Autumn Auction Series 2016

Rejoined composite proof of the 2d in deep indigo blue and 1d in red-orange on light card drawn from the original plate prior to printing the 1912 London reprints.

The status of this item has always been a mystery, thought by many that it could have been the original proof by Barnard prior to the 1847 original printing, as a result of new tests performed, we can now confirm its status as described.

The proof is accompanied by a...

"POST OFFICE" 1d and 2d later reprint in blue and orange-red on the same sheet, some creasing at corners, fine

"Post Office" 1d and 2d reprints in sheetlets, one in blue and one in orange, not the 1912 reprints done by the RPSL but certainly from the original plate, some minor handling bends, fine

1858 Wrapper addressed to the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade with 1858 10k imperf., good to large margins, tied by Kirsanov cds, reverse with coat-of-arms wax seal, fine, the only known cover with Russia #1 sent to the ROPiT administration, ex Mikulski

1793 Folded letter from Capt. William Rodman of the ship "Hamilton", lying at Kronshtadt, sent through Capt. John Arnold of the ship "Rebeccah" to Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Forwarded through regular U.S. mail from New York Oc. 21. rated "sh 21" in top right corner = Ship 21 cents (ship fee 4 cents 17 cents for domestic postage).
Letter opens: "Capt. John Arnold will be the bearer of this. He sails the first wind and touches at...

1812 (Jul 7) Folded letter from Kronstadt to Providence, Rhode Island with fine small italic 'SHIP' mark in red, New Bedford. Ms Jan 25 cds in red and manuscript '12' marking alongside, contents refer to the economic effects of the war against Napoleon, very fine transatlantic item.

1837-56 Group of 5 sheets from the Exhibit with five stampless covers to USA from Kronshstadt or St Petersburg, noted 1837 entire to Boston with ornate Kronshstadt backstamp and cursive SHIP 6 in red on obverse, 1844 cover forwarded through London, 1847 opened out cover, slightly reduced at sides with KRONSHSTADT/STEAMSHIP/26 July 1847 backstamp, various instructional markings including three routed via Lubeck, interesting group

1851 ALASKA: Entire letter written in German by Henrik Johan Holmberg (1818-64), a Finnish naturalist, geologist and ethnographer who departed for Alaska in 1850. Written from NEW ARCHANGEL later to be called SITKA. The Russia-America company established there had ships going to Kronstadt in the summer months and this letter was likely to have been carried by their ship 'Sitka'. The entire is addressed to Helsinki (Finland) and has a boxed St...

1908-14 ATLANTIC MAIL-Carrier: 1908 cover addressed in Russian to Yasenki and 1914 postcard to Novocherkassk, both in Russia, franked with British stamps and sent from British ports Christchurch and Barrow in Furness respectively. Both placed on ships of RUSSIAN EAST ASIATIC STEAMSHIP CO. returning from the Atlantic run and both struck with violet circular cachets, one in Russian, the other in English, reading:
RUSSIAN-AMERICAN LINE R.E...

1922 Cover from Petrograd to Switzerland, routed via Germany, showing use of Imperial Russian stamps in Soviet regime. Franked on reverse 14k block of 10 and 5k pair revalued Imperial issues cancelled Petrograd 3 11 22, censored the following day (cds with triangles on front).
On reverse duplex transit mark comprising UNITED STATES/SEA POST OFFICE/Nov 15 1922 alongside encircled '2' within barred oval.
On front two-line MISSENT TO...

1683 (Oct 3) Folded letter from a Dutch trader at Archangel to Livorno, carried by ship of Captain Jan Matthyes Gens "Die Godt Bewaner", off-loaded probably at Hamburg or similar and then by horse-post, a journey of 13 weeks, fine

The White Sea harbour of Archangel (Russian Arkhangelsk) was discovered by an English trading expedition in 1553. The English Muscovy Company opened the first trading station in 1598 and it was the only...

1827 (Jun 19) Folded letter from Archangel to Scotland, taken through the Barents Sea, Atlantic Ocean and North Sea to Peterhead with two-line "SHIP LETTER / PETERHEAD" black hs (Robertson/Tabeart type S.1a), charged "1 / 6 1/2" for 8d ship letter, 10d from Peterhead to Inverness and Scottish Additional 1/2d "wheel tax", extremely rare and believed to be the only recorded example

Illustrated in "A History of the Ship Letters of the...