DUKE OF WELLINGTON COVER TO BELGIUM - 1d BLACK REMOVED BY P....

Hammer

£600

DUKE OF WELLINGTON COVER TO BELGIUM - 1d BLACK REMOVED BY P.O.(?) IN TRANSIT!: Small 22 Sept. 1840 E (one side-flap removed; the address and the last line of contents - "...thought them very fine" in the Duke's distinctive hand) from "WALMER" (UDC on flap) to "Lady Burghleigh" in Brussels. A 1d Black had originally been affixed (by the Duke presumably) but at the P.O. his servant was told that letters to Belgium (and several other countries) now had to be fully prepaid (PO Notice of 2nd Sept. 1840)... As a result the 1d Black was scraped off (for re-use by the Duke??!) and 1s-6d paid in cash; hence there is a red ms "1/6" and a smaller (Walmer?) black ms "Pd 1/6" on the front. The latter endorsement and a very fine red London transit tombstone "PAID" ds overlap the remains/space left by the 1d Black, and there are the usual transit marks of Dover, Ostend and Brussels on the reverse. Possibly a unique example of a 1d Black removed from an overseas letter when posted, and an extraordinary Duke of Wellington item! [BPA Cert. (1994)] Cross Reference: POSTAGE DUE MARKS, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, BELGIUM, KENT