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

FINE CONDITION AND QUITE BEAUTIFUL. VERY FEW BLACK JACK COVERS TO THE AUSTRALIAN STATES ARE KNOWN -- THIS IS ONE OF A SMALL GROUP TO NEW SOUTH WALES FROM A CORRESPONDENCE THAT EMERGED IN 1981.

This cover was correctly prepaid 22c for the rate to New South Wales by American Packet to Panama, then by British Packet to Australasia, with 12c credited to Great Britain. The British steamer Mataura carried it to Sydney on the June 21, 1868, sailing from Panama. It comes from a group of nine covers addressed to Martin Richardson at Newcastle, New South Wales, which came to light in 1981 and were sold through Christie's Robson Lowe in New York. Until this correspondence emerged, 22c rate covers to New South Wales were virtually unknown, and the few reported were prepaid with a 10c and 12c combination. The Richardson correspondence provides what are believed to be the only extant Black Jack covers to New South Wales -- there are three, including one with two 10c 1869 stamps.

Ex Dr. Rorke (Image)

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FINE. ONE OF THREE REPORTED BLACK JACK COVERS TO NEW SOUTH WALES -- FROM A CORRESPONDENCE THAT EMERGED IN 1981.

This cover was correctly prepaid 22c for the rate to New South Wales by American Packet to Panama, then by British Packet to Australasia, with 12c credited to Great Britain. The British steamer Ruahine carried it to Sydney on the December 27, 1868, sailing from Panama. It comes from a group of nine covers addressed to Martin Richardson at Newcastle, New South Wales, which came to light in 1981 and were sold through Christie's Robson Lowe in New York. Until this correspondence emerged, 22c rate covers to New South Wales were virtually unknown, and the few reported were prepaid with a 10c and 12c combination. The Richardson correspondence provides what are believed to be the only extant Black Jack covers to New South Wales -- there are three, including one with two 10c 1869 stamps. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE BLACK JACK COVER TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- CARRIED BY AMERICAN PACKET TO PANAMA AND BY BRITISH PACKET TO SYDNEY, THEN TO ADELAIDE WHERE RATED 6-PENCE DUE FOR SHIP-LETTER POSTAGE.

This cover was correctly prepaid 22c for the rate to South Australia by American Packet to Panama, then by British Packet to Australasia, with 12c credited to Great Britain. The British steamer Mataura carried it to Sydney on the February 27, 1867, sailing from Panama. It was put on another vessel for transport to Adelaide and charged 6p due for ship-letter postage.

South Australia is an exceedingly rare destination for United States covers in the classic period. In fact, using Power Search we located only two covers (one with 5c and 24c 1861s, and another with 1869s). Michael Laurence's census lists a 16c rate cover with 10c and 3c 1869s. We found a 3c and 30c 1861 combination cover to South Australia in the same June 1989 Christie's sale that featured this cover. None of the other covers shows the 6p port-to-port ship-letter charge.

Ex Hollowbush (Image)

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VERY FINE. A SPECTACULAR AND COLORFUL FOUR-COLOR FRANKING FOR THE 45-CENT RATE TO AUSTRALIA BY BRITISH MAIL VIA MARSEILLES.

This was carried on the North German Lloyd America, which departed from New York on November 18, 1865, and arrived in Southampton on November 30. It crossed the Channel to Calais and Marseilles, and from there traveled on Peninsular & Oriental steamers to Melbourne via Egypt and Ceylon. Considering the different denominations available to pay the 45c rate, this combination of four different 1861-63 stamps is an extraordinary and fortuitous combination.

Ex Friedman (Image)

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