PDF Version - Prestige Philately

Page: 108
Prestige Philately - The Sixth International Rarities Auction May 24, 2008
Lot Type Grading Description Est $A
FIJI
334 C B
Lot 334
1871 (Sep) cover front to "CW Lomber/US Appraiser's Office/San Francisco" with
marvellous franking of Fiji Times Express 1/- SG 9 - characteristically cancelled with
manuscript "#" attributed to Levuka - in combination with United States 10c Jefferson Scott
#139 (straight-edge at right) which is tied by a segmented cork cancel, 'SAN
FRANCISCO/OCT 6/STEAMSHIP...' cds (a word excised from the base) at lower-left & 'SAN
FRANCISCO/OCT/6/CAL' cds at top, minor faults still one of the most attractive of the mere
handful of Fiji Times Express covers. Marvellous provenance: Ex Seybold (with his
handstamp on the reverse), Lagerloef, Purves, Robertson and Mayer. RPSofL Certificate
(1987, now lost) stated "genuine as far as one can say".
The Lomber correspondence was related to mining interests in Australasia. This is the
only recorded Fiji Times Express/United States combination franking, making this a
highly significant item for US specialists and particularly for collectors of the Banknote
Issues.
Offered with a copy of Geoff Kellow's article "The Postal Arrangements for the Fiji Times
Express" ("The Australian Philatelist" March 1988), in which he notes that the Fiji Times
Express stamps were the first issued in any of the British Pacific territories. He
concludes that the Express stamps paid postage only to the first overseas port of call and
were accompanied by cash to pay the ongoing postage. This item is Number 8 in Kellow's
census of a mere six covers, two fronts, and one large piece (the last lost in the bushfire that
destroyed John Gartner's collection). It must be noted that this is one of the best quality
items in the census. Most have significant faults and three of them - all illustrated by Kellow -
are of "spacefiller" standard only.
Kellow notes that the 1/- rate - common to his items #6 to 9 - is unrecorded but probably
represents an increase in the overseas rate from 9d early in 1871. He also notes that
subsequent to a Postal Act of December 1871, mail for overseas could be handled only by
the Government Post Office. The Fiji Times service was formally suppressed by a notice of
12/1/1872, only 14 months after it was instituted.
According to Colin Tabeart, this item was carried on the last voyage of the "Wonga Wonga"
which departed Sydney 1/9/1871; departed Fiji 11/9/1871; departed Honolulu 25/9/1871;
and arrived San Francisco 6/10/1871. The ship was chartered by Hall's Line. {Page 108.1}
50,000