Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 26012 - The Dr. Erick Reeber Collection, FRPSL
Lot: 1202

(x) Madagascar
Royal Mail
Neither the Kingdom of Imerina nor the other regions of Madagascar had any postal administration. A Royal Messenger Service was introduced in Imerina in 1790, utilising runners on an ad hoc basis. By 1828, a corps of runners linked the capital, Tananarivo with the port of Tamatave on the east coast, with Fianarantosa in the south central region, and Maevatanana in the central north. During the reign of the last Queen, Ranavalona III (1883-97), pre-printed envelopes were used for official mail to the regional governors. In 1896, the last year of the Kingdom of Imerina's independence, the Malagasy Mail was established with a runner service from the capital to Tamatave.
In one of the few portions of Madagascar not dominated by the Kingdo, of Imeria, the King of Yfassy in the far north established a runner post in 1878 and again from 1882 which connected the mouth of the river Ifassy on the north-west cast to Vohemar on the north-east coast and onwards south to Sambava. This service linked the island of Nossi-be (off the north-west coast) to the east coast.
1830 (1 July) entire letter from Ramiaramanana, possibly a son of reigning Queen Ranavalona (1828-1861), widow of Radama I, addressed to Lieutenant James Liardet on board H.M. Sloop Jaguar? at Cape of Good Hope and now staying at Antananarivo. The prince is giving an account of his studies in demotic English. Photo

provenance:
David Feldman auction, May 2010, Lot 40016

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

Estimate
£800 to £1,000

Starting price
£550