A RARE TRANSATLANTIC FRANKING 1850, 10r vertical strip of three and 90r single, paying the internal maritime rate on reverse of folded cover to Marseilles, tied by 'RIO GRANDE/29 JUN/1852' cds's, British Rio de Janeiro double-arc dated Aug. 13, one month and a half later than the date of dispatch (!), the 90r being additionally tied by British transit cds in brown, French ms taxations tying the franking, Paris and marseilles cds's, on front framed 'COLONIES/&ART. 13' red hs and entry cds at Calais, franking torn on opening as usual, an early pre-convention transatlantic mail bearing an unusual franking instead of two 60r denominations (Image)

1843 Bull's Eyes. 1843, 30r black, fine impression, position 1 from 2nd composite plate, state D, with spectacular corner-sheet margins, used at Rio de Janeiro, various faults incl. small insect holes at base, still though a very scarce positional item. (Image)

1843, 30r, 60r and 90r black, complete set including well margined fine-impression 30r cancelled by scarce 'VICTORIA' straight line, worn impression 60r with complete margins showing very rare 'PONTE MAYA' hs, and intermediate impression 90r (repaired nick in margin and partial hor. crease), clearly margined, with indistinct postmark in brown, a difficult first-issue set with unusual cancellations. (Image)

1843, 60r black, intermediate impression, large balanced margins all around, showing complete strike of framed 'INUTILIZ' hs, very small thin spot, scarce and attractive. (Image)

1844-46 Slanting Figures. 1844-61, selection of 13 items used incl. "Inclinados" 60r type I in two pairs, one on piece with ms cancel and framed Grampará hs, "Verticais" 30r block of four, 600r (4), "Coloridos" 280r (2), etc.

1862 (March 1). Folded cover from Rio Grande do Sul to Ormskirk, England, franked on reverse by largely margined 1850 30r marginal block of four, cancelled by Rio Grande cds and tied by "INSUFFICIENTE" oval hs of Rio (insufficiently franked), Anglo-French "FR/2F96C" exchange mark for a partially or not prepaid letter, carried by the "Navarre" with corresponding "BRESIL/NAVARRE" octagonal ds, charged on arrival with 9d in ms, London and Ormskirk cds's, slit affecting one adhesive, a very fine and rare usage. (Image)

1866 (Jan). Envelope to Kreuznach, Prussia, bearing on reverse 1850 30r pair, cut into at top right, and well margined 90r, tied by indistinct cancel, insufficiently franked according to the 1860 French Convention and red 'INSUFFICIENTE' oval, blue Aachen transit and black receiving cds alongside, displaying on front transit from Rio and Calais entry cds, '2' and '15' ms charges, French 'F./48' exchange marking for the 1866 Prussian Convention, cover tears on opening not affecting the franking, interesting and rare. (Image)

1868 (Feb 25). Folded cover form Paraibuna to Laurito, Italy, franked at single 430 reis rate by 1854 10r blue, pair and single, the latter with part overlapping the edge and missing, and 1866 100r two singles and pair, cancelled "Paraibuna" and date adjacent in ms, reverse with Rio, Naples and receiving cds's, despite imperfections, a very rare usage. (Image)

1868 (March 23). Small envelope (part of upper back flap missing) from Rio de Janeiro to Casaletto Spartano, Italy, at double rate with 1861 430r. yellow, large balanced margins, tied by cork cancel and dispatch cds, framed "P.D." in red adjacent, Italian transits on reverse, possibly carried by the "Estremadure", a very fresh and unusual franking (Cat. Enciclopédico US$1,500). (Image)

1877 (Oct 29). Folded cover from Rio de Janeiro to Foucarmont, franked at single UPU rate with 1866 perf. 60r in combination with 1876-77 100r pair, tied by cork cancels with dispatch cds at right, arrival on reverse, diagonal creasse passing through the lower right corner of the 60r value, still though a very scarce franking. (Image)

1869-75. Two items, "Revista Comercial da Praça da Bahia" and complete "prices current" from Bahia to Portugal, each bearing 1866 10r vermilion, each cancelled by diff. cork types, charged with 20 reis on arrival, carried by the "Neva" and the "Seine" - "Danube", scarce (Cat. Enciclopédico US$2,600). (Image)

1877 (Aug 13). Envelope from Sao Paulo to Montecosaro, Italy, with 1876-77 10r (2), 100r single and pair, and 200r, tied by cork cancels on dispatch, transit and receiving cds's on reverse, a very fine and unusual franking. (Image)

1876-79. Two entire letters from Rio to Buenos Aires, carried by the "Senegal" and the "Niger", one bearing 1866 20r and 100r (2, one creased), the other with 1876-77 200r, both with arrival on reverse.

1866, 50r blue, the famous CRACKED PLATE variety in upper left corner, unsued example without gum (tiny thin spot) and horizontal pair featuring the variety at left, used by purple pen stroke, very rare; RHM 25DIII (2013, R$10,000). (Image)

1868 (May)-1869 (June). Two covers from Rio de Janeiro and Campinas to Paris, bearing 1866 80r and 200r to pay the single rate to France (1860 Convention), tied by cork devices (one in blue), carried by the "Shannon" via the British P.O. at Rio with corresponding cds on front, and the "Estremadure", both difficult to find in this delightful condition. (Image)

1886 (March 3). Boris Frères cover to Paris carried via Liverpool by the "Maranhense", Dom Pedro 1876-77 500r single and strip of three, 1878-79 80r, in combination with Small Heads (two stamps with faults) 200r type II two singles and one pair and 1884-85 100r, type I, all tied by Fortaleza cds's on dispatch, "Liverpool/Ship" red cds at top after having been conveyed by the"Augustine" of the Booth Line, a very rare combination franking including four different issues. (Image)

1880 (Oct 31). Entire letter from Rio de Janeiro to Barrra do Piraí, franked by 1878-79 10c vermilion (2), 80r lake and 100r green, tied by barred cork cancel with dispatch cds at right, illustrated on page 104 in the "Catálogo Enciclopédico" by Peter Meyer, an exceedingly scarce franking to pay the double internal rate . (Image)

1878, 50r blue, A.B.N.Co imperforate plate proof on thin white India paper, block of four, very fine and scarce; (Cat. Enc. 40PC US$3,000); ex Chusyd. (Image)

1889 (July 11). Registered 300r red stationery envelope from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires, upfranked with 1878-79 100r (200r for registration fee), tied by cork cancels, "REGISTRADO" oval and dispatch cds in red alongside, carried by the "Sakkarah" on her sole voyage as RSMC packet (during this trip, she made the last collection of Falkland Islands mail within the "Branch Line" scheme for Falklands mail), a very fine and rare mixed issue usage. (Image)

1882 (Nov 28). Commercial envelope from Corumbá to Varese, Italy, franked by single UPU rate with 1878-79 200r, tied by neat 'CORUMBA' cds in blue, a very rare transatlantic mail from Matto Grosso, Amazonia. (Image)

1886 (Oct). Boris Frères cover to Paris carried via Liverpool by the "Maranhense", franked by 1878-79 80r and 1,000r strip of three (couple of usual tone spots at top), most infrequently tied in transit by barred oval postmarks at Liverpool, Calais entry cds alongside and "Liverpool/Ship" cds on reverse, a rare usage. (Image)

Dom Pedro. Group of 13 covers including one insufficiently paid example to France with 1866 10r, 20r, 50r & 100r (2), mail to Portugal with scarce 1866 10r single on printed matter, 1866 strip of five, three single rate covers to France with 1866 200r (2), also 1866 10r, 20r and 200r (2) on mail to Italy, etc, mostly fine-very fine. (Image)

British Post Offices. Rio de Janeiro. 1851 (Feb 10). Cover from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon, 'Paquete a vapor "Teviot"' on the inaugural voyage of the RMSP service, at quadruple rate with ms "4/-", superb "PAID/AT/RIO DE JANIERO" crowned circle and double-arc ds on back, high "1980" Portuguese postage in blue and 'Ley de 20-4 50' oval for additional postage, closed tear on front, to our knowledge the earliest known usage of this crowned circle. (Image)

Rio de Janeiro. 1872 (April 23). Envelope endorsed "p Boyne" to Harburg, Germany, franked by 4d vermilion pl 12, and 2s blue pl 1, tied by "C83" barred oval, the 2s additionally tied by "RIO DE JANEIRO/PAID" red cds, London transit alongside and German indistinct cds on back, some slight toning, scarce; cert. R.P.S.L. (2000). (Image)

General issues. Principality of Trinidad Local Post: 1894 5c die proof in blue on white coated paper, with inscription "Principality of Trinidad" in English instead of "Principauté de Trinidad" in French, minor stain at top right, very fine and scarce (Image)