Lot 1503

1893 "ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE" printed...

Stamps and Postal History of the World | 5919

Auction: 6 October 2020 at 01:00 BST

£950

Description

1893 "ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE" printed cover registered from Nukualofa to San Francisco, franked by 1893 Official 7½d on 8d ultramarine tied by "Nukualofa 23 OC 93" cds, alongside with M/S date "16 - 10 - [189]3", violet oval "REGISTERED AT / NUKUALOFA, TONGA" H/S ilightly impressed, "Apia/Eingeschreiben" red and black imperforate registration label applied in transit through German Samoa, and "11420" blue (San Francisco) registry H/S, the reverse with two fine strikes of "APIA / KAISERL DEUTSCHE / POSTAGENTUR" transit cds, dated respectively "26 10 93" and "8 11 93", and violet 'San Francisco NOV 23' arrival cds, slight faults (creasing, toning, small edge tears), nevertheless a dramatic usage of the highest rarity, which incidentally pushes back the issue date (previously always given as Dec 1893) of the provisional surcharges by two months. Ex Norman Thetford

0