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Auction: SW1020 - Maritime Mail of Spanish Colonies in America
Lot: 40

CubaOutgoing Mail1804, Feb 4. Entire letter from Havana via Cádiz to Mataró (Spain), with involvement of the Spanish Royal Mail Service, bearing elusive red "Islas De/Barlovento." two-line handstamp (P.E. 32) and manuscript 4 reales rate. Interesting contents stating the capture of a Spanish mail ship carrying correspondence from Cuba, which after two or three days of combat against a British corvette, was taken to Jamaica by the British, killing its captain and destroying the correspondence; the sender expresses the suspicion that, meanwhile the war will last, the British will take actions of this nature against Spaniards and French. As a matter of fact, the Anglo-Spanish War (1796-1802, 1804-1808) was retaken in 1804 as a result of the reopening of the war with Napoleonic France, when the British captured a Spanish squadron of frigates carrying gold bullion from America to Cádiz. A fascinating and most rare entire of great interest. Ex Kouri.

Estimate
€500