Lot 51508 – 1899 (January) Registered cover to New York the unique fifth printing pair on an international registered cover

1899 (Jan) Registered cover to New York (USA), incredibly franked with a pair of 5c on 4m blue-green, fifth printing, positions 4-5, tied by a clear strike of the Puerto Principe cds, the right stamp also tied by the purple registry mark, arrival datestamp to back 21 January, carried at 5c Spanish colonial rate for international mail plus registration fee; the left stamp has a tear lower left, the right a missing corner top right, the cover a vertical filing crease and small tear at top with a tiny part of the back missing; these imperfections pale into insignificance given the importance of this cover which exhibits the unique fifth printing pair on cover to pay the combination of the international destination and the registration fee; a remarkable envelope which has rightly graced the collections of many of the great Puerto Principe collectors; cert. Friedl (1978), signed Tows; ex Robertson, Tows, Juhring and Prats.