the mail was prohibited. Thereafter, the mail could only be taken to and from ships in outrigger canoes. This, too, was hazardous because of the turgid waters that surround the island of Niuafo'ou (Tin Can Island). But thereafter, the mail was marked "Tin Can-Canoe Mail." It was still a novelty, eagerly sought by stamp collectors all over the world. Suggested Bid $40-60 (Image)
Suggested Bid $40-60
Opening US$ 45.00
Sold...US$ 45.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 15:56:30 EST
Sold For 45
Liberia, Mongolia, Rwanda
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 846
Symbol: Cat No: 430 footnote
Rwanda, 1972, 600fr Apollo 15, gold foil issue (Scott 430 footnote), a nice topical item, o.g., never hinged, Very Fine. Scott $160 Suggested Bid $50-75 (Image)
Scott $160 Suggested Bid $50-75
Opening US$ 40.00
Sold...US$ 40.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:21:39 EST
Sold For 40
Netherlands
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 795
Symbol: Cat No: 332-335/336-339
Netherlands, 1952, Stamp and Telegraph Centenary complete, FDC's (Scott 332-335/336-339), 2 covers, Very Fine. Michel 593-596/597-600; €150 ($160). NVPH 592-595. Suggested Bid $40-60 (Image)
Suggested Bid $40-60
Opening US$ 45.00
Sold...US$ 45.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:05:42 EST
Sold For 45
Poland
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 805
Symbol: Cat No: 53
Poland, 1919, Cracow Issue, 3k carmine rose (Scott 53), o.g., lightly hinged, Very Fine, signed. Scott $190 Suggested Bid $75-100 (Image)
Scott $190 Suggested Bid $75-100
Opening US$ 60.00
Sold...US$ 60.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:08:12 EST
Sold For 60
Russia
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 810
Symbol: o
Cat No: 1
Russia, 1857, First Issue imperforate, 10k brown & blue (Scott 1), ample to large margins all around including sheet margin at left, an especially nice example of this first issue classic, very light dotted grid cancel, Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Michel 1. Scott approximately $900 Suggested Bid $350-500 (Image)
Scott approximately $900 Suggeste
Opening US$ 275.00
Sold...US$ 275.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:09:44 EST
Sold For 275
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 813
Symbol: Cat No: 13
Russia, 1865, Coat of Arms, 3k black & green (Scott 13), fresh color and nicely centered for this issue, o.g., hinge remnant, almost Very Fine. Michel 13y. Scott $350 Suggested Bid $120-150 (Image)
Scott $350 Suggested Bid $120-150
Opening US$ 90.00
Sold...US$ 90.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:10:44 EST
Sold For 90
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 814
Symbol: Cat No: 14
Russia, 1865, Coat of Arms, 5k black & lilac (Scott 14), excellent color, o.g., very lightly hinged, Fine. Michel 14y. Scott $375 Suggested Bid $120-150 (Image)
Scott $375 Suggested Bid $120-150
Opening US$ 90.00
Sold...US$ 90.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:11:10 EST
Sold For 90
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 820
Symbol: Cat No: 87d
Russia, 1909, Eagle & Post Horns with Thunderbolts, 1r pale brown, dark brown & orange, horizontal pair, imperf between (Scott 87d), as part of a bottom margin block of 3, the bottom stamp also imperf between, o.g., never hinged, Very Fine. Michel 78 var. Suggested Bid $40-60 (Image)
Suggested Bid $40-60
Opening US$ 40.00
Sold...US$ 40.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:13:12 EST
Sold For 40
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 822
Symbol: Cat No: 456-467
Russia, 1931-32, Workers, Peasants & Telegraph Office, 1k to 1r complete, imperf (Scott 456-467), set of 9, o.g., lightly hinged, Extremely Fine. Scott $396 Suggested Bid $150-200 (Image)
Scott $396 Suggested Bid $150-200
Opening US$ 160.00
Sold...US$ 160.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:13:57 EST
Sold For 160
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 823
Symbol: Cat No: B24-B28
Russia, 1922, Philately for the Children, 1k to 10k complete, perf'd (Scott B24-B28), set of 5, o.g., lightly hinged, Fine to Very Fine, each signed Mikulski, a very scarce set, sold only in Moscow and only on one day. Michel 185-189. Scott $440 Suggested Bid $200-300 (Image)
Scott $440 Suggested Bid $200-300
Opening US$ 150.00
Sold...US$ 150.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:14:20 EST
Sold For 150
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 826
Symbol: Cat No: C37-C39
Russia, Airmail, 1933, Stratosphere Balloon Flight complete (Scott C37-C39), o.g., lightly hinged, Very Fine. Michel 453-455. Scott $310 Suggested Bid $100-150 (Image)
Scott $310 Suggested Bid $100-150
Opening US$ 90.00
Sold...US$ 90.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:15:15 EST
Sold For 90
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 827
Symbol: Cat No: C53-C57
Russia, Airmail, 1934, Dirigibles complete (Scott C53-C57), o.g., lightly hinged, Very Fine. Michel 483-487. Scott $517 Suggested Bid $150-200 (Image)
Scott $517 Suggested Bid $150-200
Opening US$ 180.00
Sold...US$ 180.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:15:43 EST
Sold For 180
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 828
Symbol: Cat No: 78-81
Russia (Siberia), Priamur Govt., 1922, 1st Anniversary of Govt. overprints, 2k to 10k complete (Scott 78-81), corner margin blocks of 4, o.g., lightly hinged, Very Fine. Michel 26-29. Scott $400 Suggested Bid $300-400 (Image)
Scott $400 Suggested Bid $300-400
Opening US$ 275.00
Sold...US$ 275.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:16:02 EST
Sold For 275
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 829
Symbol: Cat No: 110-115
Russia (Siberia), Priamur Govt., 1922, Overprints on Far Eastern Republic, 1k to 10k complete (Scott 110-115), o.g., hinged, Very Fine. Michel 30-35. Scott $370 Suggested Bid $75-100 (Image)
Scott $370 Suggested Bid $75-100
Opening US$ 70.00
Sold...US$ 70.00
Closed..Sep-11-2021, 16:16:20 EST
Sold For 70
Sweden and Switzerland
Sale No: 40
Lot No: 831
Symbol: o
Cat No: B206
Switzerland, 1951, LUNABA souvenir sheet (Scott B206), neat commemorative cancel (full o.g., lightly hinged), Very Fine. Michel Block 14. Zumstein 32; 270 SFr ($300). Scott $190 Suggested Bid $50-75 (Image)