£220 - £300
FREE FRONT WITH SPECTACULAR PRINTED DECORATION - SENT FROM "FOOTSCRAY" TO WINDSOR CASTLE; 6 Oct. 1839 free front (cleverly attached to the flapped reverse of a small c.1850 envelope) headed & signed by "[Viscount] Sydney" (1805-90) from "FOOTSCRAY" (fine cds; the Sydney family mansion, Frognal House, was there) addressed to "The Countess of Sandwich, Windsor Castle" with a fine red London crowned "FREE" transit cds. There is a superb floral/avian design printed (in black with a couple of gold highlights) as a frame to the address (intriguingly the envelope was used upside down by Sydney!) which would perhaps have done better than the Mulready if it had been used by the Post Office! Sydney was a member of the Royal Household for many years as well as being a politician. Only a handful of postally used pre-1841 fancy envelope/wrapper designs have been recorded, most of which are in the Fryer Collection (see following lots). Exhibition Quality. [Illustrated in BPPP, p.25.]Cross Reference: KENT, FREE MAIL, PICTORIALS, PRINTED
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