366. Auktion März 2018

FROM DENMARK: 1800 (ca.), Small lettersheet addressed to the Royal Trademaster Søren Egtved at Thorshavn, endorsed "over Sønderhoe paa Farøe", on reverse well preserved red wax seal "KONG:GRØNL:Handl og Fiskerf:Segl"; extremely fine and very rare cover, the earliest know incoming cover recorded. Certificate C.A. Möller (2014) Søren Egtved living on the Faroe Islands is recorded between 1790 and Summer 1805

1825, Entire letter from Copenhagen to Thorshavn

1839, Entire parcel accompanying letter with long contents from Copenhagen to Zacharias Heinsen in Bø; the outer sheet slightly damaged at left, otherwise fine. The earliest recorded incoming parcel letter to the Faroes

1849, Entire parcel accompanying letter dated 12 June for a parce with 40 riksdaler in silver to Pastor Jörgensen at Naes with registration number "No. 11"; little smudge at top, otherwise very fine; a very rare parcel letter

1854, Entire letter from "SKANDERBORG 1 10 1854" to Thorshavn, franked with "FIRE R.B.S." olive-brown with clear to ample margins, neatly cancelled "63". A beautiful cover of greatest rarity, only 3 FIRE R.B.S.-covers to the Faroes are recorded. Certificates C.A. Möller (2000) and Nielsen (2004) The 4 R.B.S. covered the postage from Skanderborg to Copenhagen; from Copenhagen letters were sent free of charge to the Faroe Islands Provenance: Peer Lorentzen (2004)

1853, Double rate lettersheet from "FAABORG 15/8 1853" to Bø, franked with vertical pair FIRE R.B.S., plate 1, cut along the frame line at top, otherwise wide margins, tied by numeral "15". A very fine and extremely rare letter, one out of 3 recorded FIRE R.B.S. covers to the Faroe Islands and the only one recorded with double rate Provenance: Chris Mc.Gregor (1995), Peer Lorentzen (2004)

1854, Entire letter from "KJØBENHAVN 17 12 1854" via Lübeck, Ostende, London, Aberdeen and Lerwick to Thorshavn, prepaid with 39 skilling incl. 9 skilling Danish share and 30 skilling (= 7 sgr.) foreign share which was split: 3 sgr. each for Germany and Great Britain and 1 sgr. Belgium transit; very fine and rare, only 4 letters recorded with this rate

1854, Entire letter from "KJØBENHAVN 16 12 1854" to Pastor Krog on Suderø, sent via Wismar, London and Aberdeen to Lerwick and from here to the Faroes. The letter was prepaid with "43" skilling (= 10 sgr.) for a single rate letter. Since the letter was overweight this amount paid just the Danish and German share (2 x 2 sgr. + 2 x 3 sgr.) and the cover was endorsed "fr. Gr." (franco Grenze), England taxed an additional "4" d. of which Belgium received ½ d.; a fine and rare item of incoming mail Provenance: Christian Andersen (2004)

1869, Lettersheet (somewhat damaged on reverse) from Copenhagen, franked with Coat of Arms 3 sk. in horizontal pair and 8 sk., tied by numeral "1", to Leith and forwarded by private ship to the Faroes, Edinburgh transit mark of 7.8.1869; light horizontal bend through the pair, otherwise fine; 5 covers recorded at this rate, opinion Möller BPP (2003) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

FROOM NORWAY: 1851, Entire letter dated 14 May from Kragero, sent privately to Thorshavn endorsed "t Capt Koldbjörndsen". This is the earliest recorded example of foreign mail exchanged between the Faroe Islands and any country other than Denmark; very fine

1854, Entire letter from "KRAGEO 20/10 1854" to Copenhagen and taxed "24" skilling; complete original contents concerning Faroe Islands trade monopoly business

2 sk. blue/grey (defective at upper right), tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 6/6" to envelope with original contents to Tveraa, Suderø; cover opened at two sides; an attractive and very rare skilling-cover, certificate C.A. Möller (2004) Provenance: Roland King-Farlow (1971), Christian Andersen (2004)

Bicoloured issue 2 sk. blue/grey with 'frame inverted', tied by numeral "238" with adjacent "THORSHAVN 22/8" (date inverted) to entire letter to Tveraa; a light horizontal cover crease affecting the stamp slightly, otherwise very fine and fresh. Only few local skilling covers are recorded and just 3 with the numeral cancellation, of which this is the best and most attractive one; certificates JKE (1992), Nielsen (1992) and C.A. Möller (1992) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

4 sk. red/grey, tied by clear numeral "238" to lettersheet with adjacent clear "THORSHAVN 9/5" to Copenhagen; the stamp with rounded corner at lower right, otherwise fine; a very scarce cover, only five 4 sk. covers are recorded with "238" postmark, certificate Wowern (1986)

4 sk. red/grey as additional franking on postcard 2 sk. blue, tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 3/6" (1871,date inverted), addressed to Thorshavn; the text on reverse (partly faint) shows the card was written on a ship from Denmark; it is overfranked by 2 sk., a very rare item of postal stationery to the Faroe Islands, the earliest recorded date of the Lapidar cancel with inverted date and the earliest recorded incoming shipmail with Faroe cancel. Card little unfresh with tiny tear at top fixed; certificate Wowern (1992)

Coat of Arms 8 sk. bistre-brown with numeral "1" sent March 8 either 1870 or 1871 and tied by cds. "KJØBENHAVN 9 3" to lettersheet to Tveraa with Thorshavn arrival mark on reverse; the cover with small tear at top fixed, the stamp with minor bends, still a very fine and rare entire, one of 3 recorded 8 skilling covers to the Faroes

8 sk. yellow/brown and 1870/71 3 sk. lilac/grey in horizontal pair, tied by numeral "1", from "KJØBENHAVN 24 3" (1871) to cover with forwarding address M. Taysen & Co. at Leith and then privately forwarded to the Faroes (to the well-known address J. Mortensen); Edinburgh transit mark on reverse; some minor imperfections, but a fine and scarce cover, five recorded at this rate; certificate Kaiser (1982) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

Coat of Arms 16 sk. olive with numeral "1" of Copenhagen on double rate cover with adjacent cds. of 10.7.1870 to Suderø with Thorshavn arrival mark of 17.7., the envelope with neglectable tiny tear at lower right; a very fine and rare cover. This is the only recorded 16 sk. cover to the Faroes and the 2nd earliest cover recorded with a Faroe postmark, certificates Kaiser (1982) and C.A. Möller (2003) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

4 sk. red/grey, cancelled on arrival with numeral "238" to lettersheet (either 1873 or 1874) to Thorshavn, showing on reverse clear "THORSHAVN 15/3" (date inverted). A fine and rare cover, only one similar is recorded, certificate Wowern (1981) and C.A. Möller (1992)

FROM ENGLAND: 1870, envelope from Liverpool to Trangisvaag, franked with GB 1867, 6 d. violet, plate 8, tied by Liverpool duplex, showing on front handstamp "3 d" and "PD"; on reverse transit marks of London, Copenhagen and Thorshavn

Norway 1872/75, 4 sk. violet, tied by clear cds. "KRAGERO 5/3 1874" to lettersheet to Tveraa with Copenhagen transit mark on reverse; an extremely fine and very rare letter. Only four 19th century covers from Norway to Faroe are recorded; certificate Moldenhauer (1992)

1875/1903, 3 øre grey/blue (lower left corner missing), tied by clear single circle "THORSHAVN 2/8" (1897) to postal stationery card 5 c. green, addressed to Reykjavik, Iceland, with full text on reverse; very scarce foreign mail and the only 19th century example of 3 recorded cards with 3 øre rate

4 øre greenish/blue/grey, tied by manuscript number "238" and signature "HCM" (signature of post inspector H.C. Müller(1870-97)) to local cover. This is the only recorded example of a Faroe manuscript numeral cancellation and a great rarity of Faroe postal history, certificates JKE (1992), Nielsen (1992) and C.A. Möller (1992) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

4 øre blue/grey tied by cds. "KJØBENHAVN 4.4.98" to 'Adressebrev' with Thorshavn return address to a brewery at Copenhagen with manuscript "betalt 50 øre"; interesting item

4 øre greenish/blue/grey in horizontal pair, tied by cds. "THORSHAVN 29-10-1900" to envelope from Midvaag (manuscript sender's note on reverse) to Copenhagen with arrival mark

4 øre blue/grey and 8 øre red/grey in horizontal pair, tied by ship cancel "SMIRIL" with star in center to envelope with adjacent "PAQUEBOT" and transit mark "LEITH DE 5 99" to Copenhagen. A fine and rare ship mail letter, certificates Vagn Jensen (1995) and C.A. Möller (1995)

4 øre blue/grey and 16 øre brown/grey, tied by numeral "238" to postal money order for 25 kr. from "THORSHAVN 15/11" addressed to Reykjavik; a horizontal fold in the top of the form not affecting the stamps. A very fine, rare and most attractive item; just 4 entires are recorded with the numeral cancellation, this being the only money order; certificate C.A. Möller (1996) Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995), Per Erik Knudsen (2003)  

8 øre red/grey with central clear star cancel "TRANGISVAAG"; stamp with surface rubs and vertical crease. The best impression of this cancellation on single stamp, only 7 recorded. Certificate C.A. Möller (2012)

8 øre red/grey with central and superb strike of numeral "284" TRANGISVAAG; the stamp is backed at lower left and upper right to 'reconstruct' 3 perfs, to improve the otherwise perfect image. This is the only recorded strike of this numeral cancellation in private hands; no cover has been recorded to date. One of the most important pieces of Faroes philately, Certificate Nielsen (2004) and C.A. Möller (2004) Provenance: Christian Andersen (2004)

8 øre red/grey tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 8/12" to large piece with adjacent clear framed Edinburgh "SHIP LETTER", fine, only three recorded (all on piece) certificate Nielsen (2004)

8 øre red/grey, tied by star cancel of mail boat "SMIRIL" to large-size cover with sender's mark "J. Mortensens Eftf. / Trangisvaag." to Kvivig; at left two cover folds far away from the adhesive; a fine and rare shipmail cover, certificates Wowern (1994) and C.A. Möller (2004)

8 øre red/grey tied by clear cds. "TRANGISVAAG 27 8 1890" to envelope, with additional strike alongside, to Skjelskør, Denmark with transit and arrival marks; the stamp with small marginal tear, still fine and attractive, earliest use of Trangisvaag lapidar cancel on cover, certificate JKE (1988) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

8 øre red/grey, tied by single circle "KLAKSVIG 25/5 1899" to envelope to Copenhagen; the envelope by opening slightly reduced at right, otherwise very fine

8 øre red/grey, tied by cds. "KLAKSVIG 28-3-1901" to envelope to Denmark; the envelope reduced in size at left by approx. 45 mm, otherwise fine and attractive Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

8 øre red/grey, 3 copies, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 21/10" to insured lettersheet with 60 kr., sent locally within Thorshavn. Some water staining but overall a fine and extremely rare letter; only 2 insured letters of this period are recorded. Opinion C.A. Möller (2003) Provenance: Per Erik Knudsen (2003)

16 øre brown/grey, tied by single circle "THORSHAVN 20/6" to parcel accompanying letter for a parcel of 40 qvint weight to Copenhagen and here re-addressed; the envelope with ironed crease due to which the stamp is defective, still an attractive and rare letter. This is the earliest recorded parcel letter from Faroe. Certificates Wowern (1989) and C.A. Möller (2003) Provenance: Chris McGregor (1995), Christian Andersen (2004)