Lot 30790 – 1891 (Feb 8), Printed reply envelope sent to Manchester

1891 (Feb 8) Printed reply envelope sent to Manchester bearing Coro-La Vela « Porte Libre » (free postage) yellow label with control mark in violet « Controlada Correo del Kqmercio » (Ringström & Tester No. 13), paying the private postal service between Coro and La Vela (port of embark), also franked with 1875 25c red-brown tied by Curacao cds, this paying the portion of the journey to England, on reverse a New York foreign transit mark dated ‘FEB 19’ and an arrival in Manchester dated ‘MR 1’; envelope has some imperfection and has been reduced at top with a central vertical filing crease, otherwise an exceptional example of this fascinating and scarce issue; a similar cover is illustrated in ‘The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World, Part 1’, by Ringström and Tester (page 112) with the same posting date; only three covers known; cert. Holcombe (1984); ex Biern.