PRESTAMP/STAMPLESS MAIL EX GB TO EUROPE (PLUS ONE TO PERU): Range of covers inc. 1727 EL to Bordeaux ex Edinburgh with London "PD" mark on front and faint red Edinburgh Bishop mark on left flap; August 1737 EL to Venice ex London with Franches (Cornelius #16) obliterator; 1849 EL to Turkey ex England endorsed "Vaie Berlin" with v. fine boxed "Aus England/per Aachen franco" hs on front; and 1850 EL to Peru endorsed "Vaie de Panama" at top left and "Par le Steamer/Erent l'en partance/a Southampton angleterre" at bottom left, with v.fine boxed "PD" hs in red on front; plus others inc. London to Sweden and London to Naples via Germany due to war, etc. (20) Cross Reference: FRANCE, PERU, SCOTLAND, LONDON POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

QV 'STAMPED TO ORDER' ENVELOPES INC. 'COMPOUND' TYPES TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS: Interesting and attractive range of STO covers, most with additional uprating adhesives. Inc. 1886 2d + 1/- uprated to Germany, 1902 QV ½d + 3d plus KEVII 1d Registered to Sydney, 1889 3d + 6d uprated to Canada, 1897 3d + 4d uprated Registered to Germany, ½d + 3d uprated 1d to Bombay, etc. A fine group. (12) (Image)

INDIA - AN ATTRACTIVE FRANKING: 12 March 1865 mourning env. from Dublin "Via Marseilles" to Madras franked with 1862-64 1d red plate 4 EA and a marginal 6d lilac, plate 4 QI tied by good numerals. Cross Reference: INDIA (Image)

JAVA - VERY FINE STRIP OF SIX 1d REDS AT FIRST SOUTHAMPTON-ROUTE 6d-RATE WITH RARE VILLAGE NUMERAL; Very attractive 13 Apr. 1859 env. (slight edge wear; with original contents) from a remote North Devon farm "Grange of Merton") routed by Southampton to "Sourabaya, Java" franked by 1d Red 'Stars' (LC14) Strip of Six (OG-OL; small fault at foot of OH) tied by very fine very rare Beaford "055" numerals with "30" arrival charge on the front; the backstamps include a very fine and rare blue "MERTON" (Devon) UDC. This 6d rate via Southampton was only current from 1 Feb. 1856 to 19 Aug. 1861. The addressee, the famous engineer and inventor, Robert W. Thomson (1822-73; see DNB), was in Java at this time building the first ever kit-form iron 'floating dock'. Rare village marks on cover to a scarce destination. Exhibition Quality. [Ex Gilbert Wheat Cavendish auction, June 2009, lot 605; realised £380+BP.]Cross Reference: 1854-65 1d REDS, DEVON, NETHERLANDS COLONIES (Image)