French Maritime Mail, 1875, August 14 folded letter from La Guaira to Malaga (Spain), initially handled by the Venezuelan mails with “Correos/La Guaira.” double circle and consigned to the French consular agency where it was franked, according to the double rate, with 1870-72 40c Orange and 80c Rose, two examples, tied by anchor lozenge with “La Guayra” consular octagon at left, “Affranchissement/Insuffisant” at base and “8 Rs.” due marking on receipt, with backstamps including “Ligne-E/Paq. Fr. * N°1” and Malaga c.d.s.’s, carried to Fort-De-France by the “Cacique”, very fine; a rare and fascinating usage; signed Holcombe. (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

#2, 1859 1r Blue, fine printing, a well margined example possessing a strong indigo shade, showing a plate flaw featuring colorless spot above ''E'' of ''Real'' resembling an accent, whose position in the sheet has not been determined, used on single weight cover for a distance between 25 and 100 miles from Trujillo dated September 3, 1859 to Maracaibo, tied by ''0'' numeral handstamp in red from the pre-adhesive period, an eye-appealing usage, being one of only three covers recorded bearing this cancellation in red, further enhanced by the, to our knowledge, only known usage of this prominent flaw on cover; 2010 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Hubbard. (Image)

Est. $1,500-2,000

#3a, 1859 2r Rose red, fine printing, a large margined example displaying complete frame lines, paying single postage up to ½ ounce for conveyance from La Guaira to St. Thomas, on January 22, 1859 cover from La Guaira to Bordeaux, tied by large ''Correos de Venezuela/Guayra Franca'' double circle from the pre-adhesive period, the cover being carried from St. Thomas by British steamer to England with Anglo-French ''GB/1F60c'' accountancy marking per single weight letter, manuscript endorsement on reverse by forwarding agent: ''Acheminée par Luis F. García/La Guaira le 24 Janvier 1859'', addressee's name cut out as found in several other covers from this period, a very significant cover in Venezuelan philately as one of only two recorded usages bearing this denomination cancelled by this elusive cancellation, as well as demonstrating a unique usage for this stamp in the first month of issue, thus pre-dating by more than two weeks the earliest previously recorded; 2010 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Hubbard. (Image)

Est. $3,000-4,000

#3a, 1859 2r Rose red, fine printing, three well margined single examples in a delicate shade, tied by La Guaira blue c.d.s. on cover with addressee's name cut out, as found in some covers in this issue, carried at triple rate per each half ounce to St. Thomas, where it was embarked on a British packet, showing London, Paris and Bordeaux c.d.s.'s on back, the largest franking known on cover of this scarce fine printing issue, of which only three items are recorded; signed Holcombe and accompanied by 2010 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Gebauer and Hubbard. (Image)

Est. $10,000-15,000

#3b, 1859 2r Rose red, fine printing, a very fine diagonal bisect with luxuriant color, clear to ample margins, neatly tied by "0" handstamp on July 20, 1865 folded cover from Mérida to Maracaibo, an extremely fine example of this franking, with the added significance of demonstrating a late usage; 2010 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Hubbard. (Image)

Est. $500-750

#18, 1865-70 ½r Rose brown, on reverse of March 5, 1868 envelope, opened for display with upper back flap missing, from Paris to Valencia, Venezuela, bearing France 1863-70 20c Blue, type II, in strip of four being defective at right, tied by Paris dotted star with c.d.s. alongside, the cover being paid and carried at single rate to harbor in Venezuela where the "1½" reales due marking was struck, from Valencia being redirected -very probably the new addressee was written on the upper back flap lacking- and was franked with ½r Rose brown strip of three, with good margins except for touching at top, tied by ink strokes applied in Valencia, slight soiling not detracting from this rarity; Kurt Kimmel expert states in his certificate that "neither BPP expert Dr. Heister nor myself have seen another cover where the postage due rate was handstamped and franked with Venezuelan postage stamps"; signed Calves and Goebel and accompanied by 2008 Kimmel certificate. (Image)

Est. $3,000-4,000

#20, 20a, 1866-69 1r Vermilion, two single examples, one of which showing top sheet margin, additionally a diagonal bisect, all very attractive with large margins for the most part, paying a 2½ Reales rate which corresponds to the weight from 1½ to 1¾ ounces for the first distance, on undated cover from La Guaira to Caracas, tied by several strikes of ''Correos/La Guaira'' double circle without date, filing fold at left which just impinges on the left-hand adhesive, being hardly visible, a visually striking franking, which is the only combination recorded of this kind; signed Roura and accompanied by 2011 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Villasmil and Heister. (Image)

Est. $2,000-3,000

1866 ½r Claret, postal forgery, type I, an incredible block of nine with very large balanced margins all round, in a brownish shade which is characteristic of this forgery, with original gum, some creasing and thin spots at top, which are irrelevant for this, the only recorded unused multiple of this first type postal forgery, which is extremely rare in unused condition; two different types of postal forgery of this denomination were produced, the first, which appeared early in 1866, was printed based on the first setting of the original stamp, the second emerged in 1869 and this time included tête-bêche pairs; 2011 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Moratti and Heister. (Image)

Est. $1,500-2,000

1866 ½r. Lilac rose, postal forgery, type I, an irregular block of five, excellent margins on all sides, cancelled by bold strikes of the ''Correos/La Guaira'' double circle without date, some usual imperfections of no significance for this, the only recorded multiple in used condition of this forgery, with the only two multiples known in used and unused condition being offered in this sale; 2011 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Moratti and Heister. (Image)

Est. $500-750

#37c, 1873 ½r Pale rose, horizontal tête-bêche pair, type 12, inverted transfer and type10, fifth setting, slightly cut into at places with mostly complete to ample margins, neatly cancelled by circular “Correo de Venezuela/Puerto Cabello”, slight horizontal crease of little significance for this variety which is usually affected by faults, this being an attractive example with a virtually complete strike which is centered; 2008 Kimmel certificate. (Image)

CV. $2,000.00

#39 var., 1873 2r Yellow, a large margined pair featuring spectacular overprint variety with each line swapping part of the overprint of the opposite line, resulting in ''Estampillas de Correo Contraseña Estampillas'' in the upper line and ''Contraseña Estampillas de Correo Contraseña'' at bottom, the former including the superfluous ''Contraseña'' word and ''Estampillas de Correo'' in the latter, two very slight spots of surface rubbing on reverse; a stunning error, this being the only example so far recorded; 2011 Moorhouse certificate; ex-Heister. (Image)

Est. $750-1,000