1st OPIUM WAR - INGOING PREPAID LETTER FROM G.B. TO 98th REGIMENT ASSISTANT SURGEON; Fine 2(?) Feb. 1842/3 (year date of d.s. unclear) E from London to "Hong Kong, China Via Marseilles", prepaid "1.10 [+] 1.8 [=] 3-6" (rate applicable only from 1840 to 1 June 1843) with Charing Cross "PAID" d.s. The addressee, "Ethelbert H. Blake, Esq., M.D., H.M. 98th Regt.", served in China during the 1st Opium War and was present at the capture of Chin Kiang Foo on 21 July 1842. Such early ingoing covers to Hong Kong are seldom seen. Cross Reference : CHINA, MILITARY (Image)

THE RARE OVAL "WESTERN/LINE/BOAT" COVER FROM HONG KONG TO CANTON; 11 Sept. 1845 EL from "Bush & Co., Hong Kong" to Heard & Co. at "Canton" with a mostly very fine oval-framed black "WESTERN/LINE/BOAT" mark (Webb Fig.203; see p.343) on the top flap beside Chinese characters (the address?). The contents mention recent shipping movements in HK, incl.; "The Huntress left for Whampoa this morning. The 'Nemesis St[eame]r' came in this morning from Borneo, but has no important news". The Nemesis was a famous ironclad paddle-steamer that had seen considerable service in the 1st Opium War and which was tasked with combating the pirates of Borneo at this date. Exhibition Item. [A similar cover, without contents, in Cavendish's Norman Bennett auction in Sept. 2004, lot 598, realised £1,000.] Cross Reference : CANTON, MARITIME MAIL, BORNEO (Image)

CROWNED CIRCLE (2nd-TYPE) 2/- RATE & UNPAID 2/3 RATE (VIA FRANCE) COVERS TO G.B.; 1846 env. (opened out for display) from HK to London charged "2/3" "Via Marseilles" redirected from the "Guards' Club" in London where the charge was paid and so charged only "1[d]" for redirection; plus 1849 E (faults on reverse) from HK (fine cds) prepaid "2/-" (double rate) to London "Via Southampton" with mainly very fine medium-size red "PAID/AT/HONG-KONG" Crowned Circle. Good pair, contrasting the two routes and rates. (2 covers) Cross Reference : IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

CROWNED CIRCLE, 8c-RATE TRANSPACIFIC RATE WITH RED "HONG KONG/PAID ALL" C.D.S., ETC.; June 1849 EL (faults and damp-affected) ex HK to Bombay with fair 2-ring Crowned Circle, 12 Feb. 1874 env. (slightly reduced at right) to Iowa "Per [Ship] Great Republic" franked by a HK 8c dull orange tied by a fine "B62" numeral with a very fine red "HONG KONG/PAID ALL" c.d.s. (used for Transpacific mail only) alongside [ex Norman Bennett - Cavendish 23 Sept. 2004, lot 423; realised £190], and attractive 21 Aug. 1872 E (flap faults) to Shanghai with 6c+2c tied by mainly fine "B62" Numerals. (3 covers) (Image)

CROWNED CIRCLE - PAIR OF COVERS TO INDIA WITH PRINTED CONTENT REF. OPIUM TRADE; July/Dec. 1850 pair of ELs (some wear) from the same HK firm to Bombay - by ship "Braganza" or "Achilles" respectively - with faint or partly fine sanserif red 2-ring crowned "PAID/AT/HONG-KONG" marks with red m/s "1/-" rates. Interesting printed contents. (2 covers) Cross Reference : INDIA (Image)

INGOING O.H.M.S. COVER EX G.B. + 2s-3d RATE UNPAID COVER TO G.B.; 24 June 1851 official paid env. ex the Admiralty in London to "Lieut. Pasco, H.M.S. Royalist. Hong Kong with London crowned "PAID" cds and 7 Aug. HK backstamp; plus fine 23 July 1853 EL (small bleach-mark just clear of address) charged "2/3" to GB via France with fine HK backstamp. Early OHMS mail to HK is seldom seen. (2 covers) Cross Reference : OFFICIAL MAIL, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, NAVAL MAIL (Image)

CROWNED CIRCLE COVER FROM PHILIPPINES TO MAURITIUS AT 1/- RATE Fine and unusual 3 Nov. 1851 EL (part printed contents ex "MANILA") to Pipon Bell & Co. in "Mauritius" carried privately to HK and posted there prepaid 1s-0d with a partly fine small red "PAID/AT HONG-KONG" Crowned Circle on the front beside a mainly very fine double-oval "PACKET LETTER/MAURITIUS" d.s. Unusual routing and attractive. Cross Reference : PHILIPPINES, MAURITIUS (Image)

CROWNED CIRCLES (DIFFERENT TYPES) ON SINGLE/DOUBLE-RATE COVERS TO INDIA; 9 Aug./28 Dec. 1858 EL (ex Jardine Matheson; faults) and env. from HK to Bombay repaid "8[d]" or "1/4" with partly fine or fine (though crossed by filing notes ) small 1-ring or 2-ring crowned "PAID/AT/HONG-KONG" marks, endorsed by ships "Singapore" or "Malabar". (2 covers) Cross Reference : INDIA (Image)

2nd OPIUM WAR - VERY FINE "HONG KONG/PAID" C.D.S. ON CAMPAIGN COVER TO QUEENSLAND; Attractive 25 May 1860 env. (with long interesting contents from a Naval Chaplain recently involved in the naval battles on the Chinese coast; some edge wear & flap faults) prepaid from "HMS Chesapeake, Hong Kong" to "Ipswich Parsonage, Moreton Bay [District], Australia" with a very fine small red "HONG KONG/C/PAID" cds beside red crayon "4[d]" rate mark on the front and having backstamps of HK, Melbourne, Brisbane and Ipswich; a rare destination at this early date. The contents (mostly written on 25 March but concluded in May 1860) give details of the writer's involvement in the disastrous 2nd Battle of the Taku Forts on 25 June 1859, which he watched from afar; "...the Coromandel came out, bringing all the wounded; our main deck became the temporary hospital, and a sad scene it was... The Assistance eventually became the Hospital Ship for all the wounded... I was there for three months...". He ends "(6 May); the preparations for our expedition are now nearly complete; Kowloon... presents an interesting spectacle with the Sikh Cavalry and the Regiments encamped. We expect to sail on the 17th. Chusan was quietly taken possession of by our Marines...". Fine and historical cover. Cross Reference : NEW SOUTH WALES, QUEENSLAND, MILITARY (Image)

UNPAID COVER TO U.S.A. VIA G.B. WITH SCARCE BLUE "CHICAGO/AM. PKT." C.D.S., ETC.; 23 Sept. 1860 env. (flap lost and edge wear) sent unpaid from "HONG KONG" (fair cds on back) initialled by (future Admiral) "A.H. M[arkham]." and addressed to "Galesville...Wisconsin" and so with a partial London transit backstamp as well as a very fine scarce blue "CHICAGO/DEC/8/AM. PKT." cds nicely placed on the front, along with complex m/s postage due charges including "1" (credit due to HK), "12" (due to GB?) and "33cts Due [+] 3 cts Due [=] 36 cts Due". There is also a large part m/s note on reverse (from the Galesville Postmaster?) about the extra postage charged. Unusual postal marks for a cover from Hong Kong. Cross Reference : UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Image)

LATE-FEE PAID COVER EX G.B. VIA FRANCE - PREPAID 3s-6d CASH + 1d RED FOR LATE FEE; Attractive 10 Aug. 1860 EL from London to HK "via Marseilles" with red m/s "3/6" (cash-paid) and 1d Red 'Stars' (cancelled by London special purposes "51" Numeral and just tied by manuscript "3" - credit due to HK?). Unusual. Cross Reference : LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, LONDON POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

INGOING MAIL EX G.S./INDIA INCL. MARINE SORTER C.D.S.s - ONE EX GUERNSEY; 19 Apr. 1861 env. (some minor wrinkling) with GB 6d Lilac (cut wing margin) tied by v. fine "GUERNSEY/324" Duplex at the Officer's Rate to a Colonel Sausmarez in HK but redirected to India, 2 July 1862 env. (minor wear) to HK with GB 6d Lilacs (2) tied by London Duplexes, 1866 piece with GB 4d+1/- and HK backstamp, battered 1875 env. ex India to HK (initially by French ship) with v. fine blue 2-ring "SINGAPORE TO/HONG-KONG" Marine Sorter cds, and 1892 usage of GB 1d Brown PC (Stanley Gibbons message) to HK with mainly v. fine "SINGAPORE/TO HONG KONG" cds on reverse. (5 items) Cross Reference : OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, GUERNSEY POSTAL HISTORY, INDIA, MALAYA - STRAITS SETTLEMENTS (Image)

TAIPING REBELLION - CAMPAIGN LETTER TO G.B. WITH CONTENTS & SMALL "HONG KONG/PAID" C.D.S.; 14 Nov. 1862 env. (slight edge wear) with original contents from a British (Naval?) Officer on "H.M.S. Imperieuse, Hong Kong" to GB via France prepaid "1/3" with partly fine red "HONG KONG/C/PAID" cds on the front. The letter gives a rare account of a recent assault on a town near Shanghai that was held by the rebels; "We left the ship at Woosung on Octr. 20th and went to Shanghai... I being in charge of a Company of Small arm men... On the morning of the 22nd we started up the creek in the direction of Kahding... [via] Nahryian... the following morning we moved on to Kahding... during the afternoon I went up & had a look at the rebels & exchanged some musket shots with them... at 5 a.m.... moved up towards the town... two breaches were made & the place stormed soon after, I got with a bridge party to the ditch... the rebels made some good shots, but our whole loss was only 3 killed & 38 wounded (2 or 3 mortally)...". Campaign letters from this period are much rarer than those from the 2nd Opium War. Cross Reference : MILITARY, CHINA (Image)

SMALL "HONG KONG/PAID" C.D.S. ON FANCY DECORATIVE COVER TO IRELAND; Unusual 27 May 1862 env. (opened out for display; some faults) to Kingstown with fine small red "HONG KONG/PAID" cds (crossed by closed tear) on the front and a fancy red Chinese design printed on the reverse; prepaid "1/3" via France, and having a superb "H & K.PACT" transit cds of the Holyhead to Kingstown Packet ship's PO. Spectacular item. Cross Reference : IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

RARE 12c LATE FEE COVER TO INDIA WITH 8c ORANGE + 12c BLUE TIED BY BLUE "B62" CANCELS; 1 Feb. 1865 env. (overall dusting) from HK to Calcutta "P. Str. Emeu" endorsed "[via] Galle" with 8c Orange (rubbed) cancelled by a partly fine blue "B62" Numeral but also (in diagonally opposite corner) a 12c Blue tied by the same blue Numeral. Good example of the short-lived 'last hour' 12c Late Fee (the Fee which had been introduced on 1 Feb. 1865, was increased to 18c in November 1865). Cross Reference : INDIA (Image)

54c-RATE COVER TO U.S.A. VIA FRANCE AND G.B. WITH 6c LILAC & 48c RED FRANKING; Fine 25 April 1866 EL from HK (sender's "AUGUSTINE HEARD & Co." FAC on top flap, matching the h.s. "Per Messageries Imperiales/Packet Str. [Imperatrice]" cachet on the front) with 1863 6c Lilac and 48c Red tied by v. fine "B62" Numerals with red London "21/CENTS" accountancy mark alongside and "BOSTON AM./ PKT./PAID" cds (21 June). Contents mention the receipt of news from the US "by Telegram". Exhibition Quality. [With 1985 Alcuri certificate of Genuineness.] Cross Reference : UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TELEGRAPHS (Image)

RARE "A88" MAILBOAT CANCELLATION ON G.B. 6d MAUVE ON CHINA STATION "OFFICER's LETTER"; July 1867 env. (overall dusting and some edge wear) to Devon "Via Southampton" and endorsed "Officer's Letter" (initialled "J.P." at lower left by the sender, 2nd Master of the gunboat 'Drake', Joseph Proctor) with G.B. 6d Mauve (pl. 5) tied by a very fine rare "A88" Mailboat Numeral cancellation. A matching cover (with "B56") from this correspondence is illustrated in Webb (plate 81). With a note that this cover was posted to Col. Webb for a philatelic exhibition on 19 December 1955. [Ex Cavendish - Valerie Gordon-Smith collection, 22 April 1995, lot 1248; realised £669.] Cross Reference : G.B USED ABROAD STAMPS & COVERS, NAVAL MAIL (Image)

RARE FAR EAST USE OF G.B. 10d BROWN ON OFFICER's LETTER TO G.B. WITH "A81" MAILBOAT NUMERAL; "April 18th/68" env. (small closed tear at top centre does not detract) from the "Pollard" correspondence - known to have been sent by Commander E.J. Pollard of H.M.S. 'Zebra', stationed off Hiogo in Japan from at least May to late June 1868 and probably also there when this letter was sent. Sent to Scotland "Via Marseilles" and endorsed "Officer's Letter" and so with G.B. 10d Brown (pl.1; wing margin) tied by a mainly very fine rare "A81" Mailboat Numeral and with 14 June Dunkeld arrival cds backstamp. The matching covers from this correspondence (dated 4 May and June 1868 were sold in Cavendish's 21 June 2007 auction - lots 118 and 119 - for £2,823 or £4,000 respectively), and are illustrated in Geoff Osborn's 'Naval Officers' Letters' (pp.22-23). Most attractive and very rare Mailboat cover of Exhibition Quality. Cross Reference : G.B USED ABROAD STAMPS & COVERS, NAVAL MAIL, BRITISH P.O.s IN JAPAN (Image)

VERY RARE 1st-TYPE "A"-CODE 2-RING "HONG KONG & SINGAPORE/MARINE SORTER" MARK ON PART COVER EX G.B.; 7 Aug. 1868 large part env. (faults) sent from Edinburgh to the HK Bank in HK with GB 1/- Green (pl.4; closed tear across one corner) tied by "EDINBURGH/131" Duplex but also having a mainly very fine and very rare undated "A"-code HK & Singapore 1st-Type 2-ring mark on the side flap (opened out for display). Webb/Pearson only recorded two covers with this mark, and one other has since been recorded [Cavendish 7 Sept. 2011, lot 506 - battered env. ex India to HK; realised £433]. This mark is missing from almost every major Hong Kong Collection. Cross Reference : SCOTLAND, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, NAVAL MAIL, MALAYA - STRAITS SETTLEMENTS (Image)

INGOING G.B. 1s-6d RATE COVER TO THE CAPTAIN OF "H.M.S. ZEBRA, HONG KONG"; 16 Apr. 1868 env. (minor wear) from Scotland "By French Packet via Marseilles" with G.B. 1/- Green (pl.4) and 6d Mauve (pl.6; cut wing-margin) tied by light "DUNKELD/118" Duplexes with v. fine HK backstamp (28 May). An unusual rate at this date (possibly 2d overpaid by sender?). Cross Reference : OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, SCOTLAND, NAVAL MAIL (Image)

MAIL TO INDIA - SINGLE/DOUBLE RATE COVERS WITH 8c ORANGE FRANKINGS BY NAMED SHIPS; 12 May/27 Dec. 1869 envs. (some toning) from HK to Bombay by steamers "Travancore" or "Emeu" with single 8c tied by, or two 8c cancelled by, mainly fine black "B62" Numerals. Good pair. (2 covers) Cross Reference : INDIA (Image)

MAIL TO INDIA - SINGLE RATE COVERS WITH 8c ORANGE FRANKINGS BY NAMED SHIP/LINE; 5 Apr./10 Oct. 1869 ELs (contents ref. Opium/Cotton trade; some faults) from HK to Bombay/"Kurrachee" by "Pr P&O Str." or steamer "Travancore" each with single 8c Orange tied by very fine black "B62" Numerals. Plus stampless 29 July 1859 env. (stamps removed?) from HK (blue cds) to France with boxed "PD" and several backstamps. (3 covers) Cross Reference : INDIA (Image)

HONG KONG - RARE 'BRUNSWICK STAR' CANCELLED 1s-4d RATE COVER WITH MARINE SORTER C.D.S.; 30 Dec. 1869 env. (closed tears etc., and flaps cut to display Marine Sorter c.d.s. with address-panel; perfs. of stamps rubbed at top) "Via Marseilles" to HK, with 4d vermilion (pl.11; wing-margin) + 1/- green (pl.4; corner fault) tied by v. fine scarce Type VIa Edinburgh 'Brunswick Star' duplexes (rare on overseas mail), having a mostly very fine scarce 2-ring black "HONG-KONG/SINGAPORE-TO/HONG-KONG/ MARINE-SORTER" c.d.s. (Feb. 5/13 1870) on the reverse. Rare and attractive. (Image)

MAIL TO INDIA - SINGLE RATE COVERS WITH 8c ORANGE FRANKINGS BY NAMED SHIP/LINE; 5 Apr./10 Oct. 1869 ELs (contents ref. Opium/Cotton trade; some faults) from HK to Bombay by steamer "Rangoon" or "Pr P&O Str." each with single 8c Orange tied or cancelled by, mainly very fine black "B62" Numerals. (2 covers) Cross Reference : INDIA, MARITIME MAIL (Image)

SHANGHAE/"SINGAPORE" MARINE-SORTER 2-RING C.D.S.'s ON COVER & PIECES (INC. 2/- BLUE) EX G.B.; 25 Sept. 1872 env. (closed tears) ex Southampton to HK with 1/- Green tied by v. fine Duplex having very fine 2-ring "SINGAPORE-TO/HONG-KONG" Marine Sorter cds on reverse; plus scarce group of 4 large pieces of 1870/4 covers ex London to Shanghai (all different frankings; 2/- Blue + 2x4d, 2x1/- + 2x4d, 1/- + 4d, or 1/- + 3d) with mainly v. fine rare 2-ring "HONG-KONG-TO/SHANGHAE" Marine Sorter c.d.s.'s on flaps. (1 cover + 4 pieces) Cross Reference : SHANGHAI, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, MALAYA - STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, HAMPSHIRE (Image)