The Bernard Faust Collection of U.S. 1863-68 Black Jack Issues continued...

**Foreign Mails: Africa**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
1603		2c Black (73). Three, used with two vertical pairs of 10c Green (68), one pair and one 2c affixed on back, all tied by dark blue Hollow Star in Circle fancy cancels, matching "Windsor N.Y. Apr. 24" (1866) circular datestamp on cover with scalloped decorative flaps to John F. Kingsley, Acting 3rd Assistant Engineer on board the U.S.S. Shenandoah at Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, red "RETURNED FOR POSTAGE" two-line handstamp and pencil "due 21" applied at New York, red "N. York Am. Pkt. Paid 1866 May 5" circular datestamp, matching "24" credit handstamp, red London Paid transit datestamp (May 16), red crayon "1" (1p) Colonial rate, "Cape Town Cape-Colony JY 8 66" receiving datestamp, "Mauritius JY 30 66" backstamp indicates the final destination, small hole punch through one 2c at left (neatly mended), all stamps have small faults, cover a bit worn and slightly toned, some lightened staining at left FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USE OF THE 2-CENT BLACK JACK AND 10-CENT 1861 ISSUE ON A COVER TO MAURITIUS, WHERE IT MET THE U.S.S. SHENANDOAH ON ITS POST-WAR JOURNEY TO THE FAR EAST VIA THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, INDIA AND ASIA. The rate to the Cape of Good Hope by British Mail via Southampton was 45c. Based on the identical centering of all 10c stamps, we have no doubt the stamps on the back were on the cover when it arrived at the New York foreign-mail office. They were probably overlooked when the cover was marked 21c due and "Returned for Postage", but detected before it was handstamped with the 24c credit to Great Britain and put on the Inman steamer City of London for the May 5, 1866, sailing to Queenstown. On April 28, 1866, the U.S.S. Shenandoah departed Rio de Janeiro to join the Asiatic Squadron. After rounding the Cape of Good Hope, the ship visited various ports in India and Asia, including Mauritius, and reached Yokohama on April 5, 1867. The Mauritius backstamp indicates this was delivered to the addressee there. Ex Dr. Rorke. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. $ 2,000-3,000 SOLD for $2,200.00 Will close during Public Auction
1604		2c Black (73). Used with 3c Rose (65) and 10c Green (68) single and strip of three, stamps cancelled by identical quartered diamond cancel, "Dorset Vt. Sep. 3" (1866) circular datestamp on cover to St. Helena, addressed to the care of Captain Pierce of the whaling bark Minnesota, red "N. York Br. Pkt. Paid Sep. 3" circular datestamp and red London Paid transit datestamp both tie 10c stamps, red "40" credit handstamp, red "1d" Colonial rate handstamp, most importantly a clear strike of blue "St. Helena NO 3 1866" oval receiving datestamp, red manuscript St. Helena post office notation on back "Not called for -- Ship supposed to have passed", 3c stamp appears to have been damaged before use, others have small faults or toned spots, cover has faults and repairs around edges (front and back affixed to inner card), these condition factors are entirely forgivable considering the journey this cover made and the exceedingly rare use to St. Helena FINE APPEARANCE. REPORTED TO BE THE ONLY BLACK JACK COVER TO ST. HELENA. AN OUTSTANDING POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT FROM A NEW ENGLAND WHALING CORRESPONDENCE. This cover was correctly prepaid 45c and sent by British Mail via Southampton, with 40c credited to Great Britain. It was carried on the Cunarder Persia, departing New York on September 5, 1866, and arriving in Queenstown on September 14. From there it traveled in the British Mail system to St. Helena, which served as a port of call for whaling vessels in the 19th century. Using Power Search we were only able to locate two other covers to St. Helena in our past auctions -- one with 3c and 10c 1857 Issues, and the other with 3c and 30c 1861 Issues. Ex Dr. Rorke (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. $ 4,000-5,000 SOLD for $2,600.00 Will close during Public Auction
1605		2c Black (73). Horizontal pair, perfs in and wide interpane margin at right, tied by two clear strikes of New York City circle of V's cancel on brown newspaper wrapper to U.S. Vice Consul H. Rider in Sierra Leone, both ends open, red crayon "2" and red London Paid transit datestamp (date is not readable), slight creasing and wrinkles as is to be expected in a wrapper usage VERY FINE. THE ONLY REPORTED BLACK JACK COVER TO SIERRA LEONE, AND ITS RARITY IS EXPONENTIALLY GREATER AS A PRINTED MATTER USAGE. Although the date is not readable, this wrapper was probably mailed in 1866. Congressional records from 1865 list "H. Rider" as receiving compensation for work as a consular agent in Sierra Leone for the "relief and protection of American seamen". In May 1866 Henry Rider was appointed U.S. consul in Sierra Leone, during the post-Civil War period when the United States was trying to increase trade with this West African British colony. As a measure of rarity, a Power Search review failed to locate any cover to Sierra Leone prior to the 1890s (there is one listed in PhilaMercury census). The few known covers to West Africa in the 1850s and 60s are usually addressed to members of the U.S. Navy squadron in Saint Paul de Loanda (Portuguese Angola) or to places other than Sierra Leone. Ex Cole. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. $ 3,000-4,000 SOLD for $6,500.00 Will close during Public Auction

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