EARLIEST RECORDED INCOMING COVER IN PRIVATE HANDS 1842 (Jan 1) Incoming wrapper from Boston, United States, addressed to the first United States Consul at Zanzibar, Richard P. Waters. The cover was carried on the Cunard Line’s “Columbia” to Liverpool being handled by Harnden & Company who had offices in both Boston & Liverpool (as noted with circular hand-stamp “Pd /H”), then to London & via “Falmouth” onto Bombay via the Cape of Good Hope, from Bombay forwarded by “Sangheir Messewanjee Wady Esq., Merchant” to Muscat and finally to Zanzibar via ship “Rowena” (as noted in manuscript on reverse). The total transit time was just under six months. Small fault at lower left. Note: There are two covers from this correspondence, one of which sent later in 1842 sold at a 2013 auction at $8’600. The United States was the first foreign government to establish a Consulate at Zanzibar as agreed by treaty in 1836. One of the key items for Zanzibar postal history (Image)

1846 (Apr 11) Envelope from Captain Cornwallis Ricketts, later Rear Admiral Ricketts & Sir Cornwallis Ricketts sent to Leeds, England via India with enclosed letter. Captain Ricketts had been sent to Zanzibar at the direction of Queen Victoria to encourage the Sultan not to offer “most-favoured nation” trading status to France. Several comments in the letter are noteworthy; “Great changes in this part of the world,” and later “The Imam of Muscat has given me a beautiful Damascus saber…” Accompanying the saber was a note from the British Consul Hamerton, “The sword was presented by the Imam of Muscat and Sultan of Zanzibar to Sir Cornwallis Ricketts on his visiting Zanzibar in H.M.S. “Helena” in 1846, in acknowledgement of the moral support His Highness has derived from the presence of an English Man of War, at a time he was resisting pressure of a French Mission to obtain commercial advantages by Treaty, over and above what has been conceded to the “most favoured nations.” (See page 27 of DuBro’s reference “Zanzibar’s Postal History Legacy.”). An extraordinary item. The cover is the second earliest outgoing postal history item from Zanzibar in private hands. (Image)

1849 Folded entire with 3 page letter from George Putnam while at Zanzibar sent to his brother John at Wenham, Massachusetts (United States) carried via Whaler “Lucia Maria”. Light red arrival “PAID” hs and charged “7”(c). Putnam wrote the letter while in port at Zanzibar during a voyage on the bark “Emily Wilder”. He writes: “It took a quick 78 days to Majunga (Madagascar).” While in post at Majunga, another brother Horace arrived on the bark “La Plata”. Horace joined his brother on the “Emily Wilder” and travelled up the coast to Zanzibar. The Putnam family were Salem merchants who had been trading on the East African coast from the 1820s. Ex Sturton (Image)

1850 Envelope from Chancellor Emile Kuhlmann of the French Consulate at Zanzibar sent to his father at Colmar, France. The cover was sent via English mails noting straight-line hand-stamp “SHIP LETTER” originally charged “1/-2” in manuscript subsequently crossed out and “30” (decimes) applied. Only recorded Zanzibar pre-post office cover carried to Europe via Cape of Good Hope & St. Helena. At St Helena forwarded by “S. Solomon” noting boxed hand-stamp on reverse then sent through London (6 December) and Calais (9 December). One of only five covers known with the “S. Solomon” boxed forwarder’s cachet. The envelope has been opened out for display. Note: This is the second earliest of the Kuhlmann correspondence. The French Consulate opened in 1844 at Zanzibar. (Image)

THE UNIQUE DATE-STAMP, THE EARLIEST RECORDED FOR ANY ZANZIBAR POSTAL HISTORY ITEM 1851 (Mar 12) Envelope sent by Chancellor Emile Kuhlmann of the French Consulate to his father at Colmar, France charged 10 decimes in manuscript. The cover was sent via Aden, overland to Alexandria, then via ship to Marseille noting double circle transit hand-stamp “PAQ. ANGL. MARSEILLE/ 30 AVRIL / 51”, small cover faults with small portion of backflap missing. Note: There are seventeen recorded items from this correspondence and are documented in DuBro’s “Zanzibar’s Postal History Legacy”. Provenance: Richard Knight Unique. A major rarity and a key item for Zanzibar postal history (Image)

1852 (Jan 22) Incoming stampless envelope from Colmar, France, sent to “Consulate de Zanzibar / Monsieur Emile Kuhlmann, Chancelior” charged 10(decimes) via Alexandria, overland to the Suez & via sea through the “Bab-el-Mandeb,” the entrance to the Red Sea at the Indian Ocean. During this time, mail to Zanzibar was sent to the British Political Agent Captain Haines at Aden. As there was no scheduled service from Aden to Zanzibar, the agent would send the envelope via any convenient ship going down the East African coast. There are seventeen recorded items in the Kuhlmann correspondence. Ex Richard Knight. (Image)

1852 (Feb 22) Incoming stampless envelope from Colmar, France sent to Monsieur Emile Kuhlmann, Chancelior du Consulate de France at Zanzibar, and charged 25c suggesting that the cover was sent via Marseille and down the west coast of Africa around the Cape of Good Hope. The cover displays arrival date in red manuscript as 9 July & transit time of “121 jours”. Fine and rare. (Image)

1854 (Nov 22) Incoming envelope from Colmar, France sent to “Aden mer rouge / Messiers Farsee, Edijlee, Curselijee & Sons” for “Emile Kuhlmann, chancelior, du Consules de France / Zanzibar.” The forwarders at Aden then sent the cover via a convenient ship travelling down the East coast of Africa. The routing notes Strausbourg, Paris & Alexandria, Egypt. Noted in manuscript in upper left “12 gr” on obverse and “20”(centimes) on reverse. Kuhlmann served at the Consulate from 1849 through 1856 except a short trip to Aden in 1854 (Image)

1858 (May 26) Incoming folded entire from forwarding agents Dossabhoy & Merwanji & Co.of Bombay sent to Antoine Michel, an agent at Mozambique, with forwarders cachet and embossed logo. The entire notes in manuscript “Per ‘Falkland’ via Zanzibar”. The entire further notes in manuscript on the reverse “Care Messrs Cheney & Spalding of Zanzibar,” previously unrecorded forwarding agents at Zanzibar. The letter requests that Michel “send 500 Ribaceira oranges on a box air tight … and a collection of well-selected sea shells …”. Light horizontal crease, otherwise in very fine condition and very rare. (Image)

1858 Folded letter from French merchant Banzan at Zanzibar addressed to Antoine Michel, an agent for Mr. Regisaine at Mozambique. The entire encloses a 3-page letter written in French and it is noted in the letter that the cover was carried via an unnamed American schooner. The item represents one of the earliest incoming postal history items to Mozambique as well as intra-African mail. The condition is excellent with a very minor horizontal crease. VERY RARE. (Image)

1857 Letter written in French carried on board steamer “IBA” from Zanzibar to Mozambique, datelined “Zanzibar le 5 novembre 1857”. Unusual (Image)

1860 (Oct 16) Incoming envelope from Salem, Massachusetts (United States) to Zanzibar carried by the Cunard Line “Canada” departing Boston 17 October to England, then carried by the P&O Line’s “Bombay” leaving Southampton on 12 November & arriving at Bombay 25 November. Forwarded from Bombay on 26 November by Dessabhoy Merwanjee & Company via Dhow to Zanzibar. Charged 65(c) on original departure and 1/-7 at England. Ex Walkley (Image)

ONE OF ONLY 3 COVERS KNOWN SENT VIA THE SEYCHELLES BEARING MAURITIUS STAMP USED IN ZANZIBAR 1864 (Oct) Envelope sent to Augustus Arnold in Care of Rufus Green & Company at Providence, Rhode Island (United States), noted in manuscript from “Leopold Acevedo / Zanzibar”. The envelope Bears 1/- & 6d Mauritius adhesive issues of 1863 each tied with “B64” numeral cancellations applied for use by Seychelles postal officials, with Seychelles, London and New York transits, fine and extremely rare. One of only three covers from Zanzibar bearing Mauritius stamps cancelled at the Seychelles, this being the earliest one recorded and hence the first cover from Zanzibar bearing adhesives for pre-paid delivery. A very important postal history item from Zanzibar. Notes: The Universities’ Mission archives note that Mauritius adhesives were the only stamps available in this time frame. Rufus Green & Company began trading in Zanzibar in 1852 and were an important player in breaking the near monopoly held by Salem traders for trade between the United States & Zanzibar. (Image)

1864 (Jun 16) Incoming envelope from Steenvoorde, France, to Mr. A. Mawhood on board the ship “Paul Augte” at Zanzibar in care of Captain Messemaecker. The cover was sent via Lille, Paris (16 June), Aden Steamer Point (3 July) & “par Suez” and bears France 1862 80c rose on tied by “3463” numeral in diamond of dots and accompanying boxed “PD” in red, very fine, signed Calves, ex Walkley (Image)

1869 (May) Envelope written from “Mrs. Kirk (H. Cooke), wife of the British Consul John Kirk, sent to England having been carried first to Bombay where Indian 1866-8 8a rose and 1860-4 8p lilac issue were applied and cancelled with duplex date-stamps, one of three covers recorded by Mrs. Kirk in the 1867 to 1869 time frame, very fine & rare, ex Sturton. (Image)

1873 (Dec 18) Incoming wrapper from London sent to Zanzibar “via Brindisi” bearing 1867-80 2s blue pl.1 tied with London “89” duplex, very fine & scarce destination, ex Walkley (Image)

1875 (Feb) Envelope from the German Consulate at Zanzibar sent to Berlin noting a deficiency charge of “60” (pfennigs) displayed in blue crayon along with the standard “T” in circle tax marking. The envelope was incorrectly taxed as consular mail was presumably free. The envelope was sent via Aden & the P. & O.’s “Australia” carrying the cover through the newly completed Suez Canal and then to Brindisi, and from there via rail to Leipzig and to the final destination. The consular German seal was applied in blue on the rear flap. This cover was sent just eight months prior to the opening of the Indian post office at Zanzibar. (Image)

1875 (Jul) Transiting envelope from Calcutta, India, sent to Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope. Noted in manuscript “via Bombay & Zanzibar” with date-stamps Aden Steamer Point (9 Aug) & Port Elizabeth (20 Sep) on the reverse. The cover bears single 1868 8a. Rare destination and routing direction notation, illustrating the recognition of the recently established mail service to Zanzibar. (Image)