(Anjouan) 1895 (25 Mai) 10c. ‘Sultanat d’Anjouan’ postal stationery card to London cancelled blue octagonal ANJOUAN COL. FRANC., repeated at left and overstruck with D’Zaoudzi Mayotte transit, Marseille A La Reunion maritime date stamp, annotated “ViaLa Reunion/ et Seychelles”. Some toning, Ex. Grabowski.
(British Occupation) 1811 (18th April) entire to Philadelphia endorsed "Via Baltimore" and with accounting at top, entire headed as written from St. Pierre, without postal markings and sent during period of British Blockade and Occupation during Napoleonic Wars; fine and clean.
(Djibouti) 1902 ‘0,05’ on 75c. applied on printed newspaper wrapper “Journal Franco-Ethiopien Djibouti” to Paris cancelled by blue Cote Francaise des Somalis Djibouti cds.
(French Maritime Mail) 1869 (1 Sept) entire to Dijon, France bearing, at military concession rate, 20c Laureated Napoleon tied by anchor in dotted lozenge with Cor. D. Arm. Lig. T. Paq.Fr. no.1 cds at right, framed PD at centre, reverse with Paris transit and arrival cds. Inverted month in cancel. A recently discovered cover from the Messageries Imperiales shipping agent in Mahe. The French Post Office at Mahe was open from 1864 to 1870, the agent corresponded back to France over this period. Of this correspondence of 11 covers only three bore French stamps.
(French Post Office) 1897 (4 Sept) registered, slightly larger cover to Metz franked at 7½a. double rate with registration with 2a. on 20c., 2 ½a. on 25c. and 3a. on 30c. tied double ring cds, red framed ‘R’ handstamp, La Reunion A Marseille LV. No.3 octagonal maritime cancel, Metz arrival backstamp. The backflap is missing but still desirable as the latest recorded use of the red ‘R’.
(French Post Offices) 1922 large piece bearing eight values from the scarce large surcharges issue, each stamp cancelled with framed AR handstamp, the two Merson stamps with complete handstamp and very rare like this.
(Society Islands) 1909 (29 Avril) 10c. postal stationery envelope to Germany cancelled Taravao Tahiti cds with Papeete transit at base and San Francisco machine transit on reverse. Ex. Grabowski.
1783 (4 Avril) entire to Bordeaux bearing a good example of red cursive COLONIE handstamp, without other markings in very fine condition
1794 (23rd April) outer letter sheet to “Salopian Coffee House”, London bearing cursive ‘PORTS/ MOUTH’ incoming handstamp, arrival backstamp. This occupation during the Napoleonic War lasted for 6 months only, this item a few days after invasion.
1833 incoming entire from Marseille to Basse Terre with framed ‘POINTE A PITRE/ GUADELOUPE/ 12 FEVRIER 1833’; a little erosion on back and small stain on front. Ex. Grabowski.
1842 (8 Juin) entire to France with bold strike of POSTE/ DU/ MOULE despatch with red French entry cds at right, reverse with Paris transit of 23 Juin and arrival of next day; central vertical filing crease.
1872 (12 Oct) envelope to Royan franked 1871 Laureated Napoleon 30c pair and Ceres 40c pair, each cancelled by MQE lozenge, St Pierre cds alongside the letter, endorsed at top “Packet anglais” at top, blue French entry cds at right. Some variable margins and name excised from envelope. Ex Brian Brookes
1872 (26 Janv) outer letter sheet to Havre franked 1871 80c Laureated Napoleon and 1871 Ceres 20c and 40c tied by two MQE lozenges, Martinique St. Pierre cds to left ad at right red French Le Havre entry cds of 12 Fevr for mail arriving from England. The cover was collected by ‘Eider’ and delivered to St Thomas on 28th, transferred the next day to ‘Nile’ which arrived in Plymouth on 10th February. Margin faults to stamps, still an attractive early three colour franking, Ex Brian Brookes.
1875 (25 Juin) cover to Paris, franked General Colony 1871-76 ‘Ceres’ 15c pair and a 40c. with close to mostly large margins lightly cancelled with grille handstamps, Guadeloupe Port Louis cds to right, framed PD and blue 3 Col. Fr.Paq F? 3 St NAZAIRE date stamp, reverse with *PAQ.FR.* Pointe A Pitre Guad cds and arrival cds. Fine and fresh condition. Ex. Grabowski.
1876 (12 Dec) envelope to Saurat franked 1872-73 General Colony 10c brown/rose and 30c brown, good to clear margins, cancelled SNG in lozenge with St Louis cds in association at left, reverse with octagonal Col Fr. Paq. Fr. J No.6 date stamp, various local transits and arrival cds; small fault at base of envelope. A fine cover, Ex. Sacher.
1876 envelope to France bearing single franking 1872-77 80c. Ceres, four good to large margins, lightly cancelled lozenge with SPM at centre, cds in association bottom left. As the cancel was unclear the stamp was given a new lozenge with AR P at centre on arrival in France, French transit backstamps. The envelope with central vertical filing crease and front used to make a note.
1878 (27 Janv) envelope to Paris bearing mixed issue General Colony 1871-76 5c. Ceres and 1877-78 40c., all with mostly large margins, cancelled Guyane Cayenne, to right octagonal Corr D’Armees Cayenne date stamp of same dat, blue French entry cds. An extremely fine cover.
1878 (7 Janv) mourning envelope to Scheibenhardt, Alsace, Germany bearing three-colour franking 1872-73 General Colony ‘Ceres’ 5c., 10c. and 25c., the latter with small corner fault, otherwise close to large margins, tied by SNG lozenges, St. Louis cds in association, red French maritime cds, endorsed on reverse “Correspondence des armees” and signed. Despite this the cover was prepaid the full 40c. rate as Alsace was now part of Germany and the military rate did not apply. Ex Sacher
1880 (23 Nov.) envelope to Isseredun, France bearing single franking 25c. ultramarine ‘Sage’, close to large margins, tied Fort de France cds with another strike to left and in between red octagonal Col. Fr. Lig.B.Paq.Fr.N2 maritime date stamp for the “Lafayette”. Small part of bottom flap missing otherwise fine and fresh.
1880 (7 Nov) cover to France franked General Colony 15c. ‘Sage’ imperf top marginal, margin bumped at right, tied scarce blue octagonal Corr d’Armee St Louis date stamp, repeated at top with Paq Fr. J. No.5 octagonal date stamp, reverse with Officers signature.