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 2c Black, F. Grill (93). Used with 30c
Orange (71), slight crease and small tear at left, stamps left uncancelled at New Orleans post office where "New Orleans La. Jan. 4" (1869) circular datestamp was struck at right on buff cover to Saigon, French Indochina (Cochin China, or
Anam), addressed to "Monsieur L. Samie" -- we were unable to find this name in any historical records related to New Orleans or Cochin China, but we suspect he might have been a trader or a member of French military expedition -- red
"New-York Br. Transit Jan. 12" backstamp and matching "24" credit handstamp struck once on cover and used to cancel stamps at New York foreign-mail office, red London Paid transit datestamp (Jan. 25, 1869) and red crayon "1" (1p) Colonial rate,
"Singapore MR 18 69" British P.O. transit datestamp and "Cochin-Chine Saigon 27 Mars 69" French P.O. receiving datestamp, magenta pen lines thru "Saigon" and "Cochin-Chine" in address, marked "P. S. adresse" in matching ink, slightly rounded
bottom left cornerVERY FINE AND COLORFUL. THIS IS THE ONLY CLASSIC UNITED STATES COVER TO FRENCH INDOCHINA WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE AMONG VARIOUS AUCTIONS AND RECORDS CONSULTED. A TRULY EXTRAORDINARY POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT. The sender
in New Orleans in January 1869 affixed the correct amount of postage for the 32c rate to Anam (Cochin China) by North German Union Closed Mail via England -- this rate was in effect from July 1868 to July 1870. For an unknown reason, the New Orleans
post office did not cancel the stamps, but the New York foreign-mail office used the "24" handstamp to cancel both stamps and credit 24c to Great Britain for its share of the 34c rate to Singapore by British Mail via Southampton -- the foreign-mail
clerk evidently forgave the 2c underpayment. It was placed on the HAPAG steamer Allemannia, which departed New York on January 13, 1869, and arrived in Southampton on January 24, where this was sent to London for processing. After the journey
to Singapore on the regular Peninsular & Oriental Line route, the cover reached the British post office in Singapore on March 17. From there it was carried on the British bark John Brightman, which departed Singapore on March 20 and arrived in
Saigon on March 27. The French colonial post office in Saigon applied its receiving datestamp and attempted to find the addressee, but it is not known if the cover was ever delivered. Following the French military expedition in Indochina and
establishment of a colonial government there, a substantial amount of correspondence occurred between Indochina and France. However, based on surviving covers, there was considerably less correspondence between the United Sates and Indochina. This
cover is the earliest we have seen to Indochina by decades, with the exception of an 1872 cover to Singapore that was carried outside the mails to Saigon and an 1889 cover from Hawaii to Saigon. Ex "Patrick Henry" (Image) Search for comparables at
SiegelAuctions.com |
E. $ 5,000-7,500
SOLD for $3,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
