EARLY 1849 USAGE OF 1st-ISSUE STAMPS - NOT ALLOWED ON OVERSEAS MAIL - 20c REMOVED AT POST OFFICE: Extraordinary 8 Jan. 1849 EL (minor dusting) from "NANTEUIL-LE-HAUDOUIN" (fine cds on the front) to "Waarmaarde" in Belgium; originally the sender had affixed a 1st-Issue 20c Black at top right, but at the P.O. the clerk explained that stamps could not be used on mail to Belgium, and so the stamp has been carefully removed before cancellation and the letter was then prepaid "4" [decimes; ms "4" on flap] and the v. fine red boxed "PD" of Nanteuil was applied over the remains of the stamp. The address was within 30km of the border and so the "6" [decimes] rate applied in total. Later in 1849 stamps could be used on mail to Belgium (and elsewhere) but only 4 or 5 covers with disallowed (and removed) stamps like this have been recorded. Exhibition Item of great interest. Very rare.Cross Reference: BELGIUM (Image)

SPECTACULAR PRINTED MATTER RATE COVER WITH SAMPLES OF GAUZE & DIAGRAMS OF HOLES: 6/7 June 1876 EL (some light staining mainly affecting address sheet) sent from Bayonne (sender's oval wafer seal) to "Schaffhouse, Suisse" with 30c Brown tied by fair Bayonne cds; the spectacular contents include a hand-written letter but also has superb printed illustrations of metal mesh holes on one page and a similar page opposite but with 20 small samples of actual gauze glued on and showing different numbers/types of holes! Amazing advertising letter to Switzerland. Cross Reference: PRINTED MATTER BY POST, SWITZERLAND, ADVERTISING ENVELOPES (Image)

MINT DIEGO SUAREZ OCTROI ENTIRE SHEET OF EIGHT: 1885 large format duty stamps (66 x 69mm each, thin buff paper, no gum, sheet with small edge tears affecting bottom left stamp) with 8 imperf. stamps in the format of 4 x 5c + 2 x 50c + 2 x 1F depicting the heads of European and African women, inscribed "Litho by F. Terrentry, Diégo Suarez" and embossed "1885" bottom right corner. These labels were used to pay the fee for customs duty on goods leaving the town of Diégo Suarez. Cross Reference: REVENUES (Image)