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Auction: 21030 - The 'Greca' Collection of Southern African Postal History
Lot: 175

Orange Free State
Combination Covers
Mail to United Kingdom
1873 (3 Oct.) front (backed on thin card) from Ficksburg to Keighley, redirected to Leeds and marked "Try Cononley", bearing Orange Free State 6d. in combination with Cape of Good Hope 4d. and 1/-, the 6d. and 4d. cancelled by "18" in barred oval and the 1/- uncancelled and showing despatch and Leeds (4.1) datestamps, the front sent via Natal and showing framed "col postage/half fine__/total__" and manuscript "4" (deleted) and "2/-" charge marks; some faults but a most intiguing item. Photo

Note: The normal route was via the Cape Colony, where the internal Cape Colony letter rate of 4d. and the ocean postage to England of 1/- needed to be paid in Cape Colony postage stamps. This, along with the 6d. Orange Free State internal postage, was paid. For some reason, the cover was sent via Natal, where no internal postage was required, but the ocean postage of 1/- needed to be paid using Natal postage stamps. A manuscript 4d. charge mark was incorrectly marked on the cover, but then crossed out as Natal did not charge the internal postage, and if they had it would have been 2d., double the 1d. internal rate valid at the time. The 1/- ocean postage deficiency was doubled and shown as 2/-, on the right, but also crossed out. It was again shown on the left, as the amount to be collected by the recipient. The Natal accountancy handstamp at the top left was not filled in, but it should have shown the Colonial Postage as the 1/- ocean postage, and 6d. as half of the 1/- fine for being unpaid without Natal stamps) with a total of 1/6d. due to the Natal post office from the British post office that collected the 2/- from the recipient.

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Sold for
£450

Starting price
£400