Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 11027 - The Chartwell Collection - Great Britain Line-Engraved Essays, Proofs, Stamps & Covers Part 1
Lot: 1516

1847-54 Embossed Issues 1/- Green Covers 1855 (10 Jan.) parcel front registered to Paris bearing 1/- green, die 2 strips of four (3), pair and 6d. purple cancelled by "409" numeral of Jersey with a neat strike of the despatch c.d.s., two fine strikes of the Jersey crown registered handstamp in black applied before the adhesives, large "P-D" in oval, London crown registered in red, Calais transit (12.1) and straight-line "chargé" in red, the corner with message and signature of Victor Hugo which translates, "the postal service can dispense itself from opening this packet as it only contains absolute insignificant drawings", which would possibly indicate that the original parcel would have carried the manuscript for his latest novel at the time; a few margin and other faults which do not detract from this fresh and striking cover. An important and charismatic item of both social and philatelic importance Estimate £ 3,000-4,000 Madame Girardin exercised considerable personal influence in contemporary literary society, and in her drawing-room were often to be found Théophile Gautier, Honoré de Balzac, Alfred de Musset and Victor Hugo. When Victor Hugo was exiled in Jersey, she came from Paris on an extended visit to see him in September 1853 .

Sold for
£9,500