Lot 30067 – THE EXTREMELY RARE MANUSCRIPT OVERPRINT USAGE 1

THE EXTREMELY RARE MANUSCRIPT OVERPRINT USAGE 1890 (Aug 4) Envelope sent to the Managing Director of the Eastern Telegraph Company at London via Marseille bearing marginal example of 1882-90 4 1/2a with unauthorized manuscript “Zanzibar”, tied with 3-bar squared circle canceller and accepted for postage by local postal officials, minor soiling, very rare, one of only four covers known with manuscript overprint from Zanzibar. Notes: All four covers are recorded in June – August 1890, with all reported to he same addressee and are presumably from the Company’s agents in Zanzibar & Mombasa. Two similar covers are known from British East Africa, one of which recently sold at auction for £28,000. The Eastern Telegraph Company was responsible for laying the underwater cables between Zanzibar, Mombasa, & Lamu.