1824 Entire from Lord Napier, the Captain of HMS Diamond off Grand Cayman dated October 13th 1824. Addressed to Edinburgh, it contains the full letter.  Ex Ivanovich. The earliest pre-stamp letter known in private hands thus desirable and rare (Image)

1829 (12 Feb.) entire letter from a shipwrecked sailor, R.S. Bateman on Grand Cayman, headed "Island Gt. Caymanas" and addressed to Cheshire, marked "favour Mr. Josh Bodden", rated 1s /d" and with a decent strike of the step-type "Kingsbridge, Ship Letter" handstamp at upper right, the contents include "....and have had the misfortune to relate the loss of the Chris Scott on the above named island we ran on shore on the morning of Sunday 8th....." and "There are some of the Jamaica cruisers expecting to call here in a week or two". Some faults with archival paper used to repair and strengthen the paper. Ex Byl, an important early letter with interesting contents. (Image)

1834 Entire written by the Captain of the HMS Pearl to Seven Oaks, Kent. Posted at Nassau, the Bahamas (17 JA 1834) after the ship left the Grand Cayman to restore the health of the crew, 2s 2d rate with boxed "PACKET LETTER" in red (Tabeart P4), arrival mark on reverse (26 MR 1834). Pre-stamp mail associated with the Cayman Islands is rare. Very fine and rare. (Image)

1893 Oval "Grand Cayman, Post Office" cancel (16 AP 1893) tying two Jamaica ½d green QV issues on cover to the Jamaican Governor's Private Secretary, roughly opened with part of back flap missing, central vertical fold. Taken by schooner to Lucea, Jamaica (arrival cds 22 AP 1893, departure cds 24 AP 1893), then overland to Kingston (arrival 26 AP 1893). A scarce usage made more appealing by its interesting routeing (Image)

1893 Small cover with 1d purple and mauve QV issue placed centrally and cancelled by full strike of the oval "Grand Cayman, Post Office" cancel (18 AP 1893), addressed to Kingston Jamaica. Small damage to the back flap with light folds and creases, similarly routed through Lucea, Jamaica (arrival cds 22 AP 1893, departure cds 24 AP 1893), then overland to Kingston (arrival 26 AP 1893). Ex Bostwick, Watkin, Meredith, Byl, a scarce and attractive usage and a natural pairing with the above (Image)

1898 (circa) "Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands" boxed handstamp (Type 1), tying 1d Jamaica QV purple and mauve on undated envelope addressed to Stake Bay, slightly reduced at left with a faint horizontal crease at foot.  Superb full strike of the handstamp. One of only seven covers recorded which are addressed locally with this cancellation. Ex Green, Maisel, Byl, with a BPA cert (1971), an exhibition piece (Image)

1899 1d QV purple and mauve cancelled with Grand Cayman Double Ring cds (27 AP 1899) on large part cover to Jamaica (arrival cds on reverse 2 MY 1899), weathered but still a scarce usage, ex Marston, BPA cert (1971) (Image)

1899 OHMS cover with a 1d Jamaica QV purple and mauve paying the 1d local rate, cancelled by a full strike of the "Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands" boxed handstamp (Type 1), some small patches of foxing on face and a few minor flaws on reverse.  Kingston, Jamaica backstamp (16 SP 1899). Ex Meredith, Cammarata. A lovely example of this rare handstamp (Image)

1899 Small cover to Jamaica with a 1d Jamaica QV purple and mauve tied by a full strike of the "Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands" boxed handstamp (Type 1), envelope slightly reduced at left with three faint vertical creases.  Kingston, Jamaica backstamp (6 SP 1899). Ex Watkin, Meredith, Cooley, and Rhoads Wright. A lovely example of this rare handstamp (Image)

Rare use on overseas mail of 2½d Jamaica cancelled with "Grand Cayman P.O." datestamp (type 2, faint in purple ink), addressed to Dresden, Germany with backstamps from Kingston, Jamaica (20 MY 1897) and Dresden (12 JU 1897), light central vertical fold and a few edge flaws, ex Wood, one of only six known uses on overseas mail (Image)

The earliest known example of Jamaican stamps used in the Cayman Islands on cover, dated 8 AP 1891, pair of Jamaica QV ½d green cancelled with "Grand Cayman, Post Office" oval datestamp in violet (Type 1). Addressed to Kingston, Jamaica, with reverse showing the sender´s dated cachet of F.N. Lambert & Co. (Georgetown law firm) in bright blue ink, Montego Bay and Kingston squared-circle datestamps (13 and 14 AP 1891). The envelope has been opened out and has some faults. Ex Britton Stitt, Cooley, John Byl, exhibition quality (Image)

1900 Earliest known usage of the Victorian issues on cover, Grand Cayman cds (15 NO 1900) cancelling a pair of ½d green QV issues, initially addressed to Kingston, Jamaica (arrival 19 NO 1900, cds on reverse) but then readdressed and returned to Grand Cayman (arrival 12 DE 1900, cds on face), ex Lockie, Byl (1992) (Image)

1901 Unsealed pre-printed envelope bearing ½d green and 1d carmine QV issues cancelled with Georgetown cds (27 MR 1901), believed to be a printed matter rate not recorded in the 1900 Post Office listing (Image)

1904 Mixed reign franking consisting of a pair of 1d QV issues alongside a single ½d KEVII issue cancelled with a Cayman Brac cds (14 MY 1904), addressed to Pensacola, Florida but sent via Kingston and Philadelphia (date stamps on reverse), attractive cover (Image)

1908 Late use of the ½d QV issue cancelled with Georgetown cancel (7 NO 1908) on registered and readdressed cover to Hull. Sent via Mobile, Alabama and New York with labels applied on face, and transit and arrival marks on reverse Mobile (24 NO 1908), New York (26 NO 1908), Hull and Burstwick (6 DE 1908), fine (Image)

1908 Late use of the 1900 QV issues on registered cover to England. Two pairs of the 1d carmine QV issues are tied by Georgetown cds (26 AU 1908) with transit and arrival marks on reverse, fine and of fresh appearance (Image)

1902 Dented Frame varieties of both 6p KEVII brown and 1/- KEVII orange on registered cover to Germany, with additional 2½ d KEVII bright blue, all tied by full strikes of Grand Cayman cds (1 SE 1902), Jamaica and London oval registration handstamp on face and Bucholtz on reverse. Ex Maisel, a rare and important cover being the only known Cayman Islands cover with two dented frame varieties (Image)

1903 Lovely pair of over franked registered covers bearing multiples of the 1902-03 KEVII issues cancelled with Georgetown cds (13 AP 1903) addressed to New Jersey, USA: the first with five 2½ d bright blue and three 6d brown (ex "Rew"), the second with three 6d brown and four 1s orange (ex Podger). Both went via Kingston and Boston. Very fine (Image)

1907 (30 Aug.) Pair of "One Halfpenny." on 1d  provisionals on registered envelope to Switzerland, also bearing a 1d KEVII carmine and 2½ d KEVII ultramarine, all neatly cancelled with Georgetown cds (8 FE 1908). Routed via Cienfuegos and Havana, Cuba, (markings on reverse), Paris (29 FE 1908, partial cds on face) and Berne arrival cds (1 MR 1908); attractive and fine (Image)

1907 Horizontal strip of five "One Halfpenny" on 1d Provisionals neatly tied to cover by Georgetown cds (26 NO 07), addressed to New York, USA with Kingston transit on the reverse, mild overall toning, reduced at left with small filing hole at bottom left, the strip pays the 2½d foreign letter rate and it is believed that only fourteen covers exist with this provisional as sole franking, ex Prappas, Maisel, Stern (Image)

1907 Registered cover to Germany bearing two strips of three, a pair and a single "One Halfpenny." on 1d provisional, all cancelled with Georgetown cds (13 NO 1907), additionally tied by Jamaica Registered oval date stamp (23 NO 1907). Birmingham registration label applied to face and just partially covering two of the three stamps in the right-hand strip of three. Birmingham registered oval datestamp (9 DE 1907), London Registered hooded datestamp (10 DE 1907) and Dresden arrival cds (11 DE 1907) on reverse. Ex Byl, an impressive franking (Image)

1907 Registered OHMS bearing a single "One Halfpenny" on 1d Provisional with a 4d KEVII brown and blue cancelled with Georgetown cds (4 DE 1907), addressed to Minneapolis, USA with transit marks on the face and reverse, ex Byl, a fine franking, one of only 20 recorded (Image)

1907 Small piece with a pair of "One Halfpenny" on 1d Provisionals cancelled on the first day of issue (30 AU 1907), also a pair of ordinary 1d KEVII issues alongside, fine (Image)

1907 Strip of four and single "1D" on 5/- Salmon and green tied to a commercial cover to the United States all neatly tied by Georgetown cds (9 DE 07), with the 5d franking paying double the foreign letter rate of 2½ d. Kingston, Jamaica transit on the reverse, some edge faults and a tear at bottom right, damage on reverse due to mounting, faults on the reverse, none of which affect the stamps, BPA cert (1994), ex Burrus, Maisel, an attractive and rare cover (Image)

1907 "Dented Frame" variety of "1D" on 5s provisional in a pair (right-hand stamp), on piece with additional "½D" on 5s provisional both tied by Georgetown cancels (4 DE 1907), BPA cert. (1995), rare and fine (Image)