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Auction: 24030 - Stamps and Covers of the World
Lot: 4038

(x) Venezuela
Maritime Mail
1879 (Sept. 17) entire letter from Caracas to New York, bearing a superb "correos de venezuela/caracas" double circle without date, denoting initial handling by the Venezuelan mails for carriage to St. Thomas before being entrusted to the Danish West Indies office, where it was properly franked for onward transmission to the United States, with 1876 10c. blue and brown (one perforation missing at left), tied by St. Thomas c.d.s., twice repeated alongside, with "new york/paid all" duplex datestamp on reverse. A very significant West Indies and Venezuela maritime mail rarity, representing one of just two covers known to have originated from Venezuela and exhibiting Danish West Indies franking, this being undoubtedly the finest. Meri Certificate (2024) and signed Holcombe. Scott 10. Photo

Note: According to Venezuelan postal law at the time, prepayment of letters addressed abroad was ineffective because, prior to Venezuela's entry into the UPU (January 1880), Venezuelan prepayment was not recognized internationally. Therefore, the cover could not have been franked or prepaid in any manner upon departure. While the identity of the person who affixed the Danish West Indian stamp on the front of the cover in St. Thomas can only be speculated upon, it is plausible to assume that the stamp was applied by the Danish West Indian Postal Administration. This would indicate to the U.S. Postal Administration in New York that postage for the cover had indeed been paid, possibly under an agreement between the two postal administrations. Whether the postage was ultimately collected from the addressee remains uncertain, but the presence of the "New York Pail All" duplex cancellation on the reverse suggests that the letter was most likely fully prepaid using the Danish West Indian stamp.
provenance:
Federico Borromeo D'Adda

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

Estimate
£4,000 to £5,000