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Auction: 9011 - British Empire Stamps & Covers
Lot: 163

Cook Islands 1888 (22 Sept.) archive copy letter from British Vice-Consul, Sir Richard Exham, to Lord Salisbury, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, stating that he had, as instructed, declared a British Protectorate over Rarotonga, issued a Proclamation "(copy enclosed)" and he now waits for "the arrival of the usual annual yearly Man of War to proceed to each island & hoist the Flag" and with a pencil sketch of the proposed flag at lower left corner. An important historical document mentioned on pages 11/12 of Vol. V of the N.Z. handbook. Also 1892 (Sept.) archive copy letter from the Chief Postmaster at Rarotonga to the British Resident enclosing a cheque for £100 in payment for postage stamps and showing clear "government of the cook islands" "seven star" cachet in violet Estimate £ 140-180 Note: The warship Exham was expecting was H.M.S. "Hyacinth" commanded by Capt. Edmund Bourke. Bourke had already been given orders to raise the British flag and he therefore ignored what Exham had already done and raised the Union Jack on Rarotonga on 27th. October 1888 provenance: A.R. Burge Paul Jensen, 2002

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