Lot 42285 – 1863 cover franked with the rare ‘Eagle’ 2r green sent

1863-64, 2r green, cut slightly into at top, touched at right, but with portions of neighbouring stamps on two sides, paying the inland rate to St. Thomas for foreign mail on 1863, dec. 6 entire letter from Caracas to Gironde, France, tied by dispatch cds, French entry and Anglo-french accountancy marking with “8” décimes alongside, the second earliest usage known of this value, which is exceedingly rare on cover, with only six examples recorded of this stamp complete (not being a half bisect or a quarter bisect); certs. Club Filatélico de Caracas (1984) and Moorhouse (2015); ex Heister.