| 1872-1876 Ringtype Perforation 14 |  Top |
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US$ | ||
401447 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #21 Olive Gray, Facit #20g [1874 6 öre gray Ringtype, Perforation 14] (Fine) on neat-looking 8 March 1875 domestic printed matter folded cover from SÖDERTELJE to Helsingborg. As often the case with such early printed matter folded covers, the paper was very inexpensive and acidic. Thus this cover has been professionally conserved with rice-paper repairs of some of the joints. I suspect that very few of the covers made with this paper still exist unless they have been conserved in this way. This is the nature of early printed matter covers. The cover has complete contents, consisting of the "Södertelge" Sparbank [savings bank] financial status printed report for the year 1873. This report has been sent to Sparbanken [The Savings Bank] in Helsingborg. This stamp, in this color/printing, is remarkably scarce on cover despite the "relatively modest" Facit Classic value of SEK 1000 on cover. (The Facit Classic 2024 value for a single used stamp is SEK 750!) The modest value is because the stamp had several uses: this printed matter rate; local letter 2nd weight class rate; and two 6 öre stamps to pay the domestic letter rate. However, any one of those uses is scarcer than the total of them combined. ACTUAL item. |
69.00 |
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401448 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #22 x2 [1872 12 öre blue Ringtype, Perforation 14] (Fine) unusual 14/15 August 1875 envelope, addressed to a military officer, from GÖTEBORG to HANAU, GERMANY, with a receiver dated 17 August. This letter was mailed just six weeks after the formation of Universal Postal Union (UPU), which standardized postal rates between UPU-member countries. However, in this case, the timing may have caused some confusion about the amount of postage that was to be paid for this letter. Furthermore, the letter clearly contained heavy contents in this smallish envelope -- the contents wear lines are clearly visible around the edges of the envelope. The postage amount paid was 24 öre, using two 12 öre stamps. Though one stamp is inverted, they seem to have been applied at the same time, from the same sheet of stamps (same color, and though one stamp is inverted, they have the same centering). 24 öre was the single-weight LETTER rate specifically to Germany before 1 July 1875. After 1 July 1875, the single-weight LETTER rate to all (non-Nordic) UPU-member countries was reduced to 20 öre. The cover bears TWO DIFFERENT STYLES AND DATES OF Göteborg postmarks. The first postmark was applied on 14 August, to the left, NOT canceling the stamps. The second was applied on 15 August, canceling the stamps. This double-postmarking on two different days, without any evidence of other actions (such as forwarding), is extremely unusual. Furthermore, the 24 öre franking does not align with the normal LETTER rate AND it is extremely likely that the heavy contents would have caused this to require a DOUBLE LETTER rate (48 öre) which is "rare" (to Germany, NO 4x 12 öre franking is recorded; only ONE 2x 24 öre franking is recorded, per Facit Postal X). So, what happened? My theory is: 1) The sender may not have been aware of the reduction in postal rates so just applied 24 öre of postage because that was what he/she had done in the past. 2) The sender may not have realized that this letter was overweight for the UPU letter rate. 3) The contents likely included printed matter and the sender may not have been aware that the printed matter rates were lower (6 öre for the first increment) and that the weight limit for printed matter was usually higher. 4) A postal clerk recognized that this cover was overweight for a single-weight letter; the clerk documented the receipt of the cover with the first postmark. At that point, the next day, the letter was shown to the sender (no return address is present, but the sender was likely known to the postal clerks) and payment of additional 24 öre postage was requested. (At this point in my theory, I lack proof of the weight increments for the UPU printed matter rates.) However, the sender was probably able to claim that the envelope contained printed matter (which would make sense based on the wear lines) and thus there was adequate (perhaps even excess) postage for the printed matter rate for this weight. There are some assumptions in my theory, but this is the only explanation I can provide which "easily" explains the applied postage amount AND the wear lines AND the two different postmark dates. In this time period, printed matter rate covers to Germany (and any non-Nordic UPU country) are "extremely scarce" based on the high values in Facit Postal X). If the proof of the rates can be obtained and the applied postage more certainly explained, this cover could sell for at between $250-600 depending upon the accepted explanation! I will leave that footwork to the next owner and accordingly price this cover much lower. ACTUAL item. |
125.00 |
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401449 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #22 [1872 12 öre blue Ringtype, Perforation 14] (VF) on 19 July 1872 cover FRONT-ONLY from HERNÖSAND (nowadays Härnösand) to Sollefteå. USED ON THE 19th DAY OF ISSUE! Determining the colors of this 12 öre issue is quite challenging. Even such an early use could still be one of 5-6 colors (by date), but based on the color renderings in the Nordisk Filateli color standard plates, this color this early, that is this dark, is either #d or #e (that is ca.1980 and assuming that Facit did not change their lettering, that is Facit #21e or #21e). While this color is not "scarce", it is "scarcer" than many of the colors of this stamp -- and examples canceled this early after issue are very seldom offered. A wonderful early-use example of this stamp, in a scarcer color. ACTUAL item. |
28.00 |
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401450 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #22 [1872 12 öre blue Ringtype, Perforation 14] (Fine+) on 15 [probably July, based on contents] 1877 folded cover with contents, from WÄSE (nowadays Väse) to Uddevalla. The contents are a business or products or shipments report; I have seen the same type of reports from other towns sent to the same addressee. Despite an 1877 population in the range of 3000-3500 (per Google AI based on local records), I can only recall having, at the most, 3-5 examples of this cancellation on single stamps (but none on cover) in the last 53 years. ACTUAL item. |
22.00 |
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401451 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #22 [1872 12 öre blue Ringtype, Perforation 14] (VF) on 18 November 1876 folded cover with contents, from FILIPSTAD to Uddevalla. The contents are a business or products or shipments report; I have seen the same type of reports from other towns sent to the same addressee. A very attractive cover in fresh condition. ACTUAL item. |
14.00 |
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401453 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #22 [1872 12 öre blue Ringtype, Perforation 14] (Average) on a 24 February 1877 folded cover with contents, from HÖGSÄTERSBY to Uddevalla. This post office was established 1 January 1876, thus this is a fairly early use -- and a very nice one at that. The postmark is "somewhat scarce" regardless of the date. The contents are a business or products or shipments report; I have seen the same type of reports from other towns sent to the same addressee. A very attractive cover in fresh condition. ACTUAL item. |
26.00 |