375th Auction

Thiele 4 rbs. brown with ample to good margins, tied by target cancel to letterfront with 2 side flaps with adjacent "ECKERNFÖRDE 16/9 52" to Schleswig with the stamp applied in the lower left of the entire with adjacent manuscript "frei", partly tying the stamp; since this was contrary to the postal regulations the letter was charged "3/4" schilling courant in red crayon, payable by the recipient, fine

Thiele 4 rbs. chocolate-brown, good to large margins, tied by target cancel to entire letter from "KJØBENHAVN 2/10 1852" to Saxkjöbing. Since the stamp was placed in the lower left corner of the letter against the regulations it was marked "Ubetalt Kassebrev" and charged "6" rbs. in red crayon to be paid by the recipient. Fine and scarce

Thiele 4 rbs. brown, plate 1, pos. 11 with variety 'cracked plate', tied by clear numeral "1" to cover from Copenhagen with adjacent compass postmark of 9.4.1853 to Lerchenborg near Kalundborg. Since the stamp was affixed in the lower left corner endorsed "Ubetalt" and charged "6" rbs. payable by the recipient. A fine and scarce cover. Certificate Nielsen (2004) Provenance: Peer Lortentzen (Hoiland auction, 2004)

1854/57, 2 sk. blue and 1863, perforated issue 4 sk. brown, tied by numeral "52" to lettersheet with adjacent "PRAESTØE 29 3" (1864) to Rönnede with transit and arrival marks. The cover was originally franked with 4 sk., endorsed "bet:" by the sender and presented at the post office, which decided the letter had to be treated as unpaid with a fee of 6 sk., an additional 2 sk. stamp was added and behind the "bet" a "6" was added. A very fine and most unusual letter. Certificates Grönlund (1972), Moeller BPP (2002) and Nielsen (2004) Provenance: Peer Lorentzen (Hoiland auction, 2004)

1854/57, 8 sk. green with good to large margins, in combination with 1864/70, 2 sk. blue, both in nice fresh colour, with numeral "7" on money order envelope from "ASSENS 8/8" to Faaborg with notation "fr." at lower left, therefore charged with 6 sk. unpaid letter rate + 4 sk. 'cash on delivery' fee. The 8 sk. tiny natural printing fold. The only example of this issue known with endorsement 'fr', very fine and attractive

1858, 4 sk. orange-brown with good to large margins, tied by numeral "66" to lettersheet from "SCHLESWIG 25 3 1860" to Flensburg, endorsed "frei" against regulations, endorsed "Postbox letter - not paid (signature). The letter was treated as unpaid, precharged with 6 skilling from which the value of the stamp was reduced, so charged "2" skilling in red crayon. Credit given for the applied postage stamps was only between April 1-July 24, 1851 and after July 12, 1858. An interesting and scarce letter. Certificate Moeller BPP (2002)

1863, Entire double rate letter dated "Leipzig am 31. Januar 63", privately carried to Crempe in Holstein and here dropped in a letterbox endorsed "frei" in the lower left, postally endorsed "Kassenbrief nicht bezahlt (signature)" and sent from "CREMPE 9/2 1863" to Riepen, charged with "12" skilling in red crayon to be paid by the recipient. A rare and unusual letter

1864/70, 3 sk. violet with numeral "44" used on local lettersheet with adjacent "NAESTVED 16 6" endorsed "fr" in the lower left contrary to the postal regulations, so that the unpaid letter rate of 3 sk. instead of 2 sk. had to be paid. An attractive and exceedingly rare single franking; one of 3 examples recorded

3 sk. lilac in horizontal pair (left stamp with perforation cut by scissors at left), tied by numeral "92" on lettersheet from "SKJELSKJØR 2 10" to Copenhagen. The 3 sk. pair affixed on top of an endorsement "franco", so the postal clerk charged the unpaid letter rate of 6 sk., which was noted at upper right of the envelope and was paid in stamps. Fine and rare letter

1864/70, 3 sk. lilac in horizontal pair and 8 sk. yellow-brown, tied by numeral "75" to registered lettersheet from "VARDE 23/5" to Skjern, endorsed in lower left "fr". Since cash payment was not longer accepted from April 1, 1868 the letter was treated as unpaid and franked with 6 sk. unpaid letter rate + 8 sk. registration fee. Vertical cover crease not affecting the stamps, otherwise fine and rare. Certificate Nielsen (2005)

1869, Original letter of explanation from the General Post Directorate in Copenhagen to the post office at Aarhus about an express letter which was presented to the post office carrying a 4 sk. adhesive in the top of the right corner and in the bottom left corner a number of adhesives corresponding to the express fee, for which the sender was asked to pay an additional 2 sk. for unpaid letter rate. The General Post Directorate answers detailed, that this action was completely in accordance with the present regulations. A very interesting original document

Thiele 4 rbs. reddish-brown, 1st printing, plate I, pos. 99, used with numeral "20" on lettersheet with adjacent "KJØBENHAVN JRBPST EXP. 25/4 1853" to Frederiksborg with manuscript notation "found in the mail box with a previously used stamp" and charged "6" skilling in red crayon prepaid by the recipient. A very fine and rare item of postal fraud; the only recorded letter of this period franked with a previously used 4 rbs. Reference: J. Schmidt-Andersen, 'Danmarks Første Frimaerke'

1854/57, 4 sk. orange-brown, used and damage copy, applied to lettersheet to Copenhagen addressed to Holbek, dropped in a letterbox. Adjacent manuscript "invalid" and "A previously used stamp - letterbox (signature)" sent forward with Copenhagen compass handstamp and charged "6" skilling in red crayon to be paid by the recipient. A very rare example of postal fraud

1854/57, 4 sk. orange-brown with large margins, tied by clear strike of numeral "87" to lettersheet, previously postmarked "LYGUMKLOSTER 10/11 1857" (the stamp slightly applied above the postmark) to Copenhagen. An extremely fine letter which shows a postal fraud committed by a postal clerk. The letter was brought into the post office where the clerk received 6 skilling in cash; he postmarked the letter, but did not endorse it with "franco" and later applied a 4 skilling stamp from the post office stock, pocketing 2 skilling for himself. The only recorded example of such a fraud for the first issues of Denmark. Certificate Nielsen (1999)

4 sk. orange-brown, a previously used copy with clear marks of circle cancellation, used a second time with clear numeral "51" on lettersheet with adjacent clear blue "ODENSE 9/3" to Bogense with arrival mark of the same day. A fine letter, believed to be the only surviving example of such postal fraud with this stamp. Certificate Vagn Jensen (1998)

1864/70, 4 sk. vermilion, a previously used copy, fixed with wafer seal and with unclear cancellation to entire letter with adjacent cds. "SVENDBORG 18 12" (1865) from Troense to Vemmetofte near Rønnede; interesting and very unusual fraud on the Post Office.

TO HAMBURG: 1852, Entire letter from "KJØBENHAVN 7/10 1852" to Hamburg, prepaid with "16" skilling postage + "8" skilling late fee, endorsed "p Slesvig via Kiel", unusual and scarce entire

Thiele 1st. printing 4 rbs. brown, horitzontal strip of 4, slightly touched at bottom at right, parts of 2 neighbours at top, tied by numeral "1" to entire letter with Copenhagen compass handstamp of 28.2.1853 to Hamburg

Thiele 4 rbs. brown, close margins and partly slightly touched, uncancelled on entire letter with adjacent blue manuscript "Copenhagen 19/8" (1853) and endorsed "P Obotrit via Wismar" to Hamburg, showing on reverse blue Wismar cds. of 20.8., railroad mark "HAGENOW-ROSTOCK" and distribution mark; taxed "5" Mecklenburg schilling. In addition a letter from the same correspondence of July 16, 1852, paid in cash with "16" skilling without transit and arrival marks. A very interesting pair

"LÜTJENBURG", black boxed marking with adjacent "7/8" (1855) on quadruple rate lettersheet to police headquarters at Hamburg, cash paid and endorsed "frei 24", fine. The boxed marking was used only in autumn 1855

TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GERMAN POSTAL UNION: 1855, Envelope from "KJØBENHAVN 5 8 1858" to Wildbad in the Kingdom of Württemberg, prepaid with "9" skilling Danish postage "4" skilling late fee and "13" skilling German postage which is marked with "3" groschen in red crayon. On reverse transit mark of Hamburg, Baden railroad mark and arrival mark; fine and scarce

1856, Lettersheet from "AHRENSBÖCK 21 2 1856" to Sickte in the Duchy of Brunswick, obviously dropped in a letterbox endorsed "free" with adjacent notation "Not paid (signature)". The letter was charged 6 skilling unpaid letter rate, noted as "1 2/3" gutegroschen at upper left; Brunswick charged a total of "3 ggr"; on reverse transit mark of Danish PO at Hamburg and distribution mark. An interesting item

4 sk. orange-brown, horizontal strip of 3, slightly touched at left, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "6" from "AABENRAA 0/6 1859" (1 missing) to Bruel in Mecklenburg-Schwerin with Mecklenburg cds. "HAMBURG 10/6" applied over the dispatch mark, most likely to 'correct' the date; the Mecklenburg share of the postage noted as "3/4" (schilling courant). A fine and interesting cover

TO ENGLAND: 16 sk. lilac in horizontal pair with 1855, 2 sk. blue with large margins, tied in transit with Lübeck numeral "3" to incomplete lettersheet (top and bottom flaps missing) with adjacent "K.B. aus Dänemark" to London with arrival mark on front; on reverse transit marks of the Danish and city post offices of Lübeck and railroad mark "BERLIN-HAMBURG". The front shows the unusual Lubeck mark for the ship's moveable box for letters on board ship. An attractive and rare war rate ship letter where 2 sk. extra was paid for the routing via Lübeck, from the wellknown Westenholz-correspondence. Certificate Dr. Debo BPP (1993)  

TO THE NETHERLANDS WITH POSTAL FRAUD ON THE POST OFFICE: 4 sk. vermilion, a damaged copy, previously used on a letter with blue paper of which a portion still adheres to the gum side, used with 2 sk. and 8 sk. yellow-brown (applied with large thin) tied by duplex "181/SJ.JD.P.S.P.D 31/6" to lettersheet to Amsterdam with arrival mark; an interesting and colourful cover sent abroad

TO NORWAY: 2 sk. blue and 1858, 4 sk. orange-brown, the 2 sk. clear at bottom, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "1" with adjacent blue Copenhagen cds. to entire printed matter to Christiania, Norway with Sandosund arrival mark of August 1, 1861; very fine and rare, certificate Dr. Debo BPP (1988) Provenance: Christian Andersen (Postilionen, 1989)

TO SWEDEN: 1858, 4 sk. brown, just clear at right, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "1" with adjacent "KJØBENHAVN 27 5" (1861) on cpl. printed matter to Uddewalla, Sweden with Gotheborg transit mark, fine

INCOMING MAIL: 1855, Freight circular sent as "REGISTERED NEWSPAPER" franked with GB 1856/58, 1 d. red-brown from "NEWCASTLE ON TYNE DE 15 1855" via Ostende to Helsingør

SMALL BALANCE: 1851/61, 3 franked letters (2 with 4 rbs.), unfranked letter and 2 price currents from London to Denmark, one with "HULL SHIP LETTER"