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Auction: 25017 - Stamps and Covers of Great Britain
Lot: 5084

Great Britain
Postal History
St. Kilda "Float Mail"
1899 (28 June) stampless envelope with enclosure from St. Kilda to London, carried on pre-post office "Float Mail", and discovered washed-up in Norway, endorsed on the face in pencil by sender "1d. for stamp", and on the reverse "Found Haugesund, Norway, 9 Octbr 1899" and "Found driving on the sea in a plank, North Haugesund, Norway", the envelope then struck with "british vice consulate/haugesund" cachet in violet and sealed in red wax with consular seal on reverse, handed to the Norwegian Post Office whereon it received Haugesund 10.10 d.s. and "t". Having been badly damaged at sea, the envelope was sealed around the edges by "Found Open and Officially Sealed" label cancelled by Newcastle on Tyne 13.10 d.s. and forwarded to London where "5d/545." handstamp was applied, arriving 13.10.

The letter enclosed, showing signs of damp, talks of having "asked to have a St. Kilda "mail-boat" made, to be ready for the first N.W. wind ... I wonder if it will have a better fate than my last years venture, I hope so [talking of life on the Island and signing off] "As probably this letter will never reach you, or if it does, what I say can have no interest, I will say no more.

A fascinating and rare survivor. St. Kilda receiving a Post Office just one year later in June 1900. Photo.

Notes: An original St. Kilda "Mail Boat", made of driftwood hollowed to contain letters and attached by rope to a float made from a sheep's bladder, exists in the National Maritime Museum's Collection at Greenwich.

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Estimate
£4,000 to £6,000

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