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Auction: 21045 - The Alan Holyoake Grand Prix Collection of British and International Registered Mail
Lot: 263

(x) Australasia
Mail from the United Kingdom
1841 (6 Mar.) a neat envelope to Sydney marked "Prepaid" bearing a good strike of "Registered/edinburgh" (A&H 1487) and open circle "paid at edinburgh" despatch datestamp with London Paid and open oval "paid ship letter london/crown" (8.3) in red (W&J 1254) with rate marks "1/8" (ship letter 8d. plus registration 1/-) and "7" (7d. charged on arrival in New South Wales) and with manuscript registration numbers; the reverse with the circular "ship letter/sydney" (6.7) in black. The envelope has been carefully cleaned but still of very fine appearance.


A very significant cover being not only the earliest recorded registered letter to Australia but also to anywhere outside of Great Britain

provenance:
Vivien Sussex, March 2002


The registration only applied to that part of the journey within Great Britain and this is the earliest known registered letter under this system to be sent abroad (from 6th January 1841). All foreign mail was routed via the Foreign Office but outward mail was not stamped by them. This is obviously an early example of the Edinburgh registration handstamp and late use of the open circle datestamp

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£3,000 to £5,000

Starting price
£2700