Lot 10151 – 1866 (Nov 8). Cover from Caracas to France, with 1864-67 2r St. Thomas-La Guaria-Puerto Cabello private ship letter stamp

1866 (Nov 8). Cover from Caracas to France, with 1864-67 2r St. Thomas-La Guaria-Puerto Cabello private ship letter stamp (Felix Rasco of Caracas printing) cancelled by circle of dots, paying the carriage to St. Thomas, from where is was placed onboard RMSPC SS “Seine” to Southampton, then transiting Calais and on to Bordeaux with arrival bs, with Anglo-French Treaty 1F60c accountancy hs and “10” decimes charge, very fine; one of the rarest cancellations on this issue and probably unique on cover, with no examples included in the sales of Julius Steindler, Frenz Gregory, Jan Berg, Rongström and H. E. Tester, and only strikes off cover illustrated in Ringström & Tester handbook p.99 which states “origin unknown”; signed G. Bolaffi, A. Bolaffi, A. Diena and Lamy, cert. G. Bolaffi (1968).

Note: According to FACIT this stamp is from stone II6 and is unpriced on cover from this printing; and according to Kelly it is from the 3rd stone with the “dot in the ship’s foresail and a small tail on the “Q” in “PAQUETE” (see Ringström p.43).