Prefil & Frimærkeløs

St. Thomas 16 July 1857 to Canari, Corsica, France. Stamped with British PO crowned 2-ring red ink 'PAID AT ST.-THOMAS', prepaid '1/2'. Sent with RMSPC steamer 'PARANA' departing from St. Thomas 16 July and arriving at Southampton 1 August. London 'PAID ALL / AU 2 / 1857', red circle 'PD', French 'ANGL / AMB.CALAIS 1 3 AOUT 57', backstamped small double ring 'ST. THOMAS 16 JUL 1857', Paris and receiving mark 'ST-FLORENT-EN-CORSE 9 AOUT 57 / 19'.

Copenhagen 19 September 1851 to St. Croix, Danish West Indies. Royal Service letter to the Governor of Danish West Indies at St. Croix, stamped with boxed 'Aus Daenemarck. / d. Meckleburg', tpo 'HAGENOW-ROSTOCK', 'MAGDEBURG-WITTENBERG', 'BERLIN-HAMBURG', 'BERLIN-MINDEN' and 'AACHEN - BAHNHOF 22/9' and red 1-ring London 'AN 23SP23 1851'. An unusal Royal Service letter to Danish West Indies, effected by the tropical climate.

Letter sheet stamped “ST THOMAS / Aug 2 / 1813” British fleuron mark, sent to London and backstamped circled “D / 9 SE 9 / 13”. Charged 2/2. Single packet letter rate 1/2 (1813-37), to London 1/ (Falmouth-London 1812-39, 200-300 miles), total rate charged 2/2.

Letter sent from St. Thomas to New York, stamped with red “ST. THOMAS - OFFICE - EXPRESS” in red, dated 8 February 1864.

Entire letter sheet dated St. Croix 24 October 1819 to Armagh, Ireland. Charged 1/1 and stamped BELLMULLET on arrival, scarce landing location on mail from Danish West Indies.

Docketed “Governmenthouise, St. Croix 6 September 1831” to London, England. Struck boxed “PACKET LETTER” in red on reverse and London 1-ring “C / 8 OC 8 / 1831” red, charged 2/2 to London by addressee for a single rate letter.

Unpaid single weight letter docketed St. Thomas 12. July 1873 to Genova, Italy. With RMS ELBE to London, then forwarded to Italy in the closed mails through France. Upon arrival in Genova, a collection of 17 decimi was required to pay the Italian internal postage, included the 14½ decimi fee to England. Under terms of the Anglo-Italian Convention, the postage due to Great Britain was a combination of the 1 sh. (12 decimi) per ¼ ounce British transatlantic packet service and transit fee to France, plus the 1 Franc per 30 gram (25c per 7½ gram) closed mail transit fee through France to Italy, for a total of 14½ decimi. Added to this amount was 20 centisimi per 7½ gram Italian internal postage, and the total was rounded up to 17 decimi.

Entire dated St. Croix 5 March 1810 to Aberdeen, Scotland and Edinburgh datestamp in red “APR / W / 8 / M / 1810”. Packet rate West Indies to Falmouth 1/1d, Falmouth to Aberdeen inland rate 600-700 miles 1/4d, total 2/5 charged by addressee. Only one of two blue impression of this postmark known, and this is the finest of the two. This being a single letter, the other a double rate letter, both sent at exactly the same date.

Letter front sent from St. Thomas to Ponce, Puerto Rico showing green octagonal “S.TOMAS” and 2 1/2 due mark. (1840) Front only.

Entire dated St. Thomas 18. juni 1851 to Bordeaux. Sent with RMSPC “CLYDE” to Southampton, London 7 July, Calais 8 July. In France charged “8” decimes by addressee. On reverse “forwarded from London by J.D.” and listed in K. Rowe “The Postal history of the Forwarding agents”.

"Entire from St. Thomas 16 January 1858 to Hamburg via London. Rate to Hamburg 3 sh. 2d ( 3 ounce letter 1/4 per 1/4 ounce plus 2d marked by ink) red chalk "54" payable by receiver. Cancelled with the British St. Thomas Post Office single 1-ring on the reverse, quite a scarce postmark."

Folded letter sheet from Arroyo, Puerto Rico 9 April 1870 via St. Thomas to New York, USA. Franked with 10c yellow bright shade pictorial issue (SC 116) tied by N YORK – STEAM SHIP and ST. THOMAS 14/4 1869 cds, routing instruction Pr. Brazil Str. and forwarder Lamb & Co cachet in red. A beautiful letter.

St. Thomas, 13 June 1872, from Ponce, Puerto Rico via St. Thomas to Philadelphia. RATE - 4d plate 12 ROUTE - US Packet. Vertical C51 marking. “N.Y.STEAMPSHIP * 10 * Jun 19” stamped on front.

Unpaid entire dated St. Thomas 23. July 1867 to Dunkerque, France. Delivered directly to the French post office where “ST. THOMAS PAQ.FR.B No. 3 23 JUIL 67” was struck. “20” decimes due mark struck, charged by addressee. Posted with French steamer “LOUISIANE” arriving St. Nazaire 6. August.

2¢ ultramarine shade stationery envelope sent from St. Thomas 21 July 1879 to Portland, USA. With watermark IA, thin paper and ungummed flap. Carried onbard Brazil Lin’es COLORADO, first of three charters replacing regular sailings of USBMSC CITY ships. Small stain at top right outside the imprint. Eight 2¢ ultramarine stationery envelopes in used condition are recorded.

Unpaid letter sent from St. Thomas to Nantes 24 January 1866 by French line B via St. Nazaire. Stamped French Octagonal “ST. THOMAS - PAQ. FR. B No. 1” and two-ring “COL. FR. PAQ. Fr. - 2 ST. NAZAIRE 2” in red. Erroneously stamped manuscript due mark “16” decimes and corrected to 10 decimes. In January 1866 the weight and rate changed from 7,5 grms to 10 grams per letter, and increased from 80 centimes to 100 centimes (10 decimes). Interesting letter.

Unpaid letter sent from St. Thomas to Jersey City 27 October 1892 stamped with a “St. Thomas” CDS and circle “T”, on arrival in NY stamped “New York 10 Cents due” double-circle due mark and bearing a 10C US postage due stamp tied by Jersey City CDS. Very rare with US postage due stamps on DWI letters.

Entire sent from St. Thomas to New York 2 April 1864, charged 4 cents stamped by “NEW YORK SHIP LETTER - 4 - APR 27” and posted aboard the steamer “Alexander”.

Letter sent from St. Thomas to Ponce, Puerto Rico 4 April 1849 showing blue octagonal “S.TOMAS” and 2 1/2 due mark and blue “Isla De PTO.-RICO 7 ABR 1849” two-ring receiving mark on reverse, with received note endorsed on reverse and manuscript “2 1/2”. Rare letter.

Unpaid letter docketed St. Croix 10 August 1824 to Aberdeen, Scotland. By British Packet and charged 2/7, picked up by the Leeward Islands Packet and carried to Falmouth and received “LEEWARD ISLAND F” in green. Single letter rate 1813 - 37 1S/2d to Fallmouth, indland rate above 700 miles from Fallmouth to Aberdeen (798 miles) 1S/5d, total due 2/7 and boxed “1/2” d for mail coach. With an upright and beautiful “LEEWARD ISLANDS / F / SE 7 / 1824” in green ink. Of the letters with this Fallmouth mark only a very few are stamped in an upright position and as clear as this strike.

"Entire letter sent from St. Thomas to Jacmel Haiti 2 July 1874 through the British Post office, bearing a 3d and 1d tied by Duplex C51 St. Thomas A and by steamer endorsed "Par Moselle""