1873 St Peters, Manitoba Cover, mailed on MAR.4.1873 (manuscript broken circle free strike) rated "5" handstamp to "St James Parish", with backstamps from Fort Garry and Lower Fort Garry, both dated MAR.4. Open on three sides for display, St Peters is a very rare postmark (RF "E" in Robinson, office open from 1871 to 1876) and the only recorded date in the PHSC database. (Image)

Estimate $ 300

1876 R.C.M.P. Cover with Postmarks from Fort George and Palestine Manitoba, a Government of Canada envelope (with coat of arms logo on backflap) mailed "FREE" from Ottawa on JAN.12.1876 to "NW Mounted Police / Swan River Barracks / near Winnipeg / Manitoba". The back has two postmarks: Fort Garry Man. and Palestine Man. (the latter is RF "E", recorded used from 1875 to 1879). Tear to the backflap and edge wear, still a very fine cover to the North West Mounted Police's first head quarters, which is accompanied by the owner's full page very interesting write-up, much of it on the cover's addressee Colonel James Walker. (Image)

Estimate $ 250

1874 Fort Garry Manitoba Postal Card with Fancy "M" Cancel, datelined Merchant's Bank of Canada / Winnipeg and mailed from Fort Garry on MAR.11.1874 (lovely free strike) to Montréal, through Windsor Ontario (APR.6 transit in bright purple on back). The stamp is cancelled by a partial "M" fancy cancel (Lacelle #582, recorded used for only one year). Horizontal crease, else a useful item. (Image)

Estimate $ 150

1879 High Bluff Man. Registered Cover, mailed on JAN.21.1879 (looks like a c.d.s. ?) to Winnipeg (JAN.24 receiver on back), franked with a 3c Small Queen and a 2c Registration stamp, small edge tears, fine. Probably carried by dog sled to Winnipeg by G. Tait, who did two trips a week. (Image)

Estimate $ 150

1879 3c Small Queen Cover Middle Church Man. to Moose Factory, mailed on DEC.9.1879 (broken circle free strike with inverted indicia, only the second strike recorded by PHSC, and only one month after proof strike) and addressed to "Moose Factory / Hudson's Bay / via Mattawa - Ottawa River / & Temiscamingue". The back of the cover shows four different datestamps: Winnipeg (DEC.8), Pembroke (DEC.17), Ottawa (DEC.17) and another unidentified (DEC.20). Owner's write-up states "J. Park transported the mail from Lower Fort Garry to Winnipeg, picking up mail at Middle Church. By 1879, the railway reached Winnipeg. This cover was carried by rail via the USA to Eastern Canada, arriving in Ottawa Dec. 17, thence to Mattawa Dec. 20 and then by the Hudson Bay Co. dog sled route to Moose Factory. Middle Church postal revenues were $22 in 1879...". Very fine. (Image)

Estimate $ 250

1881 and 1882, Two Portage la Prairie Items, first is a 1c GPC with a DEC.6.1881 broken circle, alongside a nice rosette fancy cancel, to London, with Winnipeg (DEC.7) and Windsor (DEC.12) backstamps, probably carried by train in the first month rail transport began in Portage. Second item is an illustrated advertising cover mailed on JAN.23.1882 (two strikes of the unofficial bull's eye duplex used from 1881 to 1883) to Harley, Ont. (JAN.28) through Winnipeg (JAN.23) and Windsor (JAN.27), major faults, still an early illustrated advertising cover. (Image)

Estimate $ 100

Three Early Manitoba Items, 1879-1883, first is a 3c SQ cover from Emerson Man (AUG.8.1879 broken circle is 6 months after opening) to Fergus (AUG.13 receiver). Second is a 1c GPC with Mountain-City-Man. / Canada (APR.9.1881, RF "E" in Robinson) to Winnipeg (APR.11 receiver). Third is a 1c GPC with Archibald-Man. / Canada (OCT.3.1883, RF "E" in Robinson, and one of only two recorded in PHSC, the other having an unclear date) to Winnipeg (OCT.5 receiver). Presented on owner's exhibit page with write-ups as to the routings, etc. (Image)

Estimate $ 200

Four Pages from the Gordon Richardson Manitoba Exhibit, two of which contain three items: a strip of three 1c Small Queens with lovely strikes of Fort Ellice / Man (JUN.11.1895); a 1c GPC with St Boniface / Man squared circle (RF 35, dated MAR.27.1897) to Alexandria, Ont. re-directed to the House of Commons (received there on MAR.30) through Ottawa (MAR.30); a 3c Small Queen cover mailed from St Charles, Man on OCT.1.1893 (broken circle free strike) to Ottawa (OCT.27 receiver) through Winnipeg (squared circle transit dated 7 / OCT.21 / 93). A very fine trio, the latter is windowed on the exhibit page and is a complete cover. (Image)

Estimate $ 100

1874 Kildonan, Man. Small Queen Cover, mailed from Kildonan (NOV.28.1874 partial broken circle free strike) to Roxborough, Ont. (received Dec. 12th docketing), through Fort Garry, Windsor, Milleroches U.C. and Cornwall. The cover is franked with a 1c and 2c Small Queen (both perf. 11½ x 12), both tied by fancy cork cancels. Bit of aging, still an early cover that travelled through the United States to get to destination. (Image)

Estimate $ 150

1881 3c Small Queen Cover Mailed to Moose Factory, mailed by John Christie from Winnipeg (APR.15.1881 unofficial bull's eye duplex) to "Mr. James R. Nason / Hudsons Bay Company / Moose Factory / Via Temiscamingue / Ottawa River", with an Ottawa transit c.d.s. on back dated APR.20. Docketing indicated the cover arrived on June 18th. James Randle Nason worked for the HBC from 1873 to 1882 when he died of typhoid. Couple of creases, still a scarce Small Queen item. (Image)

Estimate $ 100

Group of 7 Manitoba Registered Covers Franked with a Single 8c Small Queen, with Steinbach (1896). Gilbert Plains (1895, through Lake Dauphin RF "D"), Greenway (1896), Hillview (1898), Treherne (1896), Whitewater (1896 through squared circle Napinka & Winnipeg M.C. No.1) and Roland (1896, through Nor Pac Ry M.C. Wpeg-Brandon RPO). We note 8c SQ shades as well a a number of backstamps. Overall fine to very fine. (Image)

Estimate $ 150

Group of 12 Registered Small Queen / RSL Manitoba Covers, 1879-1892, mailed from Poplar Point (1879), Stonewall (1887), Meadow Lea (1883, double weight with nice cork cancels and an early Reaburn transit), Grund (1885, with Milford backstamp), Stonewall (1887), Hartney (1891, with RPO to Ontario), Rossburn (1886), Emerson (1885 in blue), Gartmore (1892), Winnipeg (1884 double weight corner card cover), Stoney Mountain (1883 with nice Penitentiary crest on back) and Rossburn (1887 with scarce RPO on back). Nine are franked 2c RLS, two with 5c RLS and we note a good assortment of other receivers or transit postmarks. A few small faults, still overall fine to very fine. (Image)

Estimate $ 500

Group of 10 Interesting Small Queen Manitoba Covers, mailed from Portage la Prairie (1882 unofficial broken circle / bull's eye duplex), Nelson(ville) (1882, on corner card cover), Poplar Heights (1883, recorded 1881 to 1883), Brandon (1885 neat duplex), Brandon (1889 c.d.s., with grid canceling rose carmine 3c SQ), East Selkirk (1890 broken circle), Brandon (c.d.s. on illustrated adv. cover), Whitemouth (1896 broken circles on registered cover with R.P.O. on back), Solsgirth (1897 c.d.s.) and Delorane (1898 squared circle). A very fine group. (Image)

Estimate $ 200

Group of 46 QV Leaf and Numeral Era Covers and Cards from Manitoba, 1898 to 1903, mailed from a number of interesting places such as Arrow River, Steinbach, Fox Warren, Gilbert Plains, Strathclair Station, Swan Lake, Eden, Altona, East Selkirk, Stuartburn, St. Laurent, Scotch Bay, Lindyville, Reaburn, Balmoral, Pleasant Home, Brookdale, Belmont, Rosser, Rosenort and more. We counted 8 registered covers, a voting paper envelope, a few corner cards, some cross-border, different frankings, and other interesting attributes. Overall fine to mostly very fine. (Image)

Estimate $ 200

Group of About 110 Interesting Manitoba Covers and Cards, with a wide variety of material, including a very nice collection of meter cancels in advertising covers (1927-1962, incl. Eatons, Hudson's Bay, etc.), we also note interesting town cancels, such as an 1896 5c SQ cover to Germany with the stamp canceled by pen "Lillyfield" and date (dated just before they started using their first broken circle), 1928 Bissett, 1898 St Norbert (purple), 1944 Ponemah Beach, 1937 Venlaw, 1888 Baie St Paul, 1925 Mafeking, 1921 Haas,1914 Kenville, 1937 Libau, etc., as well as 7 RCAF Station and MPO covers and a group of 40 Queen Victoria era postal cards with printed messages or advertising on back. Also noted registered covers, one with private perfins, picture postcards and more, including several dozen 2x4 cut squares with slogan cancels. Overall fine or better. (Image)

Estimate $ 150

Extensive "A to Z" Collection of Manitoba Postmarks on Stamps, Covers and Cards, all neatly displayed on album pages and stock pages in 5 volumes. We counted about 275 covers and cards plus a number of stamps on and off paper and pieces. All the postmarks are displayed in alphabetical order and we note a very wide variety of post offices, as well as many different types of postmarks within, including broken circles, c.d.s., rollers, duplex, MOON, MOTO, POCON, a few slogans and other markings such as registration boxes, instructional markings, etc. One thing of note is the high proportion of corner card covers as well as illustrated advertising. There are too many post offices of note to list here, but our online pictures should give a good taste. Overall fine to very fine, and we highly recommend viewing this lovely collection in person to better appreciate its contents, and value. (Image)

Estimate $ 1,500