386th Auction

Puerto Cabello Steam Ship Co, 1866, two 2r green singles, rouletted 9 x 9.5, one in distinctly darker shade, each tied by Caracas double circle to folded entire to Bordeaux, France, France, paying the rate for 15g carried via the United Kingdom, lower adhesive further tied by blue oval Montamat & Adoue commercial handstamp, endorsed “voie d’Angleterre”, struck with British “G B / 1F60c” accountancy mark, “ANGL AMB CALAIS” (28 Feb) entry mark on front, adjacent “8” (decimes) due marking, backstamped Paris (1 Mar), Paris a Bordeaux (1 Mar), and Bordeaux c.d.s. backstamps, horizontal fold through lower adhesive, else a fine and rare double rate entire, signed Lamy, with 1989 Holcombe certificate.

Puerto Cabello Steam Ship Co, 1866, 2 r. green, Type IIB, tied by Caracas double circle to entire letter to Bordeaux, France, endorsed “voie d’Angleterre”, with red London transit (16 Aug), black boxed “G B / 1F60c” accountancy mark, ‘ANGL AMB CALAIS” (16 Aug) entry mark, and black “10” (decimes) French due mark on front, backstamped Paris, Paris a Bordeaux (17 Aug), next-day c.d.s. arrival backstamp, small portion of text removed (but included), slight internal hinge repairs, a scarce entire.

Puerto Cabello Steam Ship Co, 1866, 2 r. green, tied to folded letter by Caracas double circle, to Bordeaux, France, endorsed in manuscript “par le paquet Anglais”, struck with black French “10” (decimes) tax mark and boxed “GB / 1F60c” accountancy mark, “ANGL AMB CALAIS” entry c.d.s. on front (16 Oct), with Paris and Paris a Bordeaux c.d.s. backstamps of same date, next-day Bordeaux receiver, via St. Thomas and England to Bordeaux, tear to front near “10”, light wrinkles, else fine and scarce. (Facit LG11)

1875 1c blue, 2 copies, tied by intaglio corks with adjacent “ST. THOMAS 12/2 1876” to entire letter to New York, datelined St. Thomas, 9th of February,  with oval Lamb & Co (Forwarding Agents) anchor handstamp. The franking  paying the 10c rate for carriage on the King Line, whose King Richard called at St. Thomas on its final northbound journey on February 12; postmarked on arrival in Baltimore with two “BALT / PAID ALL” c.d.s. Edge creasing and vertical filing folds, of trivial importance given the tremendous rarity of this cover, being the only recorded example carried on this final trip of the King Line. Certificate Philatelic Foundation (2025) (Scott 179)

"The inclosed letter was recovered from the wreck of the Steamer Metropolis, lost on Currituck Beach, North Carolina, January 31, 1878" printed on reverse of Postal Service entire with printed 'Division of Dead Letters' return address at left, cancelled by cork with adjacent "Philadelphia Pa. Feb. 12" circular datestamp, addressed to St. Thomas, Danish Westindies. Very Fine, a most unusual usage, the Metropolis was bound for Para, Brazil and was driven ashore during a gale near the Kitty Hawk Signal Station -- 102 lives were lost -- this official entire was used to transit pieces of mail recovered from the wreck (Scott UO16)