ANTARCTIC STAMPS & COVERS COLLECTION: Stock book housing stamps, but mostly covers from a variety of issuing countries with interests in the Antarctic region. Includes early Victoria Land (mint single) & Edward VII Land (2 used singles). Main interset in the range of expedition covers and Base postmarks, mostly dated from 1950s to 2009. Includes material from Argentina, Chile, Australia, NZ, Falklands Dependencies, B.A.T., etc. (c.59 covers plus c.100 stamps) Cross Reference: ARGENTINA, BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY, FALKLAND ISLANDS DEPENDENCIES (Image)

PHILATELIC EXHIBITIONS & CONGRESSES c1957-2019: Two boxes containing a written-up collection of covers, PPCs and ephemera relating to philatelic exhibitions and Congresses, also some loose. Inc. North East Philatelic week-ends; Amersham P.S. anniversary; 1975 National Stamp Day; Dundee Philatelic week-ends; Glasgow 2000; 1993 Philatelic Congress of GB; Stampex & BPE. [ex Ken Norris] (large qty) (Image)

WORLD MIXTURE: A small shoe box containing accumulation of stamps on stockcards includes some unusual items such as a range of South American countries overprinted 'SPECIMEN'; Mengkiang unissued; GB 1883 Medicine Duty proof; Vatican 1952 Centenary Miniature Sheet mint MS176a, (cat. £450); Iran SG337-352 mint (cat. £500); Bermuda 1938 2/- mint plate flaw. (qty) Cross Reference: VATICAN CITY, URUGUAY, BOLIVIA, REVENUES (Image)

LES ÉTATS-UNIS (3): Small flimsy 4pp letter dated 26. September 1870 addressed to La Charité, Nièvre; unusually without prepayment – Paris place de la Bourse '30c' taxe cds only; arrival cds La Charité 18. October. Also unused balloon non monté postcard (probable reprint). Translation & notes.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

L'ARMAND BARBÈS (6): Flimsy letter dated 1. October 1870 addressed to Tretz, Bouches de Rhône and endorsed 'Ballon monté'; Napoleon 20c stamp (fault) cancelled by 'CP' lozenge of the Calais-Paris TPO with matching cds of 8. October on reverse; as the stamp was not cancelled at Paris, this item was probably handed directly to the pilot – a plie confié – posted on landing at Amiens. Several transit marks and arrival cds of Tretz 12. October. Fine and scarce. Translation.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

L'ARMAND BARBÈS (6): Front (tears, wrinkled) fixed to card, addressed to Dublin, Ireland endorsed 'Par Ballon monté' with Napoleon 10c & 20c stamps with indistinct star cancellations, Paris rue St Dominique cds; London transit cds 14. October 1870; despite faults, an interesting item to a scarce destination.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

L'ARMAND BARBÈS (6): Single sheet letter cross-written in English (2 holes in text where seals removed), dated 5. October, endorsed 'Par Ballon monté ' and addressed to Halstead, Essex; Napoleon 10c & 20c stamps cancelled by Paris star '20' with cds of Paris rue St Dominique nearby; Halstead arrival cds 19. October. Probably carried on L'Armand Barbès.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE NON-DÉNOMMÉ 2 (8): Small card endorsed 'Par ballon non monté' written 30. September 1870 and addressed to Nantes; Napoleon 10c stamp tied by fine strike of star '12' with Paris boulevard Beaumarchais cds nearby; arrival cds Nantes 21. October; very fresh and attractive. Possibly carried by 'Le Victor Hugo'. Translation.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE LOUIS BLANC (10) ?: Flimsy envelope (no contents, slight split) addressed to Montoire, Seine & Oise, endorsed 'Par Ballon monté' and, unusually, with the weight (3½ grammes); star '4' cancellation tying 20c stamp with clear cds of Paris rue d'Enghien for 1. October 1870 (6th levée); faint arrival cds of Montoire. (Departure date suggests an earlier balloon – possibly L'Armand Barbès.)Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE JEAN BART NO. 1 (12) – PLIE CONFIÉ: Flimsy letter dated 1. October 1870, addressed to St Marcellin, Isère (text mentions the balloons); Napoleon 20c stamp tied by GC lozenge '4034' of Troyes – letters handed to the pilot direct (plies confiés) were posted by him on arrival at a post town; transit cds Valence-s-Rhône 17. October on reverse. Scarce and attractive.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE VICTOR HUGO (15) ?: Letter addressed to Belgium, written 24. September with Paris rue d'Enghien cds of the same day, alongside Napoleon 10c & 20c stamps tied by star '1' cancellations; reverse with Belgium / France entry cds plus Gand & Bruxelles cds all 20. October. Written early in the Siege, it is likely that this item was delayed and sent by a later balloon – the 'Victor Hugo' is one possibility. Interesting. Translation.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE VICTOR HUGO (15) – COMPAGNIE DES AÉROSTIERS PLIE CONFIÉ: Flimsy sheet (faults, loss to top edge etc.) with printed PAR BALLON MONTÉ and brief, undated message inside, addressed to London; Napoleon 30c stamp (edge faults) cancelled by GC lozenge 3997 with matching cds of Tours for 21. October alongside; reverse with very fine strike in red of the '1 Aerostiers / Nadar-Dartois / Duruof' cachet of the Compagnie des Aérostiers : the letter was entrusted direct to the pilot, Nadal, who posted it on arrival at Tours. Paris-Calais TPO cds for 22. October and London arrival cds 24. October on reverse. Despite faults, a very scarce item – particularly to the UK. Also an unusual contemporary ticket to a 'Fete Aérostatique' with Dartois cachet. (2) Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE VICTOR HUGO (15) ?: Small flimsy letter dated 17. October 1870, endorsed 'Par Ballon-monté' and addressed to Etretat, Loire Inférieure; redirected to London with boxed 'AFFRANCHISSEMENT INSUFFISANT'; the stamp (and its cancellation) has been torn away. Reverse shows Paris-Havre TPO and Rouen cds transit marks for 22. October plus London arrival and mis-sort marks for 25. October; address panel with circular MORE TO PAY and m/s '4'[d] charge.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE LAFAYETTE (16): Letter dated 18. October 1870 addressed to Brossay, Maine & Loire; endorsed 'par Ballon monté'; Cérès 20c stamp (rounded corner) tied by clear strike of Paris star '16' and rue de Palestro cds of 18. October; Angers transit cds of 23. October on reverse. Translation.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE MONTGOLFIER (18): Flimsy letter with printed formular address panel, written 24. October 1870 and addressed to Lorient, Morbihan; Paris Hotel de Ville cds for 24. October, the stamp is missing; reverse has arrival cds of Lorient for 4. November. The lengthy letter refers to the shortage of food in the city.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE VAUBAN (19): Single sheet flimsy letter written 24. October 1870 and addressed to Brussels; Napoleon 30c stamp (couple of toned perfs) with unclear star '22' cancellation, Paris rue Taitbout cds nearby; reverse with Brussels arrival cds of 6. November.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE VAUBAN (19): Letter on printed PAR BALLON MONTÉ form written on 26. October 1870 and addressed to Brussels, Napoleon 30c stamp cancelled by Paris star '2' with Paris rue St Lazare cds of 26. October nearby; particularly unusual is the paper advertising seal of antique dealers Levy & Worms on the reverse, alongside the Brussels arrival cds of 2. November. Expertised. The interesting letter refers to private subscriptions to buy cannon and the increasing shortage of food.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE COLONEL CHARRAS (21): Letter dated 28. October 1870 and addressed to Perpignan, endorsed 'par ballon monté'; Napoleon 20c stamp cancelled by star '1' with Paris rue d'Enghien cds alongside; reverse with Perpignan arrival cds 3. November.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE FULTON (22): Miniature letter (small part of text lost on opening) written by a civilian volunteer guard on 1. November to his wife at St Laurent, Aude; the Napoleon 20c stamp with faint star cancellation and cds of Paris rue Bonaparte; reverse with transit cds of Bordeaux-Cette TPO & Carcassonne both of 4. November, with arrival cds of Lagrasse 5. November. Translation. Attractive.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LA VILLE DE CHÂTEAUDUN (25): Gazette des Absents No.5 (occasional small split) with short letter written on 5. November and addressed to Jersey; Napoleon 30c stamp tied by unclear star cancellation with Paris place de la Bourse cds of 5. November alongside; Jersey arrival cds 10. November on reverse. Attractive item to an uncommon destination.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE GÉNÉRAL UHRICH (30) – RARE PLIE CONFIÉ WITH AÉROSTIERS CACHET: Gazette des Absents No. 6, slightly toned & dusty, small splits and tiny loss on opening, (no letter) addressed to London with Napoleon 30c stamp (faults) cancelled on arrival at Luzarches; reverse with very fine strike – disrupted by rough opening but complete – of the DARTOIS & LYON/AÉRONAUTES DU GOUVERNEMENT cachet in blue, used for the first time on this flight. Paris-Lille TPO transit cds 22. November and London arrival cds 23. November. Despite small faults, a rare item. Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LE GÉNÉRAL UHRICH (30) – AGENCE HAVAS NEWSLETTER: single sheet (German) newsletter for 18. November (minor edge fault) addressed to the Rheinische Zeitung at Cologne with Cérès 10c & 20c stamps cancelled by plain stars with Paris departure cds for 18. November; two strikes of a numbered, boxed AFFRANCHISSEMENT INSUFFISANT and penalty calculation on reverse – postage was underpaid by 10c; fresh and attractive example of a scarce newsletter.Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LA VILLE D'ORLÉANS (33) – 'THE MANDAL MAIL': Scarce example of mail from the sack jettisoned into the North Sea after the balloon was blown off course towards Norway; Dépêche-Ballon No. 8 newsletter addressed to Montbazon, Indre & Loire with Paris Gros-Caillou cds of 23. November 1870; a stamp has washed off and was replaced with a boxed 'P.P.' to indicate postage had been paid; reverse with transit cds of Tours & Bordeaux, Montbazon arrival cds 16. December – whereupon it was readdressed to St Vincent de Tyrosse where it arrived on 19. December. The letter refers to the pigeon post. A scarce item. [ex Courtois, 1979] Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LA VILLE D'ORLÉANS (33) – AGENCE HAVAS NEWSLETTER: Flimsy newsletter (French, edge fault) for 24. November 1870 addressed to a Rotterdam newspaper with Paris cds of 24. November, stamp missing; this item was in the 'Mandal' sack which ended in the North Sea; it was forwarded from Norway via London – transit mark LONDON PAID dated 2. December; reverse with arrival cds Rotterdam 3. December with red crayon '5' on front. A scarce survivor of the Ville d'Orléans adventure. Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)

LA VILLE D'ORLÉANS (33) – COMMEMORATIVE MEDALLIONS: The balloon was displayed at Drammen in December 1870, where tiny (14mm) commemorative medallions were coined as souvenirs from the balloon's metal; three examples – two in copper plus a third in the scarcer in silvered finish with suspension loop. Rare. (3)Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, BALLOON MAIL (Image)