pigdoc
08 Aug 2018
09:38:17am | ...another of my collecting passions.
It all started when I branched from Denmark to Danish Colonies, including DWI. Then, I found out that there was a British PO in St Thomas, and a foreign cancellation (C51) to go with it. Chasing that cancellation itself is a fun collecting area. From there, it branched into general mid-19th century Caribbean interest, and now, mid-19th century Caribbean commerce. And, now, here is the centerpiece of that collection:
Now on THIS lettersheet front, it's the stamp I recognized FIRST! A common one to receive the early C51 cancellation, but WHAT a cancellation it is! I'm gonna call it a "pair SON". And, just look at the centering on the stamps! Almost perfect, probably 1 in 100 centering for this issue.
It's part of a set of a dozen cover fronts, all addressed to Bordeaux. Got them all from a French seller. They all funnel through London, and they all got that Angl.-Calais cancelation when they crossed la Manche. This one appears to be a business correspondence from Feron, Mallet & Cie. Can't find much on the firm, but the "Cie." abbreviation for Company has me thinking it's French.
On the reverse is a manuscript partial message in French, bleeding through as you see in the image. I see words like these: "inventoirey", "dividende", "demeurere", "vous interete", "vous demande". Across the set, these letters seem to address business interests around the local Caribbean industries and trade commodities: coffee, sugar, cotton. Often, prices are quoted.
On this piece, I am intrigued by the recipient. Is that "I. Secrestat"? Secretary of what? Industrie?
Isn't postal history fascinating?
-Paul
PS, this winter, I'll start to research the actual ships and voyages that carried these items across the Atlantic.
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