1858 (21 June) FL (with contents) from a German missionary, posted in Otago and franked with a vertical bisect of the 1857 1sh green on blue paper, used in combination with a horizontal strip of 3x2p blue (lifted and replaced), canceled "18" in bars of Otago, supported by datestamp July 17, 1858 on back, rated 1(s)/4 (d) to England and marked "8" in manuscript (ship-letter rate), via London (Dec.20, 1858) to the Pastor of St. Stephani in Bremen, receiving boxed 22.12.58 arrival datestamp. No further charge had to be collected for a letter from New Zealand, forwarded via London to Europe at that time. This cover was originally in the "Pack" collection sold by Harmer, Rooke & Co. in December 1944. It has been cleaned since that time to remove some staining from the top and left hand side of the lettersheet. According to the accompanying Peter Holcombe certificate (1995) other stamps (2x2d) are missing and it is practically impossible to be sure if the strip of three belongs to this cover. Nevertheless, the certificate states "as such it is in my opinion genuine, the 1sh bisects are generally found on cover to England and are from two correspondences, all paying 6d rate of the period, but another cover is recorded in the "Postage Stamps of New Zealand", volume 1, page 61, bearing a bisect plus other adhesives (this may refer to this cover), the 1s./4d rate is correct and usually found on unstamped letters bearing a Crown Circle cancelation of various Offices, all dated 1853-55. This is the only letter that I can find to date used in 1858." An additional certificate from James van der Linden (1995) accompanies. An important rarity from New Zealand (SG 6a,10, œ26,000 just for the bisect on cover) (Cat No. 6a,8) (Image)

Est.$4,500