Lot 70118 – 1855, 2r violet, 4cu red in two horizontal blocks of six, on large registered cover front to France

A UNIQUE REGISTERED MAIL USAGE

1855, 2r violet, single example, 4cu red in two horizontal blocks of six, all well margined except for one block which is cut slightly into in a small place at lower left, tied by oval grid cancels in blue on large registered cover front to Paris with blue ‘OVIEDO/29 JUN 55’ cds on dispatch alongside, with manuscript notations as proofs of transit in Spain and indicating place and date including Valladolid on July 1st, Burgos on July 2nd and Vitoria on July 3th, with red St-Jean-de-Luz entry cds in France and two “Chargé” straight-line hs, one infrequently tying the 2r denomination; vertical crease which is not visible in one of the blocks and corner crease to cover clear of the franking, a unique and most desirable registered franking on mail sent abroad

Note: A similar large cover sent to the same addressee, but only exhibiting a 1855 4cu block of seven, was sold at auction by Afinsa for €29,000 (not including buyer’s premium) in 2000; the renowned expert Martín Royo presumed that cover to be franked at triple printed matter registered rate according to the 1849 Convention