Tag Archives: Destination Mail

January 27, 2015 · 9:56 pm

December 2014 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month
27.00 mmNow that it’s the end of January, I’ve finally had the time to catch up with what I should have done at Christmas time. So without further ado, we kick off this month with “the one that always gets away”; the British Bechuanaland overprint on the 1/2d vermilion with control letter. This was bought for nothing. Only £27 for this unmounted mint example. Not only did I miss it on eBay, but it was bought by the dealers Deverell & MacGregor and was sold before I even knew it! Aaagh! One day…

17.80Next up is this rather scruffy looking cover is only the second cover I have found with a Jubilee franking going to Trinidad (there’s also a parcel tag going to Trinidad worth a mention). £17.80 was all that this one fetched because of its condition.

295.95Although this next cover just about qualifies for this blog because only one of the five stamps are a Jubilee, I couldn’t let this beautiful cover pass by without mentioning it. For a little extra interest, there is even the manuscript “Posted out of course”, which means it would have been dropped in a letter box instead of being taking to the post office to be recorded. It sold for £295.95.

16.24There’s nothing particularly special about this cover, but I just thought it was worth a mention because it’s something I should have added to my collection because it’s a nice example of the 4oz letter rate and the registration fee paid by two 2d green and red which is not a common rate at all. It sold for £16.24.

9.34This 2 1/2d has a rather fine strike of the Aden squared circle ds. This stamp would have been attached to a cover posted on board a ship and cancelled when it was sorted in Aden. It sold for £9.34.

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December 9, 2014 · 9:03 pm

October 2014 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

$157.00 and $128.27Sorry for the delay ladies and gents. Let’s pretend it’s still October… We begin with a couple of surprises for you (and me) this month.

These two scruffy looking covers sold for $157 and $128 respectively. Both are printed covers from the Salvation Army, with frankings with matching “S” perfins. Not only that, but they include their original contents, the first even with a publication. This is the first time I have seen such a premium for a Christian themed item.

82.28

This is one I wish I hadn’t missed. A 2 1/2d used in Niger Coast. They are pretty common with the Niger Company Territories violet box ds of Burutu, but this is very scarce with a thimble Bonny River cds. Catalogued by SG at £450, it sold for £82.28.

$84.48

This beautiful franking is not only a beautiful franking, but it’s being sent to Indonesia! Although I’m discovering that this isn’t such a rare and exotic a destination as it sounds. It’s paying 9 times the UPU rate, so it’s possibly even a proper usage. I should have gone for this. It sold for only $84.48.

7.60

And finally a cover not described correctly by the vendor. Not that a quick look won’t reveal why it’s worth more than the £7.60 it fetched. As the imprint suggests, it was sent from the Postal Department in Natal, South Africa. Originally unfranked, a 2 1/2d Jubilee was added and cancelled in London for it’s onward journey to the USA.

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June 21, 2014 · 3:05 pm

May 2014 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

481.39We start May’s report off with this very attractive used block of 12 of the 1s green with neat “St. Johns Wood / Circus Rd. N.W.” cds. Multiples of the 1s green are by no means rare. The thing that is a huge factor in the price of such a multiple is the freshness of the green, as the colour all to easily becomes washed when immersed in water. This block fetch a very handsome £480.

GB Used in AscensionThis 2 1/2d is scarce because it has a crisp cds of the island of Ascension. All the Jubilee stamps are difficult to find used in Ascension, with the Stanley Gibbons catalogue indicating quite strongly that the 4 1/2d is by far the rarest. This stamp sold for £73.92.

 

 

29.43 This item drew my attention because it has been sent to Guatemala (making it the 3rd example so far that I have recorded with this destination). What makes it even more interesting is that the total franking is 2s4d. Although they all have the “HUTH” commercial perfin which detracts slightly. I was the only bidder and snapped it up for £29.43.

45.86mmI hate shades. I really do. Back in my newbie days of collecting I was caught out by the 2d green and scarlet to the tune of £210. The stamp was sold on eBay by a reputable dealer who had left it on a Stanley Gibbons stock card; proving how difficult these things are. Of course buying over the internet, and relying on your computer monitor’s colours makes this even ore trickier. However I would say with great confidence (now I know better!) that this 2d has the rarer shade of red for the duty tablet. There is a couple of tiny marks on the stamp which put me off bidding (rule number 1: Always go for top quality!) but even so, it’s a very good buy for £45.86,

8.80And finally another item of destination mail. Although far from being a sexy destination, this is only the second cover going to Luxembourg that I have spotted. It sold for £8.80.

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May 13, 2014 · 8:46 pm

April 2014 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

9.04We start this month off with one of my favourite collecting areas at the minute; destination mail. I thought that this would have been a rare example of a newspaper wrapper going to the small island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean. However it was one of nearly 10 that have appeared in the last two months, and sold for only £9.04. One slight detraction with newspaper wrappers as destination mail is that there is never an arrival marking.

56.75Following on from last months crude forgery of a Board of Education stamp, this O. W. Official fetch a similar price at £56.75. However I THINK that this is actually a genuine example. Many of the genuine examples I have seen have the Parliament St. cds.

 

 

139.00Another Official for you. This one being the common 1/2d green I. R. Official. However it is very scarce on cover. This one is even more interesting because it is a turned cover with the other side franked with a 1d lilac. The extra unfranked 1d lilac next to the 1/2d probably paying the postage due as presumably the rate should have been 1d both ways. I need to have a closer look when it pops through my letter box. I was the only bidder at £140.

33.80This attractive Boer war franking sold for £33.80. The interesting aspect being that it is an Army Telegraph printed envelope. Normally this franking is less than £10.

70.75

 

 

And finally the most fought over item of the month. This attractive cover to Egypt features two postage dues as the rate was 2 1/2d and not 1d. Final price: £70.75

 

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April 1, 2014 · 10:35 pm

February 2014 Ebay Report

82.48Sorry folks. To say I’m behind in my updates is an understatement… Oh well, let’s pretend that I’m not a month behind and look at the highlights of February.

First off is a scarce 1s5d franking to the USA. The 1s green is by no means common on cover, and this example is particularly attractive with the added bonus of having the “POSTED OUT / OF COURSE” handstamp. This means that the sender more than likely popped it into a postbox instead of registering it with the Post Office. Final price: £82.48

227.60Next is an item I was hoping to get for a bargain. Those hopes evaporated quickly as bidders competed against each other seemingly every day to get their hands on this. Although not at all described, the cover features a rare and highly collectable “LATE BOX” hooded cds. This being an example of the Bradford. I believe this was applied to mail posted at a special late mail box at the train station. It fetched £227.60.

124.47This cover was certainly the surprise of the month. Jubilee covers going to China are reasonably scarce. But I can only think that the fact this example is going to the British Legation in Peking made the difference, because the cover to China in my collection cost me about £10. Somebody paid £124.47 for this one…

20.35Since there has been a recurring theme of parcel post labels in recent months, I thought that this single 9d on a Stockton-On-Tees parcel label was worth a mention. I think I got it at a good price: £20.35.

90.00And finally another cover for the cancellation enthusiast. This cover actually peaked my interest because it’s a mixed reign franking. However on close inspection you can see that it has the rare “LONDON & HOLYHEAD / UNITED STATES MAIL” cds and matching “K48” barred numerals. Again this was not described by the vendor so I got it for a great price! Unfortunately as it was sent from America, the nasty customs people caught it on it’s way to the UK and charged me an whopping £21 on top. Meaning I paid about £90 in total. Still a good buy I think.

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February 2, 2014 · 9:02 pm

January 2014 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

2.55January was a month of disappointments for me. And not because of any failed New Year’s resolutions I might add! Nope, this month saw me completely miss out on three of the five featured items here. The first was this slightly scruffy looking cover to Egypt. However upon arrival it was redirected and featured several different Egyptian backstamps making this much more attractive than the £2.55 realisation.

18.76My next frustration was this 10d single franking parcel label. Although slightly scruffy, it’s a very scarce usage and I would have bid beyond the final price of £18.76.

 

36.77This parcel label is probably just as scarce. It features a pair of 6d purple on rose paying a 6d rate for the parcel post plus an additional 6d for registration and insurance

 

27.10This attractive cover to Switzerland was redirected on arrival, with a 50c postage due applied to pay for the additional fee required for Express delivery. Most unusual and fetched a decent £27.10.

45.87

 

 

And finally my nemesis has escaped me again!! I’ve still yet to purchase any of the 1/2d vermilions with Commonwealth overprint WITH THE CONTROL. This example was just like so many before; it was sold before I even knew it was available. They are very scarce and also highly collectable. So I was shocked to see that this one only sold for £45.87. A proper bargain.

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December 6, 2013 · 12:47 pm

November 2013 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

42.00This month was a bit of a slow month for Jubilee items coming to the market. The most attractive item was this parcel label with an unusually high franking of 1s 4 1/2d which sold for £42.

86.33This piece bearing five 5d purple & blue is cancelled by the boxed ds of the Niger Company in Akassa. All the Niger Company cancels are listed by Stanley Gibbons and priced for each stamp. In this case the catalogue value is £100 for a single stamp. It sold for £86.33.

41.80This attractive maritime cover only received one bidder at £40…me! Featuring a block of four 1/2d vermilion and a single, they are cancelled by Glasgow cds, but also by a dotted lozenge with anchor. I’ve read something about these covers before being the work of a Captain with a philatelic eye. When I find the article I’ll be sure to post it here.

50.74This advertising cover is from Alfred Smith, a stamp dealer in Bath and profuse publisher of advertising envelopes. This is the first time I have seen this type (the most common ones being with the “New Address” overprint. There was only one bidder at £49.99 (not me this time).

41.75And finally this slightly soiled cover sold for £41.75 due to it’s scarce destination: Singapore!

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November 3, 2013 · 10:15 pm

October 2013 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

69.60Just covers for you this month. And we kick off with my biggest miss of the month. Not only is it a scarce cover sent by the Continental Night Mail service, but it is also the only example of a Jubilee cover going to Corsica that I ever seen!! It sold for a poultry £69.60. Doh!

8.95Although completely philatelic, since I hadn’t seen one before I thought it was of note to point out this item. The envelope is franked with a 1 1/2d and 2 1/2d Jubilee tied by the Guildhall Jubilee cancel, which isn’t too unusual. However this cancel is actually from the B.P.S Exhibition held at the Guildhall London 1966! Obviously didn’t go through the post but an interesting curio nevertheless. It sold for £8.95.

10.56Next up is this highly attractive printed cover sent by the Sun Fire Office as a reminder to the recipient to pay their premium. I expected it to fetch more than £10.56.

 

 

49.22This cover is a very attractive example of an Express cover with a pair of 1 1/2d Jubilees. More info about the Express post can be found in this article. It fetched £49.22.

83.86And finally a cover sent during the Boer war. More unusual however is that it was sent without stamps due to their unavailability. Most mail from the Boer war was addressed to England, but this item was actually intended for Switzerland and hence franked by the Post Office in London for the onward journey by three 1900 1/2d greens and a 1881 1d lilac. Obviously more uncommon than I realised as it sold for £83.86.

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October 6, 2013 · 3:24 pm

September 2013 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month

77.75We start this month off with a curious item. The postcard was sent to Sir Chih-Chen Lofengluh, Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary to London. The card, which depicts an image of the man was duly signed and returned in the post according to the message on the back. The sender was the infamous Reginald Bray, tester of the post office’s regulations and autograph hunter extraordinaire. Reginald Bray sent thousands of these to celebrities and politicians of the time, and the items are highly collectable. The vendor of the item didn’t know of it’s provenance, but the distinct style is obvious to those who know. Still, the item managed to fetch £77.50 despite not being described.

341.00Another month and another inverted watermark. This time a lightly used example of the 9d dull purple and blue which sold for £341.00. It is catalogued by SG at £2’500.

 

 

36.91This cover is actually my favourite item of the month (and now part of my collection!). Not only is it an unusual franking in having two stamped-to-order postal stationery dies and three Jubilee values, but it is a scarce destination as it was sent to Java in the Dutch Indies (an island in Indonesia). I think it was cheap at £36.91.

9.38Superb used examples with a central cds don’t come along too often, and I always try to snatch them up. This 1s green and carmine is one of the best I’ve seen on eBay, but only sold for £9.38 (also now part of my collection!). This must have been due to the small image supplied by the vendor and the ever so slightly faded green (which is barely noticeable in the flesh).

29.10And finally we have the 1/2d vermilion paying the late fee on a cover with a nice boxed “LATE FEE / PAID” handstamp. There are many different types of Late Fee handstamp to be found. This on one cover sold for £29.10.

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August 27, 2013 · 9:27 pm

August 2013 Ebay Report

Top 5 Items of the Month
1 1/2d Reply Paid EssayThe star item of the month was this imperforate block of four essay for the Reply Paid stamp. A single of this essay is currently on eBay at a “Buy It Now” price of £295. So the vendor may well be disappointed that this item only fetched £320.50. More so as he stated in the description that he bought it as an investment for £500…

 

2d Colour TrialThe second most valuable item of the month was this 2d colour trial in purple and blue. A few short perfs at the top and a corner crease saw this fetch one bid at the opening price of £99.99. Quality is everything. Normal retail is £600-700 for top quality.

 

 

33.90Destination of the month was this mourning cover to Cyprus, sent to a Captain in the Connaught Rangers (an Irish regiment in the British Army). The reverse with some minor backflap faults and a Politiko bs, it sold for £33.90, and is the first Jubilee cover I have recorded going to Cyprus.

81.65This slightly creased cover with an uncommon franking to a common destination sold for an impressive £81.65. What got people so excited? The Dublin & Belfast Railway Post Office cds.

10.64And finally a little novelty item to finish on; a silver ingot of the 1s green & carmine. The Royal Mail produced a series of these about 5 years ago which retailed at £25 each. Again not a very sound investment as it sold for only £10.64 (which has knocked off £15 from the value of my collection. Doh!). But not as bad a loss as the poor seller of the Reply Paid essay block…

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