Day 4- Europe & Overseas, Zeppelin-Mail, Die Sammlung Erivan (Part I), Schweiz & Liechtenstein

1876 (16. Oktober): Briefinhalt vom königlichem Postmeister von Helgoland an seinen Gegenpart auf Jamaika mit Eingangsstempel "G.P.O. JAMAICA No. (809) 22.NOV.76" und Text in englisch "I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated 9th of September and to thank you very much for the kindness sending me two specimens of the postage stamps, which are in use on your island. Enclosed I send you two specimens of all postage stamps, postcards and envelopes issued in our island for all time. I have the honour to be Sir, your most obedient servant" mit e.U. 'Pilger' und 15 aufgeklebten Briefmarken-Paaren der Ausgaben von 1867 ab 2 S. bis 1876 mit handschriftlicher Datierung der Ausgabedaten. Bei den oberen beiden Paaren notierte er falsche Ausgabedaten, es handelt sich um die Ausgabe von 1871, vermutlich waren keine Marken der Helgoland Nr. 1 und 2 vorhanden.rnDer Brief ist abgebildet auf Tafel 1 im Handbuch 'Specimen Stamps of the Crown Colonies' von Marcus Samuel, kleine Einschränkungen sollten nicht weiter stören; ein außergewöhnliches Dokument für den frühen "Specimen"-Post zwischen den einzelnen Postmeistern und ein Unikat der Helgoland-Philateliernrn1876 (Oct 16): The extraordinary letter from the Royal Postmaster of Heligoland to his counter-part in Jamaica, with the letter stating "I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated 9th of September and to thank you very much for the kindness sending me two specimens of the postage stamps, which are in use on your island. Enclosed I send you two specimens of all postage stamps, postcards and envelopes issued in our island for all time. I have the honour to be Sir, your most obedient servant. Pilger, Royal Postmaster" bearing horizontal pairs of all the issues of Heligoland between 1867 and 1876 available at the Post Office at the time, the pairs dated alongside in manuscript per issue with 1871 ½ sch. yellow-green & rose, perf. 13½ x 14½ (Die II) dated 'Emission 1867', 1 sch. rose & yellow-green, perf. 13½ x 14½ (Die III) dated '1867', 1867 2 sch. rose & grass-green, rouletted (Die I) dated '1867', 1867 6 sch. green & rose, rouletted (Die I) dated '1867', Sept 1873 ¼ sch. deep rose & pale green (error), perf., dated '1873', August 1873 ¼ sch. rose & green, perf., dated '1873', ¾ sch. green & rose, perf. (Die I) dated '1873', Sept 1873 1½ sch. green & rose, perf. (Die I) dated '1873', 1875 1 pf. (¼ d.) deep green & rose, perf., (Die II) dated '1875', 2 pf. (½ d.) deep rose & deep green, perf., (Die II) dated '1875', Feb 1875 5 pf. (¾ d.) deep yellow-green & rose, perf. (Die II) dated '1875', Feb 1875 10 pf. (1½ d.) deep rose & deep green, perf. (Die II) dated '1875', Feb 1875 25 pf. (3 d.) deep green & rose, perf. (Die II) dated '1875', Feb 1875 50 pf. (6 d.) rose & green, perf. (Die II) dated '1875' and June 1876 3 pf. (⅝ d.) pale green, red & yellow, perf. dated '1876'; with framed "G.P.O. JAMAICA / No. 809 / 22 NO. 76" handstamp of receeipt at top. Illustrated in Marcus Samuel 'Specimen Stamps of the Crown Colonies' on Plate 1. A truly wonderful example of Postmaster's 'Specimen' mail, some imperfections but in outstanding quality given that the letter was posted to a tropical island. A wonderful frontispiece to any serious collection of Heligoland and unique.rnrnrn 
Catalogue 244: Europe & Overseas