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Auction: 24030 - Stamps and Covers of the World
Lot: 4036

(x) Venezuela
1863-65, 2r. green bisect, horizontal quarter used as ½ Real on cover from Puerto Cabello to Caracas, slightly tied in transit by “correos/mar 4/la guaira” c.d.s. (while the exact year of this item cannot be confirmed, this cancel was used until the end of February 1865); some creasing and a closed small tear on the cover, with one side flap partly missing, though not detracting from its overall appeal. A fascinating and visually striking usage, with the only recorded cover bearing a quarter of this stamp, an exceptional rarity in Venezuelan classic philately (as any quadrisect is absolutely extraordinary in Venezuelan philately). There is one additional example, severed into disparate shapes, but used on a large fragment (illustrated on page 40 of Wickersham’s “The Early Stamps of Venezuela” handbook). Dr. Heister certificate (2020), signed Holcombe. Scott 14b. Photo.

Note: The severed stamp, representing a 1/2r. denomination, was used to pay the single-weight letter rate within 25 miles, between La Guaira and Caracas. From 1859 to 1866, letters originating from Puerto Cabello and addressed to Caracas were likely carried by maritime means via La Guaira, from where the mail only required franking of 1/2 Real (single weight) for the land route to Caracas. The basis for this regulation is unknown, but it has been substantiated by several existing items that confirm this usage.
provenance:
Dale-Lichtenstein
Enrique Martín de Bustamante
Dr. Knut Heister

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£15,000 to £20,000