The "Andromeda" Collection of U.S. Bank Note Issue Covers continued...

**Danish West Indies Mail**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
2069		10c Brown (161). Choice centering, rich color, tied by one of two strikes of "N. York Steamship Nov. 21" circular datestamp on folded letter originating in St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, datelined Nov. 12, 1873, addressed to Pavenstedt & Co. in New York, Schon Willink & Co.'s blue oval handstamp and "pr Ontario" ship-name directive (carried on the Nov. 13 sailing), the U.S. stamp was applied at the St. Thomas D.W.I. post office over "St. Thomas 13/11 1873" circular datestamp, rare "FRANCO" framed handstamp indicating postage was prepaid (either D.W.I. or U.S. packet), Extremely Fine, an outstanding and very rare cover showing use of United States stamp at a foreign post office, the "Franco" handstamp is seldom encountered (Danish West Indies book reports seven examples on page 21), ex Schnell, with 2002 P.F. certificate (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 1,000-1,500 SOLD for $1,700.00 Will close during Public Auction
2070		10c Brown (161). Beautifully centered, crisp shade and impression, used with Danish West Indies 1874 3c Blue & Carmine (6), bright fresh colors, well-centered, 3c tied by clear strike of target cancel (known variety with missing wedge), both stamps tied by "N. York Steamship Aug. 19" (1875) circular datestamp on blue folded cover from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, to New York via St. Thomas, addressed to J. Agostini, no content but receipt docketing indicates origin at Puerto Plata on Aug. 6, 1875, "St. Thomas 13/8 1875" circular datestamp applied upon entry into the mail system, carried on the U.S. & Brazil Mail Steamship Co. Ontario, departing St. Thomas Aug. 13, arriving New York Aug. 19, light horizontal file fold EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE UNITED STATES AND DANISH WEST INDIES MIXED-FRANKING COVER FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, WITH BOTH STAMPS APPLIED AT ORIGIN TO PAY THE COMBINED POSTAGE FROM ST. THOMAS TO NEW YORK. WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE FINEST MIXED-FRANKING COVERS OF THE BANK NOTE ISSUE PERIOD. The combination of a United States 10c stamp (paying the blanket steamship rate) and Danish West Indies 3c stamp (paying internal D.W.I. postage) is amply represented by covers in the 1865 to 1868 Issue period. U.S.-D.W.I. mixed frankings with the 1869 Issue are almost non-existent, the only fully confirmed example realized $115,000 hammer in our sale of the Coulter collection (Sale 911, lot 187). U.S.-D.W.I. mixed frankings are also found in the Bank Note Issue period, with most of the recorded examples showing a combination of the D.W.I. 1866 3c Carmine Issue. Only a few mixed-franking covers are known with the D.W.I. 1874 3c Numeral Issue. The reduction of the U.S. blanket ship rate from 10c to 5c was effected on July 1, 1875, concurrent with the inception of the General Postal Union 5c rate among member countries. The cover offered here was stamped at Puerto Plata on August 6, 1875. Technically, it only required 5c U.S. postage, but the sender was probably unaware of the rate change in the United States and affixed the customary 3c and 10c combination. Ex Risvold. With 2010 P.F. certificate (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 7,500-10,000 SOLD for $12,500.00 Will close during Public Auction
2071		3c Green, 10c Brown (158, 161). 3c s.e. at left, tied by perfect strike of New York Foreign Mail Circle of Wedges cancel (Weiss TR-W1c) and "New York Aug. 31" circular datestamp on 1876 folded cover to St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, sender's purple datestamp and ms. route directive "Via Havana", red "8" crayon credit to G.B. post office (equivalent to 4p), 3c light crease at top, 10c nicked at bottom, otherwise Very Fine, examples of the 13c rate to St. Thomas are scarce, this was carried by one of the British ships on the route via Havana, ex Weiss and illustrated in his book (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 400-500 SOLD for $750.00 Will close during Public Auction
2072		3c Blue Green (207). Tiny cork cancel struck on stamp, identical cancel and "Brant Rock Mass. Jul. 24, 1883" double-circle datestamp on 2c Vermilion entire (U142) *to Lieut. George W. Tyler on board U.S.S. Tennessee, in care of American Consul at St. Thomas, Danish West Indies,* Lieut. Martin returned to U.S. and cover was redirected to Portland Me., datestamps follow the journey incl. Boston backstamps (Jul 24), St. Thomas Aug. 8 receiving backstamp and Aug. 17 forwarding datestamp on front, New York (Aug. 27) and Portland (Aug. 28) backstamps, stamp has small crease ending in small tear at lower right and rounded corner at top right, still colorful and Very Fine, the U.P.U. provided for free forwarding, illustrated in U.S. International Postal Rates book (p. 3), ex Stever and Schnell, with 2002 P.F. certificate (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 300-400 SOLD for $325.00 Will close during Public Auction
2073		2c Brown (157). Used with Great Britain 1p Red, Plate 122 (33), tied together by segmented cork cancel on folded wrapper to Halifax, Nova Scotia, without circular datestamps as customary on circular mail, blue "Lamb. Storer & Ca St. John's Porto Rico" merchant's double-oval handstamp and matching "PRINTED MATTER" straightline, blue pencil "1" local delivery charge, sender's ms. "via St. Thomas" route directive, long sealed cover tear, U.S.-Great Britain combination covers with higher values are seldom seen, this printed matter rate with 2c and 1p values is an even greater rarity as nearly all examples of this type of mail went into the garbage (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 500-750 SOLD for $700.00 Will close during Public Auction
2074		10c Brown (150). Used with Great Britain 1865 4p Vermilion (43), both stamps affixed by the sender -- Sama, Sotolongo y Cia. -- in Havana, Cuba, on Oct. 16, 1871 blue folded letter to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via St. Thomas D.W.I. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, "St. Thomas 29/10 1871" circular datestamp applied upon entry into mail system, stamps cancelled and tied by "C83" British Post Office numeral grid applied at Rio de Janeiro, blue crayon "2/4" due marking (2 pesos 4 reales in local Buenos Aires currency), Nov. 25 receipt docketing, 4p stamp has slightly faulty top right corner which is not very noticeable VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MIXED-FRANKING COVER FROM CUBA TO BUENOS AIRES VIA ST. THOMAS AND RIO DE JANEIRO. ALTHOUGH THIS COVER NEVER TOUCHED UNITED STATES SOIL, IT REQUIRED 10-CENT POSTAGE FOR TRANSPORT ON A UNITED STATES AND BRAZIL MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY VESSEL FROM ST. THOMAS TO RIO DE JANEIRO. A FASCINATING USE OF THE BANK NOTE ISSUE. A few covers sent by Sama, Sotolongo & Co. in Havana to correspondents in Buenos Aires show the unusual routing via St. Thomas and Rio de Janeiro. The company evidently arranged for its letters to be carried on a Spanish packet outside the mails from Havana to St. Thomas, which explains the absence of Cuban postmarks. This letter entered the mails through the St. Thomas post office. Danish West Indies postage was paid in cash, and the U.S. and Great Britain stamps were left uncancelled. The only way for mail to reach Rio de Janeiro from St. Thomas was on a regular U.S. & Brazil Mail Steamship Co. sailing, which required 10c U.S. postage (in this case, paid by the stamp affixed in Havana). This was carried from St. Thomas on the Merrimack, arriving at Rio around November 19, 1871. On arrival at Rio, the letter was handed over to the British Post Office, which applied the "C83" cancel and sent it by a Pacific Steam Navigation Co. vessel to Buenos Aires. A similar cover is pictured and explained in the Danish West Indies book, pages 91 and 146. Ex Braus and Schnell. With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 2,000-3,000 SOLD for $6,750.00 Will close during Public Auction

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