GRENADA

Covers and stamps / Grenada / Pre stamp

GRENADA: 1845 (Sept 23): Outer letter sheet addressed "To the Secretaries of the Wesleyan Missions / at the Centenary Hall and Mission House / Bishopsgate Street within / London", first rated "I/-", deleted and re-rated "2" showing a good strike of the very rare CARRIACOU straight-line handstamp in brownish ink, the reverse with two arrival datestamps (Oct 20) in red. Cert. RPS (2003). Note: The London proof book shows this marking as "CARRIACOU / SHIP LETTER" and was sent 10 Grenada in August of 1841, evidently it was more useful as a normal town name marking as no example with the "SHIP LETTER" portion is known, though one of three examples dated 1842 shows a trace of it establishing that it indeed was removed, this 1845 cover is the only other and thereby latest cover with this rare straight line marking of a total of four examples recorded. Provenance: Collections Danforth Walker and Joseph Hackmey. Shreves Philatelic Galleries, sale 57, June 2003, lot 135.