£420 - £600
FRANCE - EARLIEST KNOWN COVER - SENT "VIA PANAMA" BUT RE-ROUTED WITH "SYDNEY/SHIP LETTER" C.D.S.; Neat 26 June 1858 env. (opened out for display) to Capt. de Cintre, Commander of the "Thisbe, Station de le Nle Caledonie, Sydney, par Panama" but altered to "Voie de Suez" with red "Affranchisement insuffisant"; franked by a Pair of 1853-61 40c Napoleon (close to wide margins all round) tied by v. fine Lorient "1761" diamonds (with "APRES/LE/DEPART") alongside; sent via Marseille (29 June) and Suez but did not reach Sydney until 13 Oct. (v. fine "SHIP-LETTER/SYDNEY" backstamp) because the SS Cambrian from Suez broke down at Galle and delayed the transit by a month. Believed to be the earliest recorded stamped cover addressed to New Caledonia. [The similar Berkinshaw-Smith cover of a month later realised c.£2,000 in April 2006.] Attractive and Important Exhibition Item. [Ex Eastgate.]Cross Reference: FRANCE, NEW SOUTH WALES, MARITIME MAIL, CRASH/WRECK MAIL
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