386th Auction

1875/1920, lovely group of 7 covers and cards, with French General Colonies Cérès 40 centimes orange tied by cds “PONDICCHERY JUIN 77” to entire letter to Nantes via Brindisi, Sage 25 centimes, two singles tied by “ALEXANDRIE EGYPTE 16 AVRIL 84” to a domestic envelope with adjacent “BM”, French Post Office Shanghai with Sage 4 centimes as a pair tied by GC “5104” to 1881 printed matter to France, etc., a most eclectic group, mostly in good condition

1875/1924 (ca), Stationery Cards and Envelopes, fine group of 8 mostly used items with an interesting range of usages, some better items like Réunion 1885 10 centimes on 40 centimes (Mi.-Nr. 8) as a single franking, tied by blue cds “REUNION JUIN 86” to local formula card to France, Tunisia very scarce 1908 usage of a 30 centimes express letter formula card abroad, uprated with 25 centimes and sent to Germany, Nossi Bé 1894 10 centimes reply card used as a return from Germany with cds “HAMBURG 1/8 94” to Madagascar, etc, mostly in very fine condition, a delightful assembly

1900/35, Postage Dues and taxed mail, 5 covers and cards, with 1928 “BYRD ANTACRTIC EXPEDITION” envelope to Tahiti and taxed upon arrival, scarce usage of a registered official envelope “VALEURS RECOUVRÉES” from Paris to the French Post Office in Constantinople with 10 centimes brown postage due applied upon arrival and tied by cds “CONSTANTINOPLE GALATA 19 10 06”, etc., some occasional faults, mostly in good condition

1871, Napoléon 80 centimes rose with Cérès 10 centimes yellow-brown, each tied with cds “PARIS 1 BATIGNOLLES 13 AOUT 77” repeated alongside to small registered envelope to Italy, reverse blue “PARIS ETRANGER” and arrival cds, the adhesives with small imperfections and a tiny part of one postmark tampered with, the cover with slight aging and removed wax seals, still fine. A remarkable convergence of a rare French colonies mixed issues franking with their domestic usage in France, very rare, signed Calves and J.-F. Brun (Yvert-Nr. 10, 11)

The tariff for a domestic registered letter to Italy was 80 centimes, the extra 10 centimes paying for the maritime fee from the colonies; the letter was presumably franked abroad, but for some reason avoided the postal system and was carried privately to France, where it finally entered the mail stream at Batignolles

1872, Cérès 10 centimes brown on rose, together with 15 centimes yellow brown in horizontal pair, fresh colours and all with clear to large margins around, tied by dotted diamond to letter sheet (small part missing) from Guadeloupe to Bordeaux, endorsed “steamer français” with maritime cds “PAQ. FR. POINTE A PITRE 8 JUIL. 76”, reverse transit and arrival, very fine and rare (Yvert-Nr. 19, 22)

Possibly the earliest cover known from any French colonies franked at their first UPU tariff  (French possessions abroad were admitted to the UPU on 1st July 1876, incoming mail to France was charged at maritime rate of 40 centimes)

1849, Cérès 1 franc carmine and 25 centimes blue in horizontal pair, all of vivid colours and with good to large margins all around, neatly tied by roller grid cancel to letter sheet without content with large cds “POINTE-A-PITRE 15 JANV. 1852” to Paris, reverse arrival cds “PARIS 10 FEVR. 52”, endorsed on front “voie d´Angleterre” and sent via British packet, red framed “PD” and entry postmark via Calais. An extremely fine and lovely commercial cover from the Beuscher correspondence, correctly franked at the 1,50 francs first step weight rate, signed Calves (Yvert-Nr. 4, 6)

Provenance: Edward Grabowski (Spink auction, 2007), 350th Heinrich Köhler auction (2012)

“SAINT BARTHELEMY GUADELOUPE 29 MARS 87” double cds, fair strike on Dubois 10 centimes black/lilac, repeated alongside to formula postal card to Sweden with maritime transit postmark and reverse arrival, very fine. The remote island of Saint Barthelemy was ceded to France in 1878 and attached to Guadeloupe, any early mail under French administration being exceedingly scarce, this very card being sublimated by the elusive destination. A remarkable item

1876, Typeset Postage Due 15 centimes black on pale blue paper, a well margined copy of fresh colours, tied by cds “GUADELOUPE POINTE A PITRE 6 AOUT 1880” to local unfranked envelope with adjacent departure cds struck the day before, postage due handstamp "15" alongside, reverse flap missing, fine. A remarkable and most appealing Drop letter rate usage with only 2 covers recorded, certificate J.-F. Brun (2013) (Yvert-Nr. TT4)

Provenance: ex Grabowski, Spink Shreves Galleries 2007, lot 321

1893, Postage Due 50 centimes lilac, neatly tied upon arrival by cds “GRAND BASSAM 6 JUIL 02” to an unpaid envelope dropped at sea to a German steamship trawling the African west coast, oval handstamp “DEUTSCHE SEEPOST LINIE HAMBURG WESTAFRIKA 2 7 02” alongside, the envelope with vertical fold and minor imperfections, interesting usage where the 50 centimes pays for the ship letter rate for unpaid letters

1895, 5 francs violet on lilac paper, neatly tied by cds “TAMATAVE MADAGASCAR NOV 97” to a money letter to Switzerland, “CHARGÉ” and maritime transit handstamp alongside, reverse arrival “FLEURIER 15 XII 97”, the adhesive with a couple of pulled perforations, still a fine cover. A scarce single franking from the highest facial value, correctly paying both the triple rate, the registration fee and the insurance for a 2,000 francs transfer (Yvert-Nr. 22)

POSTAGE DUE: 1896/97, 50 centimes violet, tied by cds “FIANARAMTSOA 7 JUN 00” to incoming Boer War soldier's envelope from Natal, with cds. “DURBAN 7 AP 1900” and adjacent "T" in circle. Backflap missing.

1881, Alphée Dubois 5 centimes green in horizontal pair, fresh colours, neatly tied by cds “SAINT-PIERRE 9 AVRIL 85 MARTINIQUE” repeated alongside to green preprinted formula card to Bremen with arrival cds, left adhesive with a few pulled perforations, otherwise fine

“NLLE-CALEDONIE NOUMEA 15 JUIN 77” circular datestamp, very fine strike on letter sheet with part of content to France, alongside tax handstamps “7” and “T”, embarked on English packet, with red cds “PAQ. AN. V. SUEZ”, transit via Marseilles and reverse arrival, fine and very scarce.

Note: Postage due:  2x30c (double the French GPU base rate) + 10c = 70c

1891, Sage 1 franc bronze-green imperforated, two horizontal strips of four as well as two strips of five, together with Alphée Dubois 25 centimes black/rose, the latter paying the registration fee, neatly tied blue cds “REUNION 6 NOV 91” to the front of a registered parcel card to Transvaal, transit via Mauritius and Natal with framed “R” alongside; two 1 franc adhesives with faults, the parcel front with two small tears of no importance, otherwise fine. A massive, quite extraordinary and eye appealling franking to an elusive destination (Yvert-Nr. 16, 24)

1872, General Issue Cérès 5 centimes green, horizontal pair with good margins, together with 30 centimes brown, neatly tied by blue dotted diamond “GOR” with adjacent blue cds “SENEGAL ET DÉPces * GORÉE 25 SEPT. 76” to mourning envelope to Bordeaux; on reverse faint postmark. One 5 centimes with small tear at top and 30 centimes light corner crease, otherwise a fine and attractive cover. Signed Calves and Jamet (Yvert-Nr. 17, 20)

Correctly franked at the 40 centimes French maritime rate to France, confirmed by the endorsement at top “Paquebot français” 

1902 (April 3), French Officer's letter from Algeria to Paris, endorsed in manuscript “Troupes d'occupation des oasis Sahariennes,” struck with fine Taghit double-circle c.d.s., with corresponding Taghit garrison handstamp at left, revers with Paris c.d.s. receiver and remarkably intact red wax seal, a choice example of military mail from this Oasis town.

1921, St. Laurent du Maroni issue, Typographed from Woodblock Plate, 75 c. violet on buff paper, rouletted on two sides, with part of the Control cachet 'SOCIÉTÉ DES TRANSPORTS AERIENS GUYANAIS / ST. LAURENT DU MARONI' in red, tied by boxed “AVION” to small piece, a fine and very rare stamp, a.o. signed Scheller

1921, 75 c. on grey, used with oval cancel, small margins at right, otherwise fine, signed

1921, St. Laurent Du Maroni-Cayenne-Inini Route 75 c. on rose, fresh color, mostly good margins, just touched at upper right, otherwise fine, scarce, a.o. signed A. Brun and Kessler

1941, FRANCE/LIBRE in blue on 2f. 9c. on 25 c., unused with fresh original gum and tiny hinge mark, very fine and rare. Certificate Scheller (2025)

1941, FRANCE LIBRE, large resp. small overprint on exhibition souvenir sheets, unused with original gum and hinge remainders, fine and rare, each with certificate Scheller (2025)

1871, General issue 30c brown in horizontal pair (2 smal marginal tears), tied by dotted lozenge, with adjacent Guadeloupe / Pointe a Pitre c.d.s. (10 Jul) to folded letter to Portland, Maine,, passed to the British Post Office with scarce “GUADELOUOPE PAID JY 11 73”, and backstamped with “Guadeloupe / A” c.d.s. (11 Jul), manuscript “4” (pence) in red crayon for the journey to St. Thomas, endorsed “Per U.S. & Brazil Mail Str via St. Thomas”, the United States portion unpaid and thus struck with crisp “N.Y. STEAMSHIP / 10” entry mark (21 Jul). An unusual and important entire conveyed from the French P.O. in Guadeloupe by the British Agency through the USBMSC via St. Thomas. Signed Scheller

1891, Provisional issue 15 c., tied by c.d.s. "TAMATAVE 17 OCT 91" to letter card 15 c. , with long text to Mauritius, with arrival mark. Fine and scarce.

1938, air mail, 2 perforated proofs without background and denomination, in red and violet, unused without gum

1941, Noël 1941/FRANCE LIBRE F.N.F.L. in black and in red on 10 c. – 20 fr. , unused, all signed Brun and partly others.

 

1942, FRANCE LIBRE FNFL, 20 c. – 20 fr. on 75 c., 6 values complete, mint never hinged. Very fine and scarce in this condition. Some with signatures, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert 285-90)

1935/1940, Definitives ‘Djourbel Mosque’, 3 die proofs with blank value tablet, in different colours, 

Air mail, 3 die proofs with blank value tablet, in different colours

“AVIATION-MILITAIRE SERVICE POSTAL SUD TUNISIEN”, violet three-line framed cachet on stampless postcard with adjacent cds “GABES 4 6 18” and arrival cds “MEDENINE 7 6 18”, very fine. A rare military flight card, signed Todd

1915, 10 Pfg., farbfrisch und gut gezähnt, sauber mit Stempel “ANECHO 4/1” auf Briefstück, oben winzig unfrisch, sonst tadellos

1872/76, 6 entire lerttersheets with better cancellations and usages with Cérès 25 centimes blue including one tied by GC “2145F” (Maury-Nr. L7a) with scarce temporary office cds “LYON EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE 26 SEPT. 72” alongside to folded entire to Epinac (signed Scheller), also a very scarce duo of covers with 25 centimes tied by cds “PHILIPPEVILLE ALGÉRIE 27 JUIN 76” with framed “B. M.” (Salles-Nr. 537) to folded entire to Marseille (signed Jamet and Scheller), also 25 c. blue tied by dotted lozenge “224(0)” upon arrival to Marseille with cds “PHILIPPEVILLE 20 JANV. 76 BAT. A. VAP” (signed Scheller), also some blue cancellations, scarce plate flaw, etc., overall in good condition

1930/80 ca., collection in 19 large albums mostly mint never hinged, including Comoros, Central Africa, Burkina Faso, Kamboscha, Guinea, Gabon, Dahomey, Benin, Madagascar, Cameoun, Morocco, Algerie, Haute-Volta, Djibouti, Guinee and Congo. Many good Space and Olympics issues incl. S/S and imperfs. 

1865/1900, 9 entires from or via St Thomas, interesting lot

1921, Cayenne 'Winged Helmet' issue T.A.G. 75 c. black on grey, imperforate, a used example on piece with well margins all round, few tiny spots, cancelled by AVION handstamp struck in black. A scarce stamp, just 500 issued, fine, signed (Yvert 4)

1931, CAYENNE - PORTO RICO First Flight 7.1.31 cover bearing two 5 fr. violet yellowish-green and 50 c. blue olive, cancelled Cayenne 7.1.31 d.s., on reverse San Juan P.R. transit mark and forwarded to Chicago with arrival mark 27.1.31 fine (Muller no.21) (Yvert 120, 130)

1891, 5 c.- 5 fr. complete set of six, used with ample margins and neat cancels, five tied by "Tamatave / Madagascar", 5 fr. by “Majunga / Madagascar” circular datestamps, tiny thins, otherwise fine, 1 fr. and 5 fr. signed Calves (Yvert 8-13)