Lot 932 15c rate 1889 cover to Australia, mailed from St John’s on FE.9.1889 and addressed to Melbourne, Australia, through San Francisco (FEB.20 transit on back). Originally franked with a strip of three of the 5c dark blue Harp Seal and somewhere along the way a large part of the middle stamp got removed (remaining two are damaged), with “Stamp Lost / In Transit” boxed handstamp. There is also a red “PAID ALL” handstamp on front. Once arrived in Melbourne on APR.11, several attempts were made to try and find the addressee, with many hand written notes to that effect, as well as pink Letter Carrier handstamps on front. Both front and back show a boxed “Unclaimed At / Melbourne” handstamp, and the cover was opened at bottom and re-sealed with stamp selvedge, with a pencil “2/9/89” date, as well as an interesting note on back reading “Opened by Mrs. Strachan but not for her, 11/4/89.” The back then shows several circular and boxed datestamps, mostly Dead Letter Office, dated OCT.10 and DEC.3. Very fine, and a rare destination for Newfoundland, plus a great story to boot. Estimate $500.
San Francisco
Lot 917, 1867 British Columbia cover, Victoria to Nova Scotia via Panama
Lot 917 1867 Victoria BC to Nova Scotia Via Panama and the United States, franked with a perforated 5c rose British Columbia issue (Scott #5) paying the Colonial domestic rate, tied by an oblong oval “Post Office / Victoria Vancouver Island / Paid” in blue. The cover was forwarded to San Francisco (arrived there SEP.30) and franked with a 5c Jefferson and 10c Washington, both tied by cogwheel cancels, the rate necessary for the rest of the voyage, which consisted in travelling south in a closed packet by steamer to Panama, where it would have crossed by rail to the Atlantic side, took another steamer to New York, and then on to its destination. The back shows three datestamps: Amherst NS (OCT.23.1867), Pugwash (OCT.24) and finally Wallace receiver (OCT.24). According to Robson Lowe, the entire trip was of 6,455 miles (sea distance). Small faults to two of the stamps, still a very fine and rare cover, the only one we have seen with this exact franking to the Maritimes. A similar cover to Nova Scotia (with same US franking but with a 2½d imperforate) recently sold for US$35,000. From a recent find by a descendant of the addressee, therefore on the market for the first time ever. Estimate C$2,500.
Lot 1326, 1937 Japanese Empire Onuma Park cover, Hokkaido to California
Lot 1326 Japanese Empire Onuma Park, Hokkaido to California, APR.28.1937, Karl Lewis Illustrated cover depicting a park scene, with two strikes of the Sapporo oval scenic datestamp tying four Japanese definitives. Rare and very fine, ex. Dr. Steven J. Berlin collection. Estimate C$500.
Lot 157, Canada 1887 fifteen cent UPU rate cover to Australia
Lot 157 Canada #38 1887 15c UPU Rate Cover to Australia, presumably mailed from Ailsa Craig, Ont (no despatch datestamp, but corner card) to Melbourne, Australia (JUN.29.1887 receiver) through San Francisco. Front shows a clear boxed UNCLAIMED AT / MELBOURNE handstamp, back shows several datestamps including a purple DLO from Melbourne (JUL.7.1887) and two different DLO datestamps from Canada, one dated AUG.23.1887. The cover is franked with a strip of three of the 5c olive green paying the 15c rate, very fine. From the John Hillson Collections, illustrated in H&N, page 140. Estimate C$500.
Lot 388, 1897 five cent non-UPU SQ cover to Cook Islands, sold for $2415
Lot 388 1897 5c non-UPU letter rate to Cook Islands, 2c green stationery envelope uprated with ½c black strip of six, tied by c.d.s. cancels, paying the 5c non-UPU letter rate. Mailed from Montreal (JAN.20.1897) to Raratonga, Cook Islands, Oceania (Mar. 24 receiver on front) via Vancouver (Jan. 30), San Francisco (Feb. 2) and Auckland (Feb. 26). Rare and very fine. (Unitrade 34, U7)
A rare and exotic destination, with only two Small Queen covers recorded, being the one offered here and a registered cover which recently sold for $9,500+15%.
Provenance: George Arfken.
Illustrated in: Canada and the Universal Postal Union by George Arfken, p.23.
Estimate $1,500, sold for $2,100 plus buyer’s premium.