Corinphila Auction 291-297 Day 2

1815/16: Entire letter from Sydney to Bromley, England carried on the private ship "Alexander", struck with two wonderful strikes of the rare circular "SYDNEY / NEW SOUTH WALES" handstamps in black and clearly dated in manuscript (although without month) at upper right, rated at '1/7d.' to pay in manuscript with framed "SHIP LETTER" in black (Robertson S37) in London on arrival with cds in red (Feb 12, 1816) in red on reverse. The entire written from Richard Wise, a Postal clerk, with somewhat sad contents "I think you all have forgot me, with every ship that comes from England I expect a letter" (this is the writer's tenth letter) and at base "We shall put the Post Office stamp on the outside of the letter for we stamp them all". Illustrated in 'The Postal History of New South Wales' on page 40. Just five covers recorded in private hands. A splendid and very rare entire.rnProvenance: Collection Ed Druce (1993); Collection Dale Forster, DF, Geneva, 28-30 May 2002, lot 10518.