Lot 40757 – 1805-1807. Two registered covers carried by maritime mail to Chile

1805-1807. Two covers: Feb. 1805 folded registered cover from Lima to Santiago (Chile), transported by the “La Primera” frigate as endorsed at lower left, displaying bold strikes of “Certifcacion/A.Lima” two-line and “Franca” straight-line hs in red, charged at double rate in manuscript on reverse for a total of 7 1⁄2 Reales including 5 Reales of the maritime fee and 2 1⁄2 Reales. Annotated as received including date and signature inside, as stipulated for registered mail by postal rules. Registered maritime mail is exceedingly scarce, and of great postal-history interest as an extraordinary service rarely used in this period, with just fewer than five maritime examples known. Although not being maritime mail, a similar registered cover, bearing the same postmarks and dated 1807, August 29, is also included in this lot to demonstrate the difference between the maritime and overland rates, the former being of lower cost than the postage applied on mail conveyed overland to Chile; in this case, as handwritten on reverse, being 161⁄2 reales, including 10 reales registration fee. Ex Kuori and Sitjà.