Rare Envelope for Spink auction - Oct 3
Published September 10th, 2006
ONE of the most valuable envelopes ever sent to Bolton is expected to fetch up to £3,500 when it is auctioned next month.
The pale blue envelope was sent from Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1870 at a cost of 10 old pennies.
It was addressed to Mrs W.M.French, Rose Hill, Bolton-le-Moors, and is valuable because the Franco-Prussian war in Europe prevented the letter from being carried on its normal route.
It could not go through France, so it was diverted via the Italian port of Brindisi and came to Bolton via Italy, Germany and Belgium.
On its way, the envelope was stamped: “Insufficiently paid for Brindisi route, deficient postage, 3d.”
It is this hand-stamped message which makes the envelope “very rare” and valuable, according to auctioneers Spink, which is putting the envelope under the hammer on October 3
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