SURCHARGE ISSUE COVERS TO GB/FRANCE - 25c ON 6d, 17c ON 4d, 8c ON 2d & 2c (ON BLANK TABLET) VALUES; Fine 1 Mar. 1878 EL to Bordeaux "Str. Godavery via Suez" with 25c on 6d Blue tied by fine small duplex, 20 June 1878 env. (creasing) to GB with 8c on 2d (3) + 2c all tied by fine large "B53" numerals, and worn 13 Oct. 1879 env. to Paris (part address crossed out) with 17c on 4d(2) tied by fine large "B53" numerals. Scarce group. (3 covers) Cross Reference: FRANCE (Image)

LATE FEES PAIR TO GB OR FRANCE - 17c ON 4d WITH 25C FOR LATE FEE OR 17c RED WITH 2x25c FOR LATE FEE; 18 June 1880 env. (small opening tears at top left well clear) to Edinburgh with 25c (for the Late Fee) plus 17c on 4d (for postage) both tied by large "B53" numerals; plus similar 19 Apr. 1881 env. (faults at right, well clear) to Bordeaux with 25c pair (for 50c Late Fee) + 17c (for postage) all tied by fine large "B53" numerals. Rare pair. (2 covers) Cross Reference: LATE FEE MAIL, FRANCE (Image)

LATER QV CENTS COVERS TO ITALY/GB FRANCE INC. GIANT COMMERCIAL FRANKING, ETC.; 1880/94 covers inc. 1880/5 pair to France/GB with single 17c on 4d tied by duplex or 16c on 17c pair tied by large "B53", Fine Oct. 1880 env. to Rome with 17c pair tied by large "B53", small 1890 env. to GB with 16c Brown tied by v. fine duplex on reverse, and very large 11 Nov. 1894 commercial env. (32x15.5cms.; vertical central crease and some other wear but intact) to GB "Pr. S.S. Amazone" with 18c(2)+15c on the front and a spectacular block of 60 1885 2c Green (some creases) - $1.71 franking! - all tied by fair "PORT LOUIS/MAURITIUS" cds's. Good group. (5 covers) Cross Reference: FRANCE, ITALY (Image)

LATER QV CENTS COVERS TO FRANCE - INC. REGISTERED, RED CANCELS, SCARCE 16c ON 17c, ETC.; 1880-97 inc. 1880/2 quartet with single 17c tied by duplexes (2 with red octagon "POSS ANG./PAQ. FR. T. No.1" ds), 1881/3 pair with 17c on 4d or 16c on 17c (latter rare on cover) tied by duplexes, scruffy 1895 env. registered from Mahebourg to Troyes with 4c(6)+1c+2c all tied by red "MAHEBOURG" fleuron cds's with matching scarce Mahebourg "REGISTERED/No.[633]" on the front, 1896 env. regd. ex "M...?" to Paris, and scarce 1897 uprated usage of the 3c Green P. Stat. wrapper with 1c to Bordeaux. Plus 7 off-cover 1885 4c with minor varieties. (9 covers + 7 stamps) Cross Reference: FRANCE, REGISTERED MAIL (Image)

'CHINESE' GORDON OF KHARTOUM - AUTOGRAPHED COVER FROM PORT LOUIS TO THE SEYCHELLES; 23 Jan. 1882 env. (overall creasing and light toning; opened out) addressed in the distinctive hand of Gordon & signed "C.G. Gordon" at lower left with 8c on 2d Blue tied by a fine "MAURITIUS/B/B53" duplex and addressed to "J. Brodie Esq., &c &c, Mahe, Seychelles" with a mainly fine "SEYCHELLES/JA29/82" arrival cds on the front. Gordon was posted to Mauritius from June 1881 to April 1882, and in September 1881 Gordon visited Seychelles (seeking the famed Coco de Mer and the Garden of Eden!) with his Port Louis neighbour's sons Frank & James Brodie; this cover is addressed to the latter who had stayed longer in Mahe than the others. Rare 'Gordon' cover connected to both Mauritius and the Seychelles.Cross Reference: AUTOGRAPHS, SEYCHELLES (Image)

MADAGASCAR - PRINTED MATTER RATE COVER POSTED LOCALLY IN PORT LOUIS; 30 May 1887 manuscript dated & signed printed EL (small part of one fold reinforced) headed "Tamatave" addressed to Port Louis, privately carried and posted there two weeks later; with 2c tied by v. fine Port Louis duplex of 13 June. Rare thus.Cross Reference: MADAGASCAR, PRINTED MATTER BY POST (Image)

LATER QV + KEVII UNUSUAL DESTINATIONS - TURKS IS., DIEGO SUAREZ, HONG KONG, DJIBOUTI, CANADA, ETC.; 1896-1911 covers/card inc. 1896 3c+15c to Turks Is., 1899 usage of 6c on 8c P. Stat. PC to Hong Kong with v. fine "SINGAPORE/TO HONG KONG" transit cds, 1898 env. with 18c to ship's passenger at Diego Suarez, 1905 pair of envs. to different ships' passengers at Djibouti (with Reunion LV/VU octagon ds) - one returned to sender with handstruck ship-name cachets of 5 different Ligne U/V steamers, 1909 env. to Canada franked 6c with fine "PHOENIX/MAURITIUS" cds cancel, and 1911 pair of envs. to passengers of the S.S. 'Natal' en route to Madagascar or Reunion. Fascinating lot. (8 covers + 1 card) Cross Reference: TURKS & CAICOS, HONG KONG, MADAGASCAR, FRENCH COLONIES (Image)

BALANCE OF THE QV/KEVII COVERS COLLECTION - REGISTERED MAIL, COVER TO BELGIUM, ETC.; 1872-1912 covers/cards (all to France unless otherwise stated) inc. 1872 E with 4d pair and red P. Louis "P.D.", similar 1872 piece, 1899 regd. uprated usage of 18c Blue P. Stat. env. to Germany, 1903 with Mahe de Labourdonnais 15c (4), 1904 regd. to Belgium with QV "Postage &/Revenue" optd. 25c+50c with Arms 6c pair, 1910/1 local 4c letter-card usages, 1910 PC with "YARRA" ship's hs, and 1912 env. with Arms 1r (Late Fee) + 5c(2) with KEVII 25c. (12 covers/cards, 1 piece & 1 stamp) Cross Reference: BELGIUM, FRANCE, REGISTERED MAIL (Image)