386th Auction

1877, 12 cents red-lilac & yellow-green, tied by c.d.s. "ST. THOMAS 19/1 1879" to small mourning cover to the Lord Bishop at Antigua, with frontside arrival mark. A scarce and a lovely intra-Caribbean transitional rate single franking. (Scott 11)

1905, Christian IX., 5 bit, 10 bit and 25 bit, , tied by c.d.s. "ST.THOMAS 2/2 1907" to envelope to Bluefields, Nicaragua, with transit- and arrival marks. A fine and scarce colour franking.

1902, 1 c. blue, marginal strip of three, tied by cds. "ST. THOMAS 20/1 1905" to commercial, unsufficiently prepaid postcard from "KJØBENHAVN 31.12.1905" to St. Thomas. One stamp tiny applied over the edge of the card, still very fine and scarce.

Note: The PO did not require that dues be cancelled, so very few cancelled dues exist on entire.

Illustrated in James Peter Gough ‘The Postal Card’, p. 805

1885, 1c. brown-red and light green, sheet of one hundred, showing varieties including a “broken C” (pos. 6), “filled C” (pos. 65),mostly never hinged, save for a small number of stamps at lower right which have been reinforced, two stamps having been re-affixed to pane with hinges, tear in right margin and other small margin flaws. Extremely scarce.  (Facit 5e). 

1876/93, 5 c. green & gray, horizontal pair, tied by c.d.s. "ST.THOMAS 6/6 79" to folded letter to Grimstad, Norway. Stamps with very light filing fold. Apparently accepted without postage due, despite the rate having been raised to 12c in March 1879. A scarce Destination.

1893, 10c red brown & grey blue, sheet of one hundred, showing the “white dot between T and S” in various positions, “white spot at foot of R of OER” (pos 71), bright colour but significant perf separation in several places, stamp in position 80 separated and re-attached with hinge, margin torn beside, fragile, yet quite scarce. (Facit 10g)

1878, 12c. yellow-green & lilac red, sheet of one hundred, showing the “foot on big ‘2’ filled” variety (pos. 50), some perforations hinge reinforced in bottom selvedge, small piece torn from lower right margin, with some perf separation to surrounding stamps, other trivial edge flaws, else a remarkably fresh and bright pane, scarce and fine. (Facit 11b; )

1873/1900, 3 c. light blue & carmine, frame inverted, and 5 c. light blue, all tied by c.d.s. "ST.THOMAS 21/12 1900" to postal stationery envelope 2c to Dunedin, New Zealand, with arrival mark. A scarce destination.

1904, Christian IX, essay 5 c. in black, stamp format and large block format, also 2 pairs of proof for 1930 Hagermann reprint

1905, Christian IX. 5 bit light green, 10 bit in horizontal pair, and vertical pair 20 bit, tied by c.d.s. "CHRISTIANSTED 6/2 1906" to registered cover to Wiesbaden, Germany, with Le Havre transit (24 Feb) on front, St. Thomas and Wiesbaden (25 Feb) c.d.s. backstamps. Scarce and attractive.

1905, Christian IX. 20 bit, tied by St. Thomas c.d.s. to postal stationery card 3 c., registered to Helsinki, Finland, with arrival mark on front. Very fine and scarce.

1905, Christian IX 40 bit and 25 bit, tied by c.d.s. "FREDERIKSTAD 17 1 1907" to double rate registered letter with adjacent boxed “FREDERIKSTED / R” and additional violet boxed St. Thomas D.W.I. registration marking, to New York City. Fine and very scarce.

50 bit and Frederik VIII. 30 bit, tied by St. Thomas c.d.s. to registered cover of the St. Thomas Post Office 1915 to Chicago, with arrival marks. Light horizontal fold, not affecting the stamps. A scarce mixed franking.

1907/08, Christian X., 5 bit, 15 bit, 20 bit and 25, tied by St. Thomas c.d.s. to cover from the German Consulate 1909 to Berlin, Germany, without arrival mark. Very fine.

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)

1852, kompletter Faltbrief mit Absenderstempel aus Hamburg und Leitvermerk “via Southampton p W.I.Steamer” sowie rotem Tax-Vermerk “19” (Schillinge) via London mit rotem “PAID 6.MRZ.”-Stempel an den Forwarded-Agent “Schön-Willink & Co.” in St. Thomas, von diesem weiterbefördert nach La Guayra, Venezuela. Ein interessanter Brief in guter Erhaltung nach Übersee

1875, HAPAG First printing 10c. blue-green, fresh color, good perforation and embossing, used with target cancel and adjacent cds. “ST. THOMAS 5/4 1876” on folded lettersheet endorsed “pr Rhenania” and with senders cachet “LAMB & CO Ship & Insurance Agents ST. THOMAS W.I.” alongside to Puerto Cabello, very light, unobstructive filing fold through adhesives, otherwise very fine and attractive, signed Bühler

1873, “ST. THOMAS 30.1.1873” klar auf kleinformatigem Briefkuvert mit bar bezahltem Briefporto in Höhe von 7 Cents per NDL-Dampfer “Graf Bismarck” nach Bremen mit Rahmenstempel “Aus Westindien über Bremen”, L1 “FRANCO” und Tax-Vermerk “1” (Groschen) für die Briefgebühr nach Hamburg mit Ankunftsstempel. Der Umschlag rückseitig mit Öffnungsfehlern, sonst in sehr guter Erhaltung. Ein attraktiver und in dieser Kombination sehr seltener Brief, nur wenige Wochen vor Einführung der Briefmarken in Dänisch-Westindien

1896, 10 Cents hellblau/braun mit klarem EKr. “ST.THOMAS 17.10.1901” auf Vordruckbrief “J.H. FECHTENBURG & CO” mit handschriftlichem Leitvemerk “Per Steamer S.S. Markomannia Via Havre” nach Hamburg mit Ankunftsstempel, in guter Erhaltung, selten

“Schiffsbrief/Paquebot über HAMBURG”, Rahmenstempel klar auf König Friedrich VIII. 10 Bit und handschriftlichem Aufgabevermerk “Constantio 3/9.11” rückseitig auf Fotokarte mit viel Text via Hamburg nach Marseille mit Ankunftsstempel, in guter Erhaltung. In dieser Kombination selten

“ALTENBURG”, schwarzer L1 auf Ansichtskarte von St. Thomas mit handschriftlichem Datum “15/10 06”, frankiert mit Christian IX. 5B. im waagerechten Paar, entwertet mit Federzug, nach Langenhagen mit Ankunftsstempel, winzig fleckig, sonst in guter und attraktiver Erhaltung

“Dampfschiff Saxonia”, rückseitiger Vermerk auf Ganzsachenkarte 3 C. rot mit handschriftlicher Entwertung “St. Thomas 2/2 84.” mit nebengesetztem EKr. “AUS WESTINDIEN P. HAMBURGER DAMPFER ÜBER CÖLN” nach Berlin, gute Erhaltung

“CHERUSKIA” violetter L1 mit handschriftlichem Datum vom 14.1.98 auf Ansichtskarte “Hilsen fra St. Thomas” mit Freimarke 3 Cents mit Federkreuz-Entwertung und nebengesetztem Stempel “AUS WESTINDIEN P. HAMBURG. DAMPFER ÜBER CÖLN 30.1.98" nach Fiume mit Ankunftsstempel. Die Karte mit leichter Patina, ansonsten in guter Erhaltung. Interessante Schiffspost-Entwertung und seltene Destination Fiume

“SARDINIA”, violetter L1 mit handschriftlichem Datum “1/7 1900” sowie zusätzlichem Leitvermerk “pr. Sardinia” auf Ganzsachendoppekarte 3 C. rot, mit Federkreuz entwertet, nebengesetzt EKr. “AUS WESTINDIEN P. HAMBURGER DAMPFER ÜBER CÖLN” nach Bremen mit Ankunftsstempel, winzig fleckig, sonst gute Erhaltung

“SARNIA”, violetter L1 auf Bildpostkarte “View from Pier, St. Thomas”, frankiert mit Wappen 3 C. blau/rot, mit Federzug entwertet, mit nebengesetztem EKr. “AUS WESTINDIEN P. HAMBURGER DAMPFER ÜBER CÖLN” und entsprechendem Bahnpoststempel “CÖLN (RHEIN)-VERVIERS BAHNPOST ZUG 13 20/I. 02” nach Altona mit vorderseitigem Ankunftsstempel, leichter Eckbug, eine dekorative und seltene Karte in guter Erhaltung

“VALESIA”, violetter L1 mit handschriftlichem Datum “5.4.03” auf Ganzsachenkarte 2 C. blau, mit Federzug entwertet, mit nebengesetztem EKr. “AUS WESTINDIEN P. HAMBURG DAMPFER ÜBER CÖLN” nach Hamburg mit Ankunftsstempel, gute Erhaltung

"MSP No. 12 30.11.04" (SMS Moltke I), zweimal klar auf illustriertem Umschlag mit vier Ansichten von St. Thomas und Germania 10 Pfennig nach Breslau, Umschlag mit kleinen Öffnungsmängeln oben und Riss rechts, sonst in guter Gesamterhaltung