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Sweden. "Les Postes Suedoises" published on the occasion of the 1924 U.P.U Congress in Stockholm, edition of 500 in French, a fine 368 page volume, well bound. £100-120
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Switzerland. "Revue Philatelique Suisse" No. 1-8, 1891-92, a fine journal with many colour plates, well bound in a single volume, 428 pages. £80-100
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U.S.A. "Postmaster Robert Morris of N.Y" by Winthrop S. Boggs, published by The Collectors Club of New York 1960, superb green leather binding with gold tooling in a slipcase, author signed with inscription to Arnold M. Strange and "This is one of four copies specially bound for presentation purposes". Just 150 standard copies printed + four presentation copies. £120-150
| Great Britain | |
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"A Narrative of a Transaction in the Comptrolling Department of the General Post Office .....", printed for and sold by Mr John Hepburn of Fleet St. and Cornhill, 1794, 30 pages, privately bound, scarce. £80-100
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"Indexs to Parliamentary Reports & Papers relating to the Post Office and Postage 1735-1839", printed and published in 1840 on the instructions of the House of Commons, as a result of the difficulties experienced by the 1838 Select Committee on Postage in referring to voluminous reports and scattered papers relating thereto. This volume consists of five reports, 1 - 1735-1824, Franking, Revenue, Establishment, Palmer's Mails, Fees, Ship Letters; 2 - 1829-1835, Inquiry into revenue and management; 3 - 1835-38, Revenue, Mail Coach Contracts, Uniform Rate of Postage; 4 - 1831-38, Conveyance by Railways and Miscellaneous 1801-39; 5 - 1735-1839, analysis of Indexes. A scarce volume, leather bound. £150-200
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1838 "Reports from the Select Committee on Postage"; original copies of the first report (512 pages) and third report (185 pages + 3 maps) and a 1968 reprint of the second report (857 pages) all hardbound, the first and third reports ex Colchester Library and rebound, the contents fine. An important work containing all the evidence, reports and conclusions of the committee regarding rates and modes of charging postage, which led directly to the Post Office reforms of 1839-40, the introduction of uniform postage based on weight only and the reduced rates starting at just 1d, and the issuing of stamps and postal stationery. (3). £500-600
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1838 First and Third "Reports from the Select Committee on Postage", the first report with additional four page "Reduction of Postage" circular from the Mercantile offices summarising the benefits of reduced postage bound into the front, well hardbound with leather spine, manuscript pencil note inside "this book belonged to the late James Chalmers, bookseller Dundee, of postage stamp fame"; and third report with original blue paper covers bearing Bellamy Philatelic Library cachet. (2). £500-600
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1852 "Report from the Select Committee on Postage Label Stamps" with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence and index, 260 pages, rebound, an interesting and scarce volume. £150-200
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1850-71 Post Office reports and publications comprising 1850 and 1871 Reports on Sunday Labour in the Post Office; 1857 List of Officers of the General Post Office in London, Edinburgh and Dublin, bound in red leather; 1862 Estimates of Salaries and Expenses for the Customs, Inland Revenue and Post Office, hardbound red leather cover; and patent specifications for various stamp related inventions, by Arthur Hollinshed (1891) for a machine vended "memoranda" booklet containing a 1d stamp (as adopted by the Stamp Distribution Syndicate Ltd), Henry Archer (1848) for stamp perforations, John Dickinson (1839) for improved paper, J.C Dyer (1810) for copper plate printing, Pearson Hill (1857) for a stamping machine for cancelling letters, etc., the Hollinshed patent printed 1892, the others renewals of existing patents printed in 1905-10. (11). £150-200
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Rowland Hill's personal signed copy of "Her Majesty's Mails" by William Lewins, 1864, hardbound. The title page signed "Rowland Hill" in ink, the opposite blank page with "Remarkable errors, Sunday work p.167, origin of stamps p.256, 257, 258" in pencil written in Roland Hill's handwriting, also signed "Eleanor C, Fellows 1878" and inscribed "Presented by Arthur Fellows, the son of Eleanor C. Fellows & the grandson of Rowland Hill to his friend Reginald N. King, 25 September 1939". A unique copy of this early work containing various pencil notes and highlighting apparently in Rowland Hill's own hand. £300-400
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"British Post Office Notices" by M.N. Raguin, volume 1 (1762-1829) and volume 2 (1830-39), published 1989, useful and hard to find works. (2). £70-80
| ANTARCTIC & ARCTIC POSTAL HISTORY | The following 177 lot collection contains many unusual items from lesser known explorers and expeditons as well as items from the expeditions of Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen, Mawson, Nansen, Byrd and Nobile. It also includes a fine selection of covers carried on flights to the Poles or across the Polar regions.
Whaling Letters (Also See Lots 963, 964) | |
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1793-1866 Entire letters, covers and letters to or from American whaling or sealing ships, or concerning the trade in whale products, including items from the ships Illinois, Baptiste, Maryland, John A. Parker, Alfred Gibbs, or to the Swift, John & Edward, or Dr Franklin, letters from Capt. Caleb Howland written at sea (2) or concerning the Brig Esther whose cargo of seal skins had been seized by the authorities in Chile, etc. Also prices current, 1872 cheque from the agent and owners of the Bark Cape & Corn Pigeon, and 1913 bill of sale for the Brig Daisy, many of the letters relating to the whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, one 1841 entire with oval "FORWARDED BY WM NELSON / PANAMA". (35). £500-600
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Hawaii. 1853 (March 23) Entire letter written from Honolulu to Cold Spring, Long Island, by Captain Henry Edwards of the whaling ship "Talmadge", in which he states he is about to proceed to the Arctic Ocean. The address panel headed "Honolulu, March 23, 1853 Via California" with superb red "HONOLULU / HAWAIIAN ISLANDS" c.d.s (Mar 30), black "SAN FRANCISCO / CAL" c.d.s (Apr 30) and "12" charge for U.S postage, small scrape at right edge, otherwise fine. The "Talmadge" brought back 1435 barrels of whale oil and 25,000lbs of whalebone from this voyage. Photo on Page 12. £300-350
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Falkland Island Dependencies - Desolation Island. c.1858 Cover addressed to "Mr Thomas L. Bailey, Schr. Silver Cloud, Desolation, care of Henry Bolles". Thomas Bailey was captain of the "Silver Cloud" which was at Desolation Island in the South Shetland Islands in 1858-59. Captain Henry Bolles of the ship "Isaac Hicks" sailed in 1858 for Hurd Island in the South Shetlands and was at sea until 1861. An early cover to the South Shetland Islands. Photo on Page 12. £250-350
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St. Helena. 1910 (June 18) Cover bearing KEVII 1/2d + 2d, addressed to "Mr Thomas Herne, BK Platina, c/o J. & W. B. Wing, New Bedford, Mass, USA", flap missing, otherwise fine. £100-120
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Spitzbergen. 1913 Real photo cards of Spitzbergen including a whale and ship "Kong Harold" at Green Harbour, Wellman Station, Temple Bay, Bear Island, etc., the first card headed from the whaling Ship S.S "Active" with the message written over all six cards, all posted from Tromso franked 10ore. (6). £120-150
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German Whaling Ships. 1938 5pf Postcards (2) and a cover with Deutsche Schiffspost "Eismeer" datestamps for whaling ships "Wikinger", "Unitas" or "Walter Rau", fine and scarce. Sea Post Offices only operated on German whaling ships in the South Atlantic in 1938 and 1939, four ships having cancels in 1938. Also 1935 cover inscribed by the Antarctic cruise of the Japanese whaling ship "Tonan Maru", signed by the Captain with Australia 1935 2 1/2d cancelled at Sydney, a little stained. (4). £180-200
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German Whaling Ships. 1939 Postcards with German stamps tied by Deutsche Schiffspost "Eismeer" datestamps for the whaling ship "Sudmeer", "Jan Wellem, "Unitas", "Walter Rau" or "Wikinger", fine and scarce. Sea Post Offices operated on four whaling ships in the South Atlantic in 1938 and on these five ships in 1939. (5). £250-300
| Antarctic Postal History | |
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Nathaniel Palmer. c.1855 Cover franked 3c tied by U.S Express Mail N. York c.d.s, redirected from Stonington to New York with boxed "FORWARDED" and "V" charge mark, and 1872 freight circular from G.B franked 1d, both to Nathaniel B. Palmer; and other c.1880-92 covers and cards (49) or invoices (4) to Alexander S. Palmer or other members of the Palmer family at Stonington. Nathaniel Palmer served on a sealing ship in 1819-21 visiting the South Shetlands, was present at the discovery of the South Orkneys and became just the third person to sight the Antarctic Continent. In 1829 Alexander & Nathaniel Palmer led an oceanographic survey expedition to Antarctica. (55). Photo on Page 12. £500-600
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1836-42 United States Exploring Expedition. c.1845-55 Entires addressed to Capt. Charles Wilkes, U.S Navy in Washington D.C (2) or New York (3, one redirected to Prattsville), one charged 18 3/4c with Amsterdam N.H c.d.s, two paid 5c with red "PHILADA RAIL ROAD" or Norfolk Va c.d.s, two franked imperf 3c. Also a print of Wilkes, who led the 1838-42 U.S Expedition to the Antarctic. (6). Photo on Page 12. £400-500
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1839-43 James Ross Expedition. 1843 Entire letters (2) from Swanscombe, written and signed by the scholar George Renovard, sent to Capt. W.H Smyth, one letter including the postscript "you will rejoice with me at the return of J. Ross". Capt. James Ross returned in 1843 after a four year voyage to Antarctica, discovering the Ross Sea and ice shelf, Mount Erebus and Terror and Victoria Land. £80-100
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1897-99 Belgian Antarctic Expedition. 1890-1926 Postcards (13) addressed to the Roumanian Emile Racovitza who served on the expedition, one addressed to him at "Expedition Belge, Paris, Boulevard St. Andre 2" thanking him for printed proceedings of the expedition; and picture postcards of the expedition (8, two with faults), the six fine cards comprising Wharton types AA-1, 2, 6, 8, 10 and AI-1a. (21). £200-250
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1898-99 German Deep Sea Expedition. 1898 (Sep 21) Cover from German Cameroons to Dr C. Apstein with handstamped address "Dampfschiff VALDIVIA, Deutsche Tiefsee Expedition", sent at the printed matter rate bearing Kamerun 3pf tied by "KAMERUN" c.d.s. Self addressed by the expedition zoologist Dr Apstein while the "Valdivia" was at Cameroon on its outward voyage to Antarctica, using the expedition cachet, which is also known on mail from the expedition. Scarce. Photo on Page 12. £250-300
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1899 Seventh International Geographical Congress in Berlin. 1899 (Sep 29) Cover to Munich with 10pf tied scarce "BERLIN, S.W / 12 / VII. INTERNATIONAL / GEOGRAPH. KONGRESS" c.d.s, fine. This Congress established strict demarcation of areas of activity in the Antarctic continent, that encouraged a spirit of competition between countries in the following years. Photo on Page 14. £120-150
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1901-03 First German Antarctic Expedition/International Geographical Congress. 1899 (July 26) Typed letter on "War Dept., Office of Chief Signal Officer, Washington" notepaper signed by the Chief Signal Officer Adolphus Washington Greely, to Dr Erich von Drygalski in Berlin, having enclosed a copy of the National Geographic Society of Washington proposals to the Berlin Geographical Congress, with Greely's name and address details written in Drygalski's hand. Drygalski led the 1901-03 first German Antarctic Expedition or "Gauss" Expedition. £120-150
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1901-03 First German Antarctic Expedition. 1903 (Aug 6) Picture postcard sent from Naples to Germany franked 10c, written and signed by H. Dittelbach, crew member on the "Tanglin" which had sailed to the Kerguelan Islands with members of the Antarctic Expedition. Also a picture postcard (Wharton BI-1) showing the "Gauss" and whales, seals, penguins and birds. (2). £80-100
| 1901-03 Swedish Antarctic Expedition | |
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1896 (Nov 4) Cover from Sweden addressed to Doctor Otto de Nordenskjold, Punta Arenas, Magelhaens de Chile, Consulado Aleman" with Sweden 20ore tied by Eksgo c.d.s, backstamped at New York and Valparaiso. Nordenskjold was in Patagonia as the leader of a mineralogical expedition; in 1901 he led the Swedish Antarctic Expedition. A few edge faults, piece missing from lower left corner. £100-120
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Picture postcard of the "Antarctic" with "Recuerdo de Buenos Ayres" (Wharton C1-7) signed by the expedition leader Otto Nordenskjold, a cancelled Swedish 5ore stamp applied. Also a reproduction postcard of Nordenskjold. (2). Photo on Page 14. £150-200
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Picture postcards depicting the last moment of the "Antarctic", the Swedish rescue ship "Frithjof", the Argentinean ship "Uruguay" which rescued the expedition or the ship's sailors or Commander J. Irizar, three posted from Argentina in 1903-04. Also three reproduction photos of the "Uruguay". Wharton CE-2/3, CI-8, XLN-40, 50. (8). £100-120
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1903-04 Picture postcards sent from Norway to F. Menander in Sweden (2), and a card written and signed by C.A Larsen posted from Gothenburg to his daughter in Norway. Menander was a member of the 1901-02 Ziegler-Baldwin Arctic Expedition and the 1902-03 "Frithjof" expedition sent to rescue the Swedish Antarctic Expedition; Larsen was captain of the "Frithjof" on its rescue mission to the Antarctic. (3). £150-200
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1906 (Feb 7) Menu for a dinner to Dr Otto Nordenskjold, given by The Explorers Club and The Arctic Club in New York, with a picture of the Antarctic on the front, attractive and scarce. £100-150
| 1901-04 British National Antarctic Expedition | |
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1901 Wrench's "Links of Empire" British National Antarctic Expedition postcards, No. 1 posted in London (July 31) on the day the "Discovery" sailed from London Docks, franked 1/2d, and No. 3 posted from Lyttelton (Dec 24) franked N.Z 1d, sent on the day the ship sailed from Port Chalmers for the Antarctic, both with circular "ANTARCTIC / EXPDN / 1901 S.S DISCOVERY" cachets. Card No. 1 with a few small corner faults on the picture side, card No. 3 very fine. (2). Photo on Page 14. £200-250
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1901 (Dec 24) Cover addressed to "Sir Clements Markham KCB, FRGS, FRS, 23 Eccleston Square, London, England", possibly in the handwriting of Ernest Shackleton with N.Z 1d (corner fault) cancelled at Port Chalmers, backstamped at Dunedin and London, the seal cut from the reverse. The "Discovery" sailed from Lyttelton for the Antarctic on 21st December, calling at Port Chalmers on Dec. 23rd-24th when this cover was posted. The addressee Sir Clements Markham was President of the Royal Geographical Society and the principal organiser of the expedition. Duns recorded just three covers from the ship's brief visit to Port Chalmers in 1901. Photo on Page 14. £300-400
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1903 (Apr 4) Cover from Christchurch franked 1d, addressed to "Sir Clements Markham, 21 Eccleston Square, London, S.W., England" in the handwriting of the physicist L.C Bernacchi, carried back to New Zealand on the first relief expedition ship S.Y "Morning" and posted ten days after its arrival at Lyttelton. A fine cover to the President of the Royal Geographical Society. Photo on Page 14. £300-400
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1903 (Mar 25) Cover with "DISCOVERY ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1901" crest on the flap, bearing the blue "NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION" vignette with "DISCOVERY" in manuscript and a N.Z 1d cancelled at Lyttelton on the day the first relief expedition ship S.Y "Morning" arrived from the Antarctic, addressed to "J. Scott Keltie D.Sc, Royal Geographical Society, 1 Savile Row, Burlington Gardens, London, SW". A little light staining and closed tear at base of address panel but still a good looking cover to the Secretary of the R.G.S and a rare use of the expedition vignette. Photo on Page 14. £800-1,000
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1904 (Apr 5) Cover bearing N.Z 1d pair tied by Christchurch c.d.s., addressed in the handwriting of C.W.R Royds to "Sir Clements Markham K.C.B, F.R.S etc, 21 Eccleston Square, London S.W", carried back on the final voyage of the "Discovery" and the relief ships "Morning" and "Terra Nova". The three ships arrived at Lyttelton on April 1st, the final expedition mail from the Antarctic being posted over the following few days. Flap missing, otherwise fine and rare, sent to the President of the R.G.S. Photo on Page 14. £300-400
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1904 (Sep 17) Picture postcard of the "Discovery" published by Debenham of Cowes, posted in Portsmouth with message "The great event here is the Discovery having arrived. We went to see her last Saturday" (Wharton D1-7, the single example recorded by Wharton). Also "Canterbury Times" card of the spot where "Discovery was frozen for two years" (Wharton DE-10) posted from New Zealand (Apr 26) to London. (2). £80-100
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1902-04 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. 1904 Cover with the expedition flag and "SNAE" on the flap, bearing Argentina 15c tied by violet "ORCADAS DEL SUD / 20 FEB 1904 / DISTRITO 24 (GALLEGOS)" c.d.s, unaddressed. A scarce souvenir cover cancelled on the day the "Scotia" called at Laurie Island to take off the expedition members and hand the meteorological station over to Argentina, the scientists being accompanied by a postal official who was provided with this c.d.s by the Argentinean Post Office. Also a picture postcard advertising "Cerebus Table Salt" which includes a picture of the "Scotia" beset in ice (Wharton XPU-1a). (2). Photo on Page 16. £300-400
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1903-08 Charcot Expeditions. Picture postcards comprising 1903-05 first expedition cards showing the "Francais" at Le Havre (Wharton FD-146, posted Le Havre) or Charcot and the ship at Buenos Ayres (Wharton FI-1, posted Buenos Ayres), and cards of the 1908-10 second expedition (4, Wharton HA-4727, HB-1, 2, HC-6), two used in France. (6). £100-120
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1907-09 Swedish Magellan Expedition. 1908 (Apr 24) Registered cover from Lappvik bearing 10k pair with "349" numeral cancel below, addressed to the expedition leader "Carl Skottsberg, Consulado de Suecia, Punta Arenas, Chile", a scarce ingoing cover. Photo on Page 16. £100-120
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1907-09 Swedish Magellan Expedition. 1908 (May 26) Cover from Lappvik bearing Russia 2k + 4k (2) with "349" numeral cancel below, addressed to the expedition leader "Carl Skottsberg, Consulado de Suecia, Punta Arenas, Chile", redirected to Ancud. A scarce ingoing cover. £100-120
| 1907-09 British Antarctic Expedition | |
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King Edward VII Land 1d used, and New Zealand 1d Universal pair from a booklet pane, used with FE 27 08 "BRIT. ANTARCTIC EXPD" c.d.s (3). Photo on Page 94. £100-120
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Picture postcards showing the "Nimrod" (2, Wharton GB-2a posted from Lyttelton, and GA-4) or views of the expedition (9) comprising GA-5, 7-12, two cards duplicated, fine. (12). £120-150
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1908 (Jan 1) Cover from Christchurch franked 3d, 4d, 5d + 6d, to the fictitious address "J.C Land, Freezing Hard Bay, King Edward VII Land" and inscribed "Per Nimrod", backstamped FE 3 "BRIT. ANTARCTIC EXPD / N.Z" c.d.s, red octagonal "CHRISTCHURCH / 11 MAR 1908 / UNCLAIMED" on the front. An attractive cover, backstamped at Cape Royds and then returned to New Zealand on the "Nimrod". Photo on Page 16. £200-250
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Unused large part postcard of Christchurch (card reduced by about 1cm at left), the reverse bearing the black oval cachet "BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION / 1907 / JAN. 14. 1908 / S.Y "NIMROD"", applied as the "Nimrod" approached the Antarctic and on the day the box containing the King Edward VII Land Post Office requirements was opened. We only know of one other example of this cachet, dated FEB. 23 1907 and applied to the reverse of a cover posted at Cape Royds. Photo on Page 16. £200-300
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1908 (Jan 15) Cover with "BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1907" printed on the flap, registered to the stamp dealer Oswald Marsh in London bearing King Edward VII 1d strip of three each tied by "BRIT. ANTARCTIC EXPD / N.Z" c.d.s, unusually without a registration label but with the registration number "47" in blue crayon, later crossed though in pencil and altered to "23", no backstamps. From the first expedition mail, cancelled on the "Nimrod" close to the Antarctic ice on the day the "Koonya" returned to New Zealand with the mails. The "Koonya" landed at Port Chalmers on January 22nd, some mail being sent to Dunedin with a further mail of 130 letters (including one registered letter) being sent to Christchurch. Registered letters from this expedition are exceptionally rare and we have only recorded one other, sent to Ceylon and cancelled on Feb. 3, which bears a registration label with the Expedition c.d.s. Registration labels were therefore possibly only used from the second expedition mail, and not on items sent on the first mail of Jan. 15th. Vertical and horizontal folds, fine appearance and rare. Photo on Page 16. £900-1,200
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1908 (Jan. 24) Cover with "BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1907" on the flap, addressed to Woodville with N.Z 1d cancelled at Christchurch, arrival backstamp (Jan 25), vertical fold, otherwise largely fine. Posted the day after the "Koonya" arrived back from the Antarctic, from a member of the "Koonya" crew or hand carried on behalf of one of the expedition members. £120-150
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1908 (Feb 3) Long cover with "BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1907" on the flap, bearing King Edward VII Land 1d tied by the Expedition c.d.s, addressed to "J. Kinsey, official representative, British Antarctic Expedition, Christchurch, N.Z", small tear at upper edge, a little toning to the stamp, otherwise fine. Cancelled at the expedition's base at Cape Royds, carried back on the "Nimrod" and handed directly to Kinsey upon the ship's arrival at Lyttelton on March 7th. £120-150
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1908 (Feb 27) Picture postcard of Dunedin addressed to the expedition's representative J.P Kinsey in Christchurch, unusually franked by a N.Z 1d booklet stamp tied by the "BRIT. ANTARCTIC EXPD / N.Z" c.d.s, applied on the "Nimrod" on its return voyage to New Zealand and handed directly to Kinsey upon the ship's arrival on March 7th. £150-180
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1908 (Feb 27) Cover to "J. McKenzie, c/o G.P.O, Christchurch" with King Edward VII Land 1d cancelled by the "BRIT. ANTARCTIC EXPD / N.Z" c.d.s in green with a further strike alongside in black, vertical fold, otherwise very fine. The Feb. 27 c.d.s applied on the "Nimrod" on its return voyage to New Zealand, used in green to cancel King Edward VII Land stamps and in black on New Zealand stamps or as an additional marking on covers cancelled in green. Central vertical fold, otherwise fine. Photo on Page 16. £150-180
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