Postcard with French 1910 10c stamp cancelled with PCH Type 5. (Réf.: Fréd. Petit)

Earlier "Kiderlen" letter to Germany (still to Ulm), with the two 2d, two 2½ and a 6d stamp tied by PCH type 5a cds, the one with the inverted 2. Mirror of an arrival cancel on the front. (Goron coll.)

Another earlier "Kiderlen" letter to Germany (still to Ulm). Image thanks to Auktionen Gaertner, Germany.

A 1s registered letter to France. A normal letter would have cost 35c so this was a heavy one. Backstamped Sydney 20 January 1912 hence carried by the Burn Philp steamer MALAITA which arrived in Sydney on 20 January and Paris 24. February 1912.
Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatelie

10 January 1912

Another "Kiderlen" letter to Germany (still to Ulm). Cancelled with PCH type 5a cds, the one with the inverted 2. Backstamped Sydney 19FE12 and Ulm 23 March 12. (unknown coll.)

Registered letter with a block of 12 10c stamps including the millésime to Germany with the typical 1912 rotated 2 cancel. PACIFIQUE left Sydney on 26 March 1912 and returned on 13 April 1912. So she carried the cover I think. (Klinger coll.)

Registered letter with a block of 4 25c stamps to Germany with the typical 1912 rotated 2 GK Type PM2 cancel. Backstamped München 2 BZ 18 Mai 12. Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatélie

A set of the British 1910 stamps on a registered cover to England. Cancelled with PCH type 7. Backstamped London 2 June, 1912 and Ipswich 3 June, 1912. ("Mele" coll.)

A set of the British 1910 stamps on a registered cover to England. Cancelled with PCH type 7. Backstamped London 2 June, 1912 and Ipswich 3 June, 1912.(seen on Ebay in 2000)

A registered Fiji postcard to England. A 1910 2d, a 1911 English 1d and a 1911 French 20c stamp, all cancelled with GK PM4. Overpaid 15c. Arrival regiistration cancel Birmingham 3 June 1912.

1912 registered cover to England with 2 x 6d and 6 x 2d stamps. Most surely the handwriting of the suuccessor of postmaster Roy and very lekely a very heavy cover with stamps. (unknown coll.)

Still the old twopenny rate to Australia. (Goron coll.)

Letter to Germany. 1912 1F and 1910 10c cancelled with PCH type 7. Seen in a 2006 Lugdunum Philatelie auction.

3d. and 10c on a letter to Sydney. Double weight rate. (unknown coll.)

Cover from Vila to Coffs Harbour, Wales. Cancelled 28 August on arrioval. Carried by the Burns Philp steamer MAKAMBO.
Image thanks to Chris Rainey Postal History

Rare commercila use of the 1/- stamp: this registered cover was carried from Vila to Sydney by the Burns Philp steamer MAKAMBO which was at Vila on 1 August 1912 and departed on 13 August for Sydney and arrived on 22 August. It arrived at Coffs Harbour on 24 August (arrival cancel on reverse) and this being a Saturday it was delivered on 26 August.
The mixed 1910 1s & 2d and 1911/12 10c stamps cancelled with GK Type PM2. Backstamped Coffs Harbour 24 AU 12 and on front 25 AU 12. The left side of the cover is cut off a bit - I suppose that the registration cachet was there.
According to Goyns-Klinger tha rate could have been 2d colonial to Australia, 2½d registration and maybe another 10d for 2½ oz overweight = 14½d. It was rather common in these years that australian rates were applied: 2d letter rate, 3d registration and 5 times 2d for 2½ oz overweight. (Blinco coll.)
Mr. C.A. Gilles was an officer (librarian) in the Sydney Philatelic Club in about 1903-05.

From August 1912: the new ½d letter rate to Australia. (Goron coll.)

Cover from Vila to Sydney, the 2d letter rate is paid by the 2d stamp which is cancelled by PCH type 5A. Backstamped with Sydney machine cancellation of Sydney on 29 September 1912, the trace of the dirty pin rollers is on the front. ("Aore" coll.)

Cover with 3d mixed franking to Coff's Harbour. Heavy letter rate.
Image thanks to Victoria Stamp Comapany Ridgewood, NJ, U.S.A.

Registered cover with to Coffs Harnour, the 1s stamp cancelled with GK tyoe PM2. As reg.-fee was 2 1/2 d not corretly paid. Cancelled transit Sydney on 30 September (Pacifique) and arriving Coffs Harbour on 3 October 1912. Image thanks to Corinphila

Cover from Vila to Sydney, the 2Frac12;d stamp is cancelled by PCH type 5A. ("Mele" coll.)

This cover shows the 1d or 10c letter rate made up with an English 1910 ½d provisional and a 1911 5c first definitive. Backstamped Sydney 29 SP 12 and on arrival Vincennes 18 ?? 12. ("SeSi" collection)

Registered letter to Sydney NSW, 50c 1910 French provisional issue, tied with PCH type 5A cds with the typical rotated 2 in the year block of the 1912 cancels of this type. (Goron coll.)

Registered cover from Vila to Sydney 50c rate. PCH type R1 registration handstamp, the French 1910 50c stamp tied with PCH type 5A, backstamped Sydney 23 December 1912. (Aore coll.)

Registered Kiderlen cover from Vila to Ulm, Germany.

Another Kiderlen cover to Germany. Backstamped Sydney Registered 23 DEC 12. (Image thanks to "imerialphilately" at Delcampe)

Another Kiderlen cover to Germany. Image thanks to Chris Rainey Postal History

Another Gilles cover to Coffs Harbour. (unknown coll.)

Postcard to France. Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatelie)

16 December 1912
(new 2/2020)

Cover front of a registered letter to France, the ½d 1911 British, 5c and 10c 1911/12 French, ½d and 1d 1910 British and a 10c 1910 French stamp (totalling 45c) cancelled with PCH type 5a. Registration handstamp PCH type R1. (Klinger coll.)

Two 1910 French 10c stamps on a letter to Sydney cancelled with PCH type 5, backstamped Sydney 12 April 13. ("Mele" coll.)

Postcard to Paris. Long message French colonial postcard rate 10c. (ex Millet coll.)

4 April 1913

Letter to Scotland (to order a new case of whisky I suppose). The French 1910 10c stamp pays the normal letter rate and is cancelled with PCH type 5. The year inversion of 1912 is corrected now ( but on January 11, 1913 the 13 has been inverted too). ("JGI" coll.)

Notice of receipt from the Condominium Postal Service. The French 10c stamp is cancelled with PCH type 5. (Merot coll.)

Postcard to France, 10c rate, the stamp is cancelled with PCH type 84, date block inverted. ("Aore" coll.)

Postcard to France, 10c rate, the stamp is cancelled in Nouméa, maybe treated there as an early sample of Paquebot mail. For ships from outer islands it was sometimes of no use to go via Port Vila when leaving the archipelago. (Treadwell coll.)

Double weight cover to Sydney franked 20c and cancelled GK PM2.
The Pacific Isles Investment Company bought the Stuart & Wright plantation in Mélé. Whatever was in this letter it didn't help much as in August 1913 the Co. was in liqidation. Later this plantation was bought by Tiby Hagen.
The P.I.I. Co. was registered in summer 1912 with a capital of £100.0000 in £1 shares wit the object to acquire land carry on business as planters. (coll. Fred Petit)

Registered letter to Sydney franked 35c. Underpaid 5c as the colonial letter rate was 10c and registration 25c.
Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatélie

11 August 1913

Cover front to Manila, Philipines. With 20c the cover is underpaid 5c as the non-colonial letter rate was 25c. Cancelled with GK type PM2.
Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatelie

Cover to Sydney, the 2d stamp cancelled with gk type PM2. Overpaid 1d as the 2d British colonial letter rate ended on 10 December 1912.
Carried by Pacifique arriving at Sydney on 21 November 1912 hence backstamped on this day. Image thanks to Corinphila

Registered Kiderlen cover from Vila to Ulm, Germany.

23 November 1913

Postcard to France, the 1910 New Hebrides 10c stamp cancelled in Nouméa. Arrival in Lot et Garonne on 22 March 1914.(coll. Frederic Petit)

Postcard to Switzerland, PM2 on a 1911 1d stamp - correct rate. Backstamped Sydney 10 April 1914, the day when PACIFIQUE arrived. Image thanks to Chris Rainey

27 March 1914

Cover to France with the complete 1910 French set. Cancelled with GK type PM2. (Klinger coll.)

Cover to France with the complete 1910 French set. Cancelled with GK type PM2.

Registered letter to St. Gallen, Switzerland. The non-colonial letter rate in 1914 was 2½d or 25c and registration fee the same - the cover is franked correctly. For an unknown reason the British 2d stamp has no own cancel impression but is very lightly tied to the cancel on the left neighbour. The registration number is written in manuscript with a box. The cancel is the French GK type PM2. The letter is written by August Ess who was one of the settlers Burns Philp placed on their territory in Santo in 1902. In a source of 1918, he is mentioned as copra maker on Tongoa. The cover is backstamped on transit SYDNEY. N.S.W. - REGISTERED - / 22AP14A and on arrival ST GALLEN BRF. + EXP. / 29.V.14 - 11. It was carried by Burns Philp & Co. Ltd S.S: Malaita, which arrived at Sydney on 22 April 1914. A travel time from Sydney to St. Gallen of 37 days is real short.

Registred cover to Switzerland - censored - 5 British stamps cancelled with PCH Type 5. ("Aore" coll.)

Philatelic registered letter from Port Vila to Berne Switzerland. Total franking 2/ 2d ( 2F60c ) tied with cachet PM2, registration with NR1C. On left white censor tape with OPENED BY CENSOR in black. Probably censored in Australia during the transit. Backstamped BERN BRIEFTRAGER 12.1.15 in arrival. ("SeSi" coll. Years ago Goron col.) Scarce NH letter with WWI censorship .

23 November 1914

Registered cover from Leon Montaigne in Aoba via Vila to Annecy, France. Registration fee was 25c, Frnch colonial letter rate 10c so this cover is ceorrectly franked. Cancel PM4, backstamped Paris 11-8-19 and Annecy 12-8-19. (From an unknown source)

4 April 1918
(new 4/2020)

Unaddressed "Service du Trésor"-cover with 1910 2, 5, 6d and 1/- stamps and a 1908 5d stamp cancelled with PCH type 7.(Merot coll.)

Unaddressed "Service du Trésor"-cover with 1910 25, 50c and 1F stamps and a 1908 25c stamp cancelled with PCH type 7. (Merot coll.)

One year after the death of Gabriel de Béchade: 6d on a registered "G. de Béchade" cover to Nouméa. The stamp is cancelled with GK Type PM04, registration cachet is the rather scarce GK Type NR1B which was not known for such a late year until now. Backstamped Nouméa 23 AOUT 18. French colonial letter rate was 10c per 15g and registration fee was 25c. This could have been a heavy letter with business papers but would have been overpaid 5c anyway.
The Noumea backstamp of 23 August is astonishable: The PACIFIQUE run at the time of the Port Vila cancel ended in Nouméa at about 4 August. On 23 August PACIFIQUE was between Sydney and Nouméa on her next run. Burns Philp's MAWATTA was in these waters in July & August but on 23 August she arrived in Sydney. Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatélie

Backstamp - double size

Cover front with mixed 1910 British/French frankings cancelled with type 7 which is quite scarce between 1912 and 20. Backstamped Melbourne 16 October 1918.

27 September 1918

Registered cover from Vila to Annecy, France. Franked with the 1910 25c and a 1911 10c paying the 10c colonial rate and 25c registration. Backstamped Sydney 21 February 1919 and Annecy 17 April 1919.
Leon Montaigne was a French trader on the westside of Aoba (now Ambae) and well know for reporting to the French Residency in Port Vila that Churches of Christ people had constituted an independent government and formed a ‘native police’ opposed to the ‘pig-chiefs’ of the Aoba hinterland. (source: Digital Collections AU)
Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatélie, Lyon.

10 February 1919

Cover from Vila to Paris, franked with the extraordinary amount of 13 1/- and 3 6d stamps: 14/6, must have been a slit gong in this letter. Cancelled with PCH type 7.
Backstamped Sydney 28 MY 19 in transit and Paris 19-7-19 on arrival.
There is an overprint variety on the top right 1s. stamp : broken W (middle of the right bar) and broken D (lower right bar) (See wrong-color picture). ("SeSi" coll.)

Flaw in overprint

1919 registered cover to England. Registration fee was 2½d colonial letter rate 1d per ½ oz - not correctly paid. (Klinger coll.)

Registered cover to New Caledonia. It must have been very heavy letter (340g ?) for this postage.(unknown coll.)

Registered cover to New Caledonia. The registration is indicated only by the manuscript 444. The flap of the envelope bears the embossed seal of the New Hebrides court and may have contained some heavy legal documents (400g ?!). (unknown coll.)

Cover to the U.S. with two 1910 British 6d and two 1/- stmaps. Hopelessly overfranked, but a very late use. (Klinger coll.)

One of the many Cliquet letters.

Registered cover to France with the five high values of the 1910 issue tied by PCH type 5a cds. (Merot coll.)

An identical cover from the same collector originally to the same address. But in later times a Hull, GB address was written between the stamps and a part of the original address cut off. Backstamped Registered Sydney 27 May 12 and Paris XIV Distribution 1.7.12. (a British gentleman's coll.)
In 2015 this cover was offered again at the Delcampe auction site: the lower part of the cover, which had been cut off is now replaced by a plain part of paper.

Also a pssobiltity to handle a Cliquet cover - not very fine! Seen on Ebay in 2015.

15 May 1912

Another Cliquet cover. Port Vila 10 JUIN 12, backstamped Sydney 22 JE 12 - Burns Philp steamer MAKAMBO - , Paris 28(?)-7-12 and Donville (Manche) 29-7-12 (Why Donville? Maybe a standing order for forwarding?)(Seen on an internet auction)

Another Cliquet cover. (Réf. Fréd Petit)

Similar part cover obviously to the same addressee in Paris. Backstamped Sydney and Paris 8.10.12. (a British gentleman's coll.)

Registred cover to France with the five high values of the 1910 issue tied by PCH type 5 cds, backstamped Paris 22-3-13. ("SiSe" coll.)