Auction 265th - 273rd - Day 1

PSNC & RMSP 1876 (Sept 24): Cover from La Chimba (Antofagusta) to Berlin, printed endorsement "Per Steamer via Panama" at top, franked by Great Britain 1865/73 4 d. vermilion pl. 14 in a horizontal pair, tied by intaglio "CORREOS DE LA CHIMBA / BOLIVIA" oval in greenish-blue, with twqo further strikes of fancy framed "CANCELADO" in same ink at right, showing the cover to be prepaid on despatch (and probably adhesive stamps had run short), Great Britain 1874/80 6 d. grey pl. 15 pair applied and tied by fair "C39" obliterator in black at Cobija, overpaying the 1/7½ d. rate by a penny. Carried on PSNC Steamer to Panama and thence on the RMSP "Don" to Plymouth. London / Paid transit in red and reverse with arrival (Jan 11). One of only two recorded covers with the La Chimba oval cancelling British stamps (both were in the Dale-Lichtenstein collection), Nissen provenance notation on reverse in pencil. Faults to envelope but a remarkable and exotic franking. Illustrated in Edition D'Or 59 on page 205. Cert. RPSL (1969).rnProvenance: Charles Nissen (1923-24); Collection Louise Boyd Dale & Alfred F. Lichtenstein, Harmers, NY, 17-18 Feb 1969, lot 286; Collecction Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, Spink-Shreves, New York, 5 March 2008, lot 2050; Collection 'Severn', DF, Geneva, 14 April 2010, lot 21028.