Amoy, 1874 (16 Nov.) envelope to Lübeck, Germany (25.12) "via Marseilles" (22.12) bearing 8c. and 12c. (small corner fault) neatly cancelled "B62" with red "P.D." h.s. adjacent and blue "Amoy/A" despatch and "Hong Kong/A" (18.11) transit c.d.s. on reverse, small edge restoration at foot and few faintly rusted perf. tips, fine and colourful usage. S.G. 11, 12.
Estimate HK$ 4,000 - 5,000 Est. HK$4,000-5,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$4,000-5,000

Amoy, 1892 (27 June) registered envelope from H. Moller, I.M. Customs, Amoy to Penang, Straits Settlements (8.7) via Singapore (6.7) bearing 10c. purple on red tied by "A/Amoy" c.d.s., with "R" in circle h.s. adjacent, reduced at left and a little roughly opened at upper left, very good usage to an unusual destination. S.G. Z37.
Estimate HK$ 1,200 - 1,500 Est. HK$1,200-1,500 (Image1)

Est. HK$1,200-1,500

Amoy, 1911 (23 Mar.) registered envelope to Hong Kong (27.3) redirected to Shanghai, then to Rome (9.5) then within Italy to Spezia (10.5) and finally to Turin (12.5) bearing K.E.VII 4c. and 10c. tied by "Amoy/A" c.d.s., showing "R/Amoy B.P.O./No. 208" h.s adjacent, with "R.N Calabria" (an Italian warship) violet h.s. (6.4) also tying adhesives and Italian backstamps on reverse, lightly folded vertically at center (away from adhesives), fine and scarce. S.G. Z87, Z89.
Estimate HK$ 5,000 - 6,000 Est. HK$5,000-6,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$5,000-6,000

Canton, 1817 (13 Nov.) entire letter from Canton to Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A. (31.3.18 per docketing) "(by) Brig Panther" showing U.S. "Ship" and "Falmouth Ship" h.s. both in red, rated "14½" (cents: 12½ cents U.S. domestic inland rate (81-150 miles) + 2 cents city delivery), rare early U.S. mail, sent via Cape Horn, reinforced splitting along joins, fine usage.
Estimate HK$ 12,000 - 15,000 Est. HK$12,000-15,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$12,000-15,000

Canton, 1837 (30 Aug.) entire with part letter from S. Wetmore Jr., Canton to S. Wetmore, London (27.1.38) "via St. Helena per Duncan" showing red "Falmouth/Ship Letter" step-type framed h.s. and arrival c.d.s. on reverse (both across the join), rated "6/8".
Estimate HK$ 1,200 - 1,500 Est. HK$1,200-1,500 (Image1)

Est. HK$1,200-1,500

Canton, 1846 (20 June) entire letter from Russell & Co., Canton to New York via London (26.8) and Liverpool (27.8), red handstruck "7" U.S. charge, crossed out and replaced with "12" cents charge, as well as "2/-" rating.
Estimate HK$ 1,000 - 1,200 Est. HK$1,000-1,200 (Image1)

Est. HK$1,000-1,200

Canton, 1847 (23 Mar., per docketing) entire from Boustead & Co., Canton to Fredk. Huth & Co., London (21.7) "via Marseilles" showing framed "Too Late" h.s. (Proud I2) with "Hong Kong" double-arc d.s. (25?5) on reverse, rated "1/10", very fine. Apparently the docketing was in error, with 23 May being more likely the actual date of the letter.
Estimate HK$ 4,000 - 5,000 Est. HK$4,000-5,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$4,000-5,000

Canton, 1848(c.) envelope from Cumsingmoon to Philadelphia, U.S.A. carried privately (or under cover of another envelope) from Hong Kong to London showing on reverse "Forwarded by/Drinker & Co./Hong Kong" red oval h.s. with "Lemeul Goddard/London" blue oval forwarder's h.s. adjacent and Boston transit c.d.s. (19.11), rated "68", mended tears on reverse (including one touching the Hong Kong forwarder's mark), fine and rare usage sent through two forwarders.
Estimate HK$ 2,000 - 2,500 Est. HK$2,000-2,500 (Image1)

Est. HK$2,000-2,500

Canton, 1850 (28 Dec.) entire letter from Canton to Boston, U.S.A. "Via Southampton" and London (21.2.52) showing fine to very fine "Canton/Paid" double-arc h.s. in red (overstruck in part by London c.d.s.) with "Canton" origin and "Hong Kong" (29?12) double-arc d.s. on reverse, handstruck "5" charge to recipient, rated "1/8" and "16", interesting letter details daily business and personal life of an American commercial clerk who had been in Canton for a bit over a year, believed very early (and thus uncommon), if not in fact the earliest recorded, usage of the 16c. credit.
Estimate HK$ 4,000 - 5,000 Est. HK$4,000-5,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$4,000-5,000

Canton, 1855 (13 Oct.) entire letter from Richard Dana, Canton to Boston, U.S.A. "Via Marseilles" carried privately (or under cover of another envelope) from Hong Kong to London showing "Forwarded by/J. Mackrill Smith/London" blue framed h.s. on reverse, with New York transit c.d.s. (21.12) and exchange office handstruck "3/cents" on front, fine.
Estimate HK$ 1,500 - 2,000 Est. HK$1,500-2,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$1,500-2,000

Canton, 1856 (26 Feb.) entire from Cape of Good Hope to Carlowitz, Harcourt & Co., Canton "per Str. Calinâk" bearing Cape of Good Hope 1855-58 triangular 4d. deep blue on white paper (good to enormous margins all around) neatly tied by "CGH" triangular obliterator, showing very fine rimless "Cape Town/Cape of Good Hope" despatch c.d.s. in red and "Hong Kong" double-arc d.s. (9.6) on reverse, rated "4" due on arrival, some minor cover bleaching (not mentioned in the certificate) noted for accuracy and of no significance, a very fine and exceedingly rare incoming cover to China with one of the most important issues of classic philately, as well as an extremely rare origin for incoming mail to China in the early period. An important exhibition piece for early China mail and the Treaty Ports.
Estimate HK$ 180,000 - 220,000

Expertisation: B.P.A. certificate (2018).

THE EARLIEST OF THE THREE RECORDED COVERS TO CHINA BEARING CAPE TRIANGLES.

BELIEVED THE EARLIEST FRANKED COVER FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA TO CHINA/HONG KONG.

Besides its reputed place as the earliest franked cover from Southern Africa to China/Hong Kong, it is no doubt likewise a very early cover of any type (i.e. including stampless) from that origin to China/Hong Kong. We have not undertaken a survey of such covers, but are not aware of any earlier pre-stamp covers.

Only three covers and one front to China/Hong Kong bearing Cape triangles are recorded:

(i) This Cover.

(ii) 1864 (29 Aug.) entire from Cape Town to Tait & Co., Amoy bearing 4d. deep blue (cut into). Zurich Asia (Hong Kong), 18.3.2006, lot 1213.

(iii) 1867 (29 Nov.) from Cape Town to Foochow bearing 6d. bright mauve and 1864-65 rectangular 4d. Sir Maxwell Joseph, Sotheby's (London), 28-29.10.1982, lot 1110.

(iv) Front to Jardine, Matheson, Hong Kong bearing 4d. deep blue on white paper (cut into), reported and illustrated in Hong Kong Philatelic Society Newsletter, Nov. 2004, p. 5. Est. HK$180,000-220,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$180,000-220,000

Canton, 1883 (19 Sept.) envelope to Lyon, France (26.10) via Hong Kong (20.9) bearing 10c. pale mauve boldly tied "C1", with matching "A/Canton" despatch c.d.s. alongside, backflap removed and few trivial small cover faults, fine and rare.
Estimate HK$ 30,000 - 40,000 Est. HK$30,000-40,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$30,000-40,000

Foochow, 1880 (Dec.) envelope from Shanghai to American Consul Wingate, Foochow (22.12), endorsed "pr Kwangtung" (in different handwriting from the address) bearing CC watermark 5c. blue, cancelled "B62", with "Edward Schellhass & Co./Shanghai" blue oval sender's cachet and "Hong Kong/B" c.d.s. (17.12) adjacent and "Foochowfoo/A" arrival c.d.s. on reverse, apparently carried privately to Hong Kong and then posted, the earliest recorded usage (per Gurevitch) of this very scarce stamp on cover (28 recorded by him), a very fine and unusual interport usage from the Wingate correspondence. Ex "Alicante". S.G. 29 (Z334).
Estimate HK$ 10,000 - 12,000 Est. HK$10,000-12,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$10,000-12,000

Foochow, 1882 (18 Dec.) flimsy envelope to Muncie, Indiana, U.S.A. (22.1.83) "via San Francisco" (c.d.s.) and Hong Kong (23.12) bearing 5c. pale blue pair lightly cancelled "F1", with "Foochowfoo/A" c.d.s. adjacent, slightly reduced at left on opening, very good usage. S.G. Z339.
Estimate HK$ 5,000 - 6,000 Est. HK$5,000-6,000 (Image1)

Est. HK$5,000-6,000