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

VERY FINE. AN UNUSUAL AND RARE THREE-DENOMINATION FRANKING FOR THE DOUBLE 28-CENT RATE TO INDIA, INCLUDING THE 2-CENT Z GRILL, WHICH IS A GREAT RARITY ON COVERS TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS.

The Bissell correspondence is described in great detail in the 1953 American Philatelic Congress book. Reverend Lemuel Bissell arrived in India in 1851 and was based in Sirur. He moved to Ahmednuggur in 1861 and in 1865 became the missionary secretary. The Bissell correspondence covers the period from early 1868 to late 1875. Virtually all Bissell covers were sent from the Board of Foreign Missions of the Congregational Christian Church in Boston. The correspondence probably comes from Reverend Bissell's time as mission secretary, and the multiple rates were necessitated by the inclusion of lengthy letters and remittances in the pre-addressed envelopes. The franking on the cover offered here pays the double 28c rate to India by British Mail via Southampton. It was carried on the Cunarder Cuba, which departed New York on June 17, 1868, and arrived in Queenstown on June 26. From there it was carried on Peninsular & Oriental steamers to Bombay via Alexandria and Suez.

Ex Allen and Dr. Rorke. (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN UNUSUAL AND RARE GRILLED ISSUE FRANKING FOR THE 28-CENT RATE TO INDIA.

The Bissell correspondence is described in great detail in the 1953 American Philatelic Congress book. Reverend Lemuel Bissell arrived in India in 1851 and was based in Sirur. He moved to Ahmednuggur in 1861 and in 1865 became the missionary secretary. The Bissell correspondence covers the period from early 1868 to late 1875. Virtually all Bissell covers were sent from the Board of Foreign Missions of the Congregational Christian Church in Boston. The correspondence probably comes from Reverend Bissell's time as mission secretary, and the multiple rates were necessitated by the inclusion of lengthy letters and remittances in the pre-addressed envelopes. The franking on the cover offered here pays the 28c rate to India by British Mail via Southampton. It was carried on the Cunarder Samaria, which departed New York on March 3, 1869, and arrived in Queenstown on March 14. From there it was carried on Peninsular & Oriental steamers to Bombay via Alexandria and Suez.

Ex Knapp, Krug and Faiman. (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE MIXED-ISSUE BLACK JACK AND 1869 PICTORIAL FRANKING ON ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING COVERS FROM THE BENJAMIN SMITH LYMAN CORRESPONDENCE TO INDIA.

Benjamin Smith Lyman was a mining engineer for the Department of Public Works in India. The small Lyman correspondence is a challenge to postal historians, each cover presenting a peculiar franking and complex array of markings. In this case, Benjamin's father chose to send his letter by American Packet from San Francisco, perhaps because he feared the European route would be disrupted by the Franco-Prussian war, to which he refers in his letter. The 5c postage underpaid the 10c rate, but the San Francisco post office apparently overlooked the short payment. On September 1, 1870, the PMSS China sailed for Yokohama and Hong Kong, presumably carrying this letter. It is uncertain what transpired next, but the letter arrived on a steamer at Calcutta on November 12.

Ex Wunsch and Dr. Rorke. (Image)

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