Auction 321 - 332 Australian States & Commonwealth of Australia, St. Helena, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Swaziland, Brazil 1843 –1870 - Day 1

Chalons. Recess printed by Perkins Bacon 1855: Perkins Bacon 4 d. blue, imperforate, wmk. Large Star, a used example on 1856 cover to London endorsed "p. Hellespont", tied by "60" numeral obliterator of Launceston. Framed "POST OFFICE / LAUNCESTON / ♚ / VDL" in red (Feb 6). London arrival cds on reverse (May 5) in red. The sole Tasmania cover recorded carried on the "Hellespont", which was a General Screw Coastal Steamer and was being sent to Singapore to be sold; where she arrived on March 16, the cover was taken on by the P&O (see Tabeart, 2nd Edition, page 168). Mail during the Crimean War is scarce due to ships being removed from the Australia route and charged with carrying soldiers and provisions to the Allied forces in the Crimea. A rare and most attractive cover.rnrnProvenance: Mossgreen, Melbourne, 5-6 March 2015, lot 78.