
(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.


(Disinfected Mail) 1833 entire to Marseille with framed ‘PAYS D’OUTREMER’ handstamp and Marseille cds alongside, reverse with straight-line MARTINIQUE despatch and italic ‘Purifiee a Marseille’ (partly missing) and another arrival cancel. Deisinfected with rastel punching.

(Disinfected Mail) 1839 (17 Mai) entire to Marseille with manuscript “La Montagne” dateline, red Outre Mer Marseille cds on front with manuscript rate, reverse with straight-line MARTINIQUE handstamp and italic ‘Purifie a Marseille’ disinfection handstamp, with two vertical slits; fine and fresh.

1783 (4 Avril) entire to Bordeaux bearing a good example of red cursive COLONIE handstamp, without other markings in very fine condition

1829 entire from St Pierre to Bordeaux annotated at base “par La Rose Julienne” and bearing straight-line MARTINIQUE handstamp and red framed ‘Pays Outremer/ Par Le Havre’ applied on arrival, rated 15 decimes


1830 entire to Le Havre bearing fin framed PAYS D'OUTREMER/ PAR NANTES handstamp with unclear cds alongside, reverse with straight-line MARTINIQUE and red arrival cds; fine and fresh condition.


1834 (March 26) entire letter from Paris to St. Pierre, endorsed “Belisaire”, charged at “60” centimes in manuscript upon arrival, with forwarding agent carriage denoted in manuscript on reverse with “Acheminee par Lamotte du Havre”. Some edge wear and splitting. Scarce.

1841 (July 12) entire from St Pierre to Bordeaux, endorsed “Via havre” with framed MARTINIQUE handstamp, red OUTRE-MER LE HAVRE entry cds and arrivl backstamp, with “15” decimes single rate charge.


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.

1877 (12 Mai) stampless entire to Bordeaux endorsed “Voie anglaise” with very fine Martinique St. Pierre cds, triangular-framed ‘T’ handstamp and manuscript rate “7” in blue which has been crossed out in blue crayon, fine blue Colonies Fra.V.Angl cds, arrival backstamp.

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.

1894 (12 Avril) cover to Paris bearing single franking 15c. tied blue octagonal Corr D’Armees Fort De France date stamp with arrival cancel to right with four-line military cachet on reverse. Ex. Grabowski.

1902 (1 Dec) AR registered cover to Strasbourg bearing single franking 75c. tied Fort de France Chargements cds, framed ‘R’ and ‘AR’ in same blue-green ink, arrival backstamp. A fine single franking.

A truncated 1874 front addressed to Paris bearing a corner marginal strip of Ceres 15c. tied by MQE lozenges, origination in the small village of St Marie and sent with blue Martinique Ajoupa cds, endorsed “Voie anglaise” and would have been collected by Shannon on 14th except it was wrecked on the 8th so would have been carried to Plymouth by Nile. Ex Brian Brookes.


BRITISH POST OFFICES ABROAD - Second British Occupation of Martinique: 1799 (March 20): Entire letter from Capt. H. Ferguson headed 'Martinico' to Charles Cox in London, struck on reverse with brilliant strike of two line dated "FORT ROYAL / MAY 26. 99" handstamp in black (Jamet type 1). Rated '1/8d.' to pay in manuscript this entire appears to be the duplicate letter to the ex Robert G. Stone and Brian Brooks entire (lot 2077) with contents "I understand it is settled now that the 'Vengeance' is to take the Convoy that's ordered to be ready to sail from St. Kitts on the 5th May... Mr: Macnamara is agent for the Vengeance proportion for the prizes for Trinidad, he is now in London and if he has received the Prize Money from Messrs. Higgins & Coleman...". An even better strike of this rare marking than the Stone / Brooks cover. Rare. Provenance: Collection Dubois, Corinphila sale 267, June 2021, lot 4077.


FRENCH COLONIES - MARTINIQUE: 1871 (11 MAI) Folded cover to France franked 1859 10c. brown 3 pairs + 80c. tied by MQE lozenge, some stamps touched in places, St Pierre Martinique c.d.s. alongside, arrival backstamp, fine.


FRENCH COLONIES - MARTINIQUE: 1890 (26 Oct) envelope to France franked French Colonies 1881-86 Commerce 15c blue tied by blue octagonal C.D. ARMEES FORT DE FRANCE datestamo, another strike alongside, undated large hexagonal CORRESPONDENCE D’ARMEES MARTINIQUE in reverse with blue Paris Etranger B Nov cds arrival, fine.

MARTINIQUE: 1769 (June 8): Entire letter to Beaune, France bearing manuscript "Trinité" and "affranchie". Very fine, this being the earliest recorded manuscript mark known from any of the sub offices, other than that of St. Pierre. Provenance: Collection Brian Brookes, Spink, London, November 2018, lot 2511.


MARTINIQUE: 1787: Entire to Bordeaux bearing manuscript rate markings and straight-line handstamp "LA MARTINIQUE". A fine early entire in good condition.