Russia. (Ukraine). 1845. Folded letter addressed to France written from 'Odessa' dated '16/11' with hand-struck Odessa/ 11/ 16' and hand-stamped 'Porto' with 'Aus Russland' in black on face (Van der Linden 305) and 'C.R.p.P.' (Correspondance Russe Par Prusse) listed as (Van der Linden 841) and 'Prusse 3/ Givet 3' French entry cachet in red '14th Dec 45' and rated '28' in m/s on arrival with Bordeaux '15th Dec' on reverse.
Very nice item of transit mail from Odessa via Berlin.
Aden. (Persian Gulf - Red Sea). 1917. Stamp-less envelope dated on reverse '15/10/17' in m/s, endorsed 'On Active Service' addressed to Cornwall, landed at Aden with circular ridged 'Passed Censor/ Aden/ No A. 100' applied in violet on face and signed and 'Received From H.M. Ship/ No Charge To Be Raised' and dated London 'Nov 8 1917'.
Scarce item from the British Fleet/ Navy patrolling in the Red Sea off Yemen and Aden protecting the Suez Canal and Red Sea ports.
Russia. (Germany - Delayed Mail). 1916. Registered envelope from 'Noblessner, Petrograd, Shipbuilders' addressed to London bearing Russia Yvert 70, 20 kop blue and rose tied by Petrograd date stamp '7th April 16' with hand-struck 'Registered' in Russian and English with 'R/ Petrograd' registration label with Russian censor label tied by boxed censor cachet in violet on face and reverse with framed 'No 962' censor in violet on reverse with hand-struck instructional 'Part of Mail Captured/ By Germans and De;ayed' in green on face with London arrival '25th Aug 1916' on reverse.
Lovely item of mail registered mail from Russia held in Germany due to WW1.
Russian China. (Russian Expeditionary Force in France). 1916. Envelope written from Manchuria addressed to The Russian Expeditionary Force, 'Regiment D' Artillery, Lourde Groupe, 8th Battalion, Sectour Postal 155, France' bearing Russia Yvert 67, 10 kop blue tied by Kharbin 'ye' date stamp '12th May 16' (Tchil Fig 597) with framed Manchurian censorship cachet in violet, routed via Petrograd '18th May' with Russian censor label tied by boxed No 945' censor cachet in violet on reverse with framed '6' on face, held in Petrograd until '27/5' and re-directed to 'Camp de Mailly, Sectour 156, France.
The Russian Brigades of the Russian Expeditionary Force was based at Camp Mailly for the formation, readying and equipping of the Brigade.
During 1916 Russia supplied a significant number of soldiers to France to fight on the Western Front side by side with the Allies.
Egypt. (Rumania - Austrian Levant). 1913. Envelope addressed to Germany bearing Austrian Levant Yvert 48, 1pi blue on blue (stamp on reverse endorsed as 'not valid'), cancelled by 'Alexandria - Constanta' double ring '4th Oct 1913' with adjacent circular 'T' hand-stamp on face and endorsed '40' in blue crayon.
An usual item of Maritime mail from the Alexandria to Constanta shipping line.
Cuba. (Orange River Colony - Boer War). 1902. Envelope addressed to 'Post Restante, Bloemfontein, Orange River Colony. South Africa' bearing Cuba Yvert 145, 5c blue tied by Havana/ Cuba date stamp, routed via the United States with New York N.Y. For. B'ch transit 'Feb 8th 1902' with Bloemfontein arrival and forwarded to Kroonstad with 'E.R./Opened Under Martial Law/ Initials of Censoring Officer' label and signed, label tied by oval 'Passed Censor/ Kroonstad' on face and receiver on reverse.
A very scarce Boer War usage from Cuba, perhaps to one of the Foreign Volunteers.
Germany. 1875. 'Deutsch Reichs Post' postal stationery card 1/2 groschen brown upgraded with 'Large Eagle' Yvert 15, 1/2g orange mixed with 'Pfennige' Yvert 32, 10f carmine tied by Dusseldorf date stamp '13th April 75' addressed to London.
Scarce mixed issue franking of groschen and pfennige.
United States. (Utah - Hotel Post). 1889. Illustrated envelope of the 'Continental Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah' bearing SG 191, 15c orange tied by Salt Lake City/ Utah duplex dated '30th April' with Cambridge arrival on reverse 'Ju 28 1889'.
An attractive and scarce envelope from the Continental Hotel, Sal Lake City, Utah.
United States. (United States - Possessions - Guam). 1930. Illustrated envelope (United States flag and War Ship) hand-stamped 'Government Official Correspondence', erased and endorsed 'Private' in red crayon with 'P. Mango Packet Steamer' addressed to 'Lt Charles Carter, U.S. Weather Station, U,S,N, Port Mexico, Guam' bearing 'Guam Guard Mail' Yvert 5, 2c yellow-green tied by Agana/ 21/ Aug' hand-stamp (struck 3 times) with circular negative seal in carmine and hand-stamped 'PAID/ 2' on face.
When Commander Willis Winter Bradley Jr. took over as 29th American Governor of Guam he devised a system whereby a local bus company "Bordallo's Taxi' would pick up and deliver the mail from the offices of village mayors. Bradley overprinted US stamps for this purpose with a supply from the Philippines. This service was the GUAM GUARD MAIL and served the villages of Hagatna (Agana) Piti, Sumai, Asan, Malesso and Inalahan.
Danish West Indies. (Great Britain used Abroad). 1866. Folded letter addressed to 'His Danish Majesty's Consul General, London' bearing Great Britain SG 101, 1s green (plate 4) tied by 'C 51' obliterator with St-Thomas double arc dispatch on the reverse 'Mr 14', endorsed 'per steamer', with circular 'London/Paid/ 30 Mar 66' receiver in red on face.
Stamp alone SG 101, plate 4 catalogue by Stanley Gibbons 275 GBP.
Spanish Colonies, (Fernando Po - Great Britain). 1874. Folded letter written from "A & M Herschell/ Liverpool" with oval firms chop and endorsed 'Paid' on face, addressed to 'John Holt Esq,' Fernando Po, West Coast Africa' bearing Great Britain SG 143, 3d rose plate 12 (pair) tied by Liverpool/ 466 duplex dated '7th Feb 74', endorsed 'pr "Monrovia".
The Royal Mail Steamer "Monrovia" was part of the 'African Steamship Company' , she sailed from Liverpool on Saturday 7th February at 2pm for Madeira, Tenerife, Sierra Leone, Monrovia, Cape Palmas, Cape Coast Castle, Accra, Jellah Coffee, Lagos, Benin, Bonny and Fernando Po.
John Holt left Liverpool in June 1862 accepting the post as secretary to James Lynslager, British Consul on the Spanish Island of Fernando Po. John Holt spent 12 years on the African coast. The papers of John Holt can be found in the National Maritime Museum, Liverpool.
Persian Gulf. (India used in Aden). 1925. Official 'North West Railway ' envelope headed 'On His Majesty's Service', segmented for 'N.W.R. 1st Journey, 2nd Journey, 3rd Journey, 4th Journey', addressed to 'The First Assistant Resident, Aden' bearing India 'Service' SG 098, 1a brown tied by Maalla double ring '30th Sept' with Aden/ Dely on reverse and signed by the Postmaster bottom left on face.
Very rare item of Official Mail from this scarce office situated at the Headquarters of the single line Military Railways, the office closed on May 1st 1931.'
British Solomon Islands. 1939. Envelope addressed to Sydney, New South Wales bearing SG 42, 1 1/2d bright scarlet tied by Tulagi/ British Solomon Ids. date stamp '18 Oc 39' with framed 'Passed By Censor' in violet on face.
Early use of the pre occupation censor cachet from TULAGI not listed by John Little but the Robin Sherman illustrated cover (page 151 in British Empire Civil Censorship Devices World War 11, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands by John Little).
British Solomon Islands. 1943. Registered envelope addressed to Sydney, Australia bearing SG 60, 1/2d blue and green, SG 62, 1 1/2d blue-green and carmine, SG 68, 1s green and black and SG 69, 2s black and orange tied by Lunga - British Solomon Ids. date stamp '16th No 43' with framed hand-struck 'Tulagi/ Brit. Solomon Islands/ R. No 77' in violet with 'TULAGI' erased and 'Lunga' inserted in m/s with adjacent boxed 'Passed By Censor' on face and Sydney arrival on reverse '27/11'.
Very fine item of registered mail from the Temporary G.P.O. at Lunga Beach the Allied Headquarters.
Ex Stan Jersey, Tony Eastgate.
British Solomon Islands. 1944. British Solomon Islands Protectorate stamp-less envelope headed 'O.H.M.S.' addressed to New York cancelled by Lunga British Solomon Ids. date stamp 26 Dec 44' with oval ('Crown) Protectorate Postmaster' hand-stamp initialed "L.M.D." being 'Lieut. M. Davis, B.S.I.P.D.F.' whom was the Protectorate Postmaster.
Ex Stan Jersey, Tony Eastgate.
Bermuda. (German States - Bavaria). 1898. Registered envelope addressed 'To The General Post Office, Hamilton, Bermuda' bearing Bavaria Yvert 54, 1m red-lilac, Yvert 60, 3p brown (2), Yvert 62, 5p green, Yvert 63, 10p rose-carmine tied by Nuernberg date stamp '20th March 98' with matching registration label and endorsed 'Eingeschrieben' and 'Franca', routed via London with oval 'Registered/ London' transit '24/3' in red and departure 'Registered/ London/ FN. M' dated '26 Mar' on face with Hamilton/ Bermuda receiver 'Ap 4' on reverse.
Lovely four colour franking from Bavaria to a very exotic destination.
Portugal. 1903. Value Declared envelope addressed to Tortosendo bearing SG 349, 25r carmine-rose, SG 356, 100r blue and SG 363, 500r black/ azure (5) tied by Braga date stamp '16th Dec 03'.
Beautiful 'Value Declared' high value franking paying 2625r.
Portuguese Colonies. (Mozambique - Prisoner of War Mail). 1918. Stamp-less envelope written from 'Sociedade Alema de Beneficencia' with hand-stamp in blue on reverse, endorsed 'Service Prisonniers de Guerre' addressed to 'Comite General de la Croix Rouge, Agence des Prisonniers de Guerre, Geneve' with 'Aberto Pela Censura/ Lourenco Marques' label on reverse tied by octagonal 'Lourenco Marques dispatch date stamp '24th Oct 18' and oval 'Provincia de Mozambique/ Reparticao de Information/ Quartel General' in carmine, also on front, routed via South Africa with bilingual 'Opened by Censor/ Geopend door Censor' (red on white) label tied by Cape Town transit '16th Nov' with circular 'Passed - Censor/ 15/ 99' struck twice and 'Passed By Censor/ 99' on face.
Portuguese Colonies. (Lourenco Marques). 1909. 'AVIS DE RECEPTION/ AVISO DE RECEPAO' label addressed to India headed "Administration Des Postes Des Colonies Portugaises' bearing Lourenco Marques SG 98, 50r brown tied by Lourenco Marquis date stamp '9th Jul', with Bombay transit and Sardhar arrival '2nd Aug' and returned to Lourenco Marques.
Scarce item of and 'Avis de Reception' document from Lourenco Marques.
Portuguese Colonies. (Portuguese India - Zanzibar). 1936. Envelope addressed to Zanzibar bearing Portuguese India SG 510, 1 1/2d carmine tied by Nova Goa double ring '2nd Feb'. on reverse, underpaid with bold 'T' hand-stamp and '20c' in m/s and bearing Zanzibar postage dues SG D25, 5c violet and SG D26, 10c scarlet tied by 'Reg/ Zanzibar' receiver '19th Feb' on reverse.
Scarce item of underpaid postage due mail from Portuguese India with Zanzibar tax stamps applied on arrival for under payment.
Portuguese Colonies. (Mozambique). 1929. Envelope written by 'Rene Vuilleumier, French Consul Agent in Quelimane' addressed to France bearing Mozambique SG 262, 10c brown-orange (unsurfaced paper) and 'Postage Due' SG D 255, 50c grey (3) tied by octagonal Quelimane date stamp in blue-green '1st July 29' with Seine arrival on reverse '7th Aout'.
Nice mixed usage with postage dues.
Greece. (Samos). 1913. Registered envelope addressed to Germany bearing Samos "Evacuation Commemoration" SG 15, 1l brown (signed T.S. in red) tied by Vathy double ring '29th Oct' with framed hand-struck 'Registered' in red on face and endorsed 'Recommande', routed via Piraeus with Ulm arrival '17th Nov' on reverse.
Scarce stamp on cover.
The initials in red are those of the local President, Themistocies Sophoulis.
Greece. (Crete). 1903. Envelope addressed to France bearing 'Provisional Government of Crete SG 1, 1l chocolate (5), SG 2, 5l green (pair) and SG 3, 10l scarlet tied by Xania date stamp '18th Mai 1903' with Collioure arrival '10th Juin' on reverse.
Greece (Italian Occupation of the Ionian Islands). 1942. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to Athens bearing Italian Occupation of the Ionian Islands SG 6, 50c bright violet, SG 7, 75c carmine (3) and Air Mail SG 9, 50c brown (pair) tied by Kepkypa double ring with framed hand-struck 'R/ Kepkypa' with 'Verificato/ Par Censura/ Corfu' label tied by circular 'Affari Civili/ Corfu/ Censura Postali' in violet on face and reverse with 'Censura/ 3/ 3' on face, endorsed 'via Aereo' in pencil.
A scarce item of registered Air Mail from Corfu to Athens during the Italian Occupation.
Greece. (French Post Office in Samos). 1894. Envelope addressed to France bearing Vathy Yvert 7, 1pi on 25c black/rose tied by Vathy/ Samos double ring in blue '16th Jan 94', routed via Smyrne '17/1' with Marseille arrival on reverse 23rd Jan 94'.
Greece. (French Post Office in Cavalle). 1914. Envelope addressed to Switzerland bearing Cavalle Yvert 13, 1p on 25c blue tied by Cavalla double ring (Pothion Type D), dated '8th Feb 14', routed via Salonique '9/2' (Pothion Type G) and Berne slogan arrival on reverse 12th Feb'.
Scarce 'Cavalle cancel with no 'Turquie' in lower double ring, in use after the Balkan War and also in Salonique.
Japan. (Russo - Japanese War) 1905. Picture post card of 'First Army at the River Ai' addressed to 'Lt. Colonel Baron Corvisart' cancelled by '1st Army Mail Department' date stamp '3rd Jan 05' with framed vernacular instructional in carmine.
Baron Corvisart was a French Military Observer with the Japanese Army and French Military Attaché to Japan. At the time the 1st Army was at winter quarters at the Sha - Ho (river).
Eritrea. (Algeria - Italian Occupation of Eritrea). 1944. Air Mail envelope addressed to the 'French Consul, Dire Daoua, Ethiopia' bearing Algeria Yvert 173, 50c brown-red, Yvert 176, 60c rose, Yvert 180, 2f 40 rose, Yvert 182, 4f blue, Yvert 183, 5f green and Yvert 199, 1f50 indigo tied by Alger date stamp '29th Feb 44' with matching registration label 'Alger R.P.' and 'Par Avion' label with 'Controle' censor label tied by oval 'Ouvert/ Par L' Autorite Militaire/ TA. 316' on face and reverse with circular '22' hand-stamp on reverse and hand-struck '2' on face (struck twice), routed via Eritrea with Asmara Ferrovia (railway) Raccomandate transit '25th Mars' with framed '(Crown) Passed/ zz 2' Eritrean censor hand-stamp in blue on face with Adidis Ababa '30/3' and Dire Daoua arrival '1st Avril 44' on reverse.
With the Italian Occupation of Eritrea and subsequently Cyrenaica a branch of the British censorship was established in Asmara. Mail from North Africa was intercepted and examined by the Eritrean censors.
Listed by John Little as Hand-stamp V111 this is the only Eritrean censor to carry the Eritrean Empire Code "ZZ". Censor hand-stamp number '2' is not recorded by John Little
Hungary. (Kenya - Uganda - Tanganyika). 1939. Hungarian postal stationery card 6f green upgraded with 4f brown and 40f turquoise (pair) tied by Budapest date stamp '1sr Jan 1940' , endorsed 'Air Mail' with 'Legipost' Air Mail label addressed to Lushoto and forwarded to Tanga endorsed 'via Dodoma' with 'Passed By Censor/ Nairobi/ 3' hand-stamp in violet with framed 'Passed/ By Censor No 7'' adjacent in violet.
Lovely War Time Air Mail cover flown perhaps via Marseille and Khartoum to Nairobi and carried to Tanga via Dodoma (Tanganyika).
The Nairobi censor hand-stamp (3) is only known '6 Je 40' by John Little and the boxed Tanganyika No 7 known '11th Mar 40.'
Hungary. (British Forces in Hungary). 1919. Stamp-less photographic post card of the 'Bridge over the Danube, Pest' addressed to Cardiff endorsed 'On Active Service' cancelled by 'Army Post Office/ L. 14' double ring 'Mar 22nd 19' with framed 'Passed By Censor/ No 610' in violet.
Message reads "This is one of the bridges over the Danube between Buda and Pest".
Proud records Army Post Office L. 14 as being used from FIUME, Italy (4.7.19) - (20.8.19). This card illustrates that the Unit was in Pest, Hungary before Fiume.
Ethiopia. (East Africa Command). 1944. Air Mail envelope (with 6 page letter) written from 'C.F. Cooper E.A.U. c/o Medical Directorate, P.O. Box 1234, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia' dated 'June 3rd 1944' addressed to England bearing Great Britain SG 473, 9d green and SG 490, 3d pale violet (pair) tied by 'E.A./ A.P.O. 77' date stamp '14th June 44', endorsed 'via Air Mail' with Egypt censor on face and circular '126' on reverse.
Army Post Office 77 was assigned to Addis Ababa (British Military Mission Ethiopia) 4.11.42 - 1.9.45
United States. (Crash Mail). 1963. Illustrated Patriotic envelope with flags and printed 'In Commemoration of a heroic and courageous people. We salute France' addressed to Florida bearing SG 1212, 5c scarlet and brown tied by New Haven/ Conn date stamp 'Ap 22 1963' with instructional 'Damaged in Handling/ In The Postal Service' in violet on face.
united States. (Forwarding Agents - British Ship Letters). 1839. Pre stamp folded letter written from Boston dated '10th August 1839' addressed to London with oval 'Forwarded Through/ Gilpin's Exchange/Reading Room And/ Foreign Letter Office/ N. York' in red on reverse, routed via Liverpool with hand-struck 'Liverpool/ Ship Letter' in black on reverse (Robertson S. 11), rated '1/7' in m/s with London arrival '5th Sept'.
Nice item of Trans-Atlantic Forwarding mail from Boston via Liverpool.
United States. (France). 1875. Stamp-less envelope addressed to France cancelled by San Francisco date stamp '14th Aout 75' with adjacent cork obliterator and framed 'UNPAID', routed overland via New York with 'New York/ Br' transit date stamp 'Aug 21st' on reverse and 'Etats Unis' French entry cachet, charged with hand-struck '1f 25' in red on face and Surgeres arrival '2nd Sept' on reverse.
Nice item of Trans-Atlantic mail paying the un-franked double tariff plus double the share of fine.
United States. (France). 1850. Stamp-less folded letter addressed to France cancelled by bold Du Buque/ Iowa date stamp in red 'Jul 26' with 'PAID/ V' hand-stamp in red on face endorsed 'Paid' in blue ink and 'via New York and Le Havre' with framed Anglo-French accountancy 'Colonies/ & c Art 13' with London transit '18 Aug' and Calais French entry cachet, rated with hand-struck '15' on arrival with Moitagne-S-Huine arrival on reverse '24th Aout'.
United States. (France). 1874. Envelope addressed to France bearing Yvert 42, 6c rose-carmine (pair) tied by cork obliterator with adjacent San Francisco/ Paid date stamp 'Oct 23', endorsed 'via England' with New York/ Paid transit 'Oct 31' in red, carried over the Atlantic by the French paquebot "V. De Paris" with 'Etats Unis Paq. Fr. Brest' entry cachet in red with Brest a Paris ambulant on reverse and Haut Vienne arrival on reverse '11th Nov 74'.
China. (Registered Post Card). 1902. Coloured Multi view picture post card of 'Chinese Wedding Cortege, Hankow' addressed to France bearing Chinese Imperial Post SG 111, 4c chestnut and SG 115, 10c green tied by Hankow date stamp '2nd May' with bold hand-struck 'R' and endorsed 'Recommande', routed via the French and Imperial Post Office Shanghai with 'Modane a Paris' ambulant in red and Saone et Loire arrival '9th Juin' on face.
Scarce coloured card published by "Sze Yuen Ming, Shanghai" paying the 4 cent postcard rate and 10 cent registration fee = 14 cents.
China. (French Post Office). 1901. Envelope addressed to 'Miss Bennett, Grimsby' bearing Chinese Imperial Post SG 110, 2c red (vertical strip of five) tied by Hankow date stamp '31st Oct 01' with framed 'numeral' dater on reverse, routed via the Imperial and French Post Offices Shanghai bearing French China SG 9, 25c black/ rose tied by Shang-Hai/ Chine double ring '4th Nov' with 'Grimsby and Peterboro/ STG - Tender' travelling Post Office (ambulant) on reverse 'De 9 01'.
Lovely mixed franking with scarce numbered dater on reverse.
China. (Denmark). 1930. Picture post card of 'The Stone Pagoda, Kobe' addressed to Denmark bearing SG 270, 6c scarlet tied by Shanghai date stamp '29th July', underpaid with framed 'T/ 10 ctms' in carmine on face and hand-struck 'T/ Shanghai' and bearing Denmark postage due Yvert 12, 10 ore green applied and tied by Kjobenhavn receiver '8th Sept 30' and endorsed '10' in blue crayon.
Lovely item of underpaid mail from China to Denmark.
China. (French Post Office in China). 1900. Picture post card of 'The Bund, Hankow' addressed to Belgium bearing Chinese Imperial Post SG 110, 2c red tied by Hankow date stamp '25th Janv 00', routed via the Imperial Post Offcie '8th Feb' and French Post Office '12th Feb' bearing French China SG 4, 10c black/ lilac tied by Shang-Hai/ Chine double ring '12th Feb' and Gerpinnes and Charleroi arrival 19th Mars'.
Attractive combination.
China. (Yunnan - Burma). 1941. Air Mail envelope written from 'F.L. Smith, Post Office, Sian, China' addressed to Wales bearing China SG 469, 10c green (2) and SG 474, $2 brown and blue (pair) tied by Chungking date stamp '24th Nov 41', endorsed 'Air Mail to Durban', routed via Burma with triangular 'Passed Censor/ Rangoon/ 6' in violet on face and Bangor arrival '12th May' and forwarded to Kendal.
The $2 stamps have framed 'Bandit' control marks in violet.
Lovely item paying the $4, 20c rate, sent via the 'Horseshoe' route. C.N.A.C. to Calcutta and 'B.O.A.C.' to Durban.
China. (Indo-Chinese Post Office in Tchong-King). 1912. Envelope addressed to Paris bearing Chungking SG 24, 25c blue tied by Tch'ong K'ing-Chine double ring '12th Dec 12', endorsed 'via Siberia' and routed via the French Post Office Hankow with Han-Keou-Chine/ Post Francaise transit '23/12' on face.
China. (Indo-Chinese Post Office in Canton). 1917. Envelope addressed to Lyon, France bearing Canton SG 53, 5c green and SG 54, 10c scarlet tied by Canton-Chine double ring '17th Mai 17', endorsed 'via Siberia' with bold 'COPIE' hand-stamp on face and French Post Office Shanghai (echoppe) transit '21st Mai' on reverse.
China. (Indo-Chinese Post Office in Chunking). 1905. Envelope addressed to France bearing Tchongking SG 4, 5c pale green and SG 5, 10c rose tied by Han-Keou-Chine/ Poste Francaise double ring '12th Feb 05' with adjacent circular 'Marine Francaise/ Service a la Mer' in violet with Nimes arrival on reverse 20th Mars'.
China. (Laos - Indo-Chines e Post Offices in Hoi-How). 1909. Registered envelope addressed to 'Monsieur Koenitz, Surveyor des Telegrahic, Vientiane, Laos' bearing Hoihow SG 36, 10c rose, SG 38, 20c red/ green and SG 54, 15c violet tied by Hoi-How-Chine double ring '17th Dec 09', with framed hand-struck 'R', routed via Haiphong/ Tonkin' '28th Dec' and Vinh '21/12' with BANNAMONE/ LAOS transit '22nd Jan 10' on reverse and Vien - Tiane/ Laos arrival Jan 11 (31st).
The Vien -Tiane or Bannamone date stamps maybe a date plug error.
Amazing item of registered mail Hai Nam Island routed via the small townland of Bannamone. This date stamp was transferred to Vang - Vieng in 1927.
China. (Indo-Chinese Post Offices in Canton). 1917. Registered envelope addressed to Paris bearing Canton SG 61, 50c carmine tied by Canton/ Chine double ring '4th Juil 17', with framed hand-struck 'R', endorsed 'Via America/ S.S. "Empress of Russia" with Hong Kong transit '6/7' and Paris arrival '30th Aout' on reverse.
The 'S.S. "Empress of Russia" was built on the Clyde for the Canadian Pacific Steamships Company. Sailing back and forth from Hong Kong via Shanghai, Nagasaki and Yokohama to Vancouver. During the war "Empress of Russia brought 2056 members of the Chinese Labour Corps from Weihaiwei in China to Vancouver for quarantine and onwards to Dunkirk.
Nice routing carried by ship over the Pacific and rail across the United States and steamer to Europe. The route via Siberia was closed due to WW1.
China. (Indo - Chinese Post Office in Mengtsz). 1907. Small 'Lady's envelope addressed to Paris bearing French Indo-China SG 6, 1c black/ azure and SG 8, 4c purple/ lilac tied by Mongtze/ Chine double ring '24th Mars 04', routed via Lao-Kay '30th Mars' and Haiphong '8th Avril' on reverse.
Very attractive item from Yunnan Province paying the UNOPENED PRINTED MATTER RATE to Paris at 'Five Cents'.
China. (French Indo-China). 1904. Picture post card of 'Rue des Pavillions Noirs, with Chinese Temple, Tonkin' addressed to France bearing French Indo-China SG 23, 5c yellow-green (2) tied by Yenbay a Hanoi ambulant date stamp '20th Nov 04.'
Scarce Indo-China railway cancel.
China. (French Indo-China). 1919. Stamp-less picture post card of 'Procession de la Fete de Printemps Les autels portatifs et les attributes des Femmes' addressed to France with circular 'Compagne Indigene du Genie/ Tonkin/ Le Captaine Commandant' on face in blue.
Nice card depicting Religious Spring Festival for women, Tonkin'.
Its a real pleasure to add a magnificent selection of French Colonies from Africa, Asia, The Caribbean and Oceania. Very fine pre-stamp, British Post Office, Charged Mail, Advice of Receipt, Printed Matter and postage due mail. A lovely selection of censor mail, some with five or six censor cachets and labels, routed Trans-Africa, two Ocean or over the Atlantic with some unusual destinations.
A few items from the Dr. Edward Grabowski collection, this amazing sale sold in three parts by Spink. Also interesting Tahiti and New Caledonia from Tony Eastgate's life time work.
Over the next few months we hope to add many items to grace the finest collections.
A strong area of stock is our China from Imperial to WW2 with many fine censor covers and Air Transits. A good selection of the overseas Post Offices, Austrian, British, French, Japanese and Russian with offices in Manchuria. Many mixed combinations, I.P.O's .
Coming soon the John Marc Sitarek accumulation of China, French Post Office and Indo-China with magnificent French Detachment in the Boxer Campaign covers.
John Marc also had a fine selection of the Chinese Labour Force which are not often seen, he built this selection over thirty years. One of the darker aspects of World War One was the plight of 12,000 Chinese workers who were recruited by the British Army from the North of China in 1916 to serve on the battle front in France as labourers, trench diggers, munitions carriers, mine disarmers and corpse bearers under often inhumane conditions. A large number were also struck down by the devastating Spanish flue of 1918.