Royal Reels: Gambling

Postmarks

MOABIT, BERLIN: MULTIPLE POSTCARDS from MELBOURNE to HERMANN BURCHARDT

Two ‘POST CARD/ FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM/ By the long sea route’ produced in 1889 in Victoria with the ‘TWO PENCE/ STAMP DUTY’ stamp were sent to Germany in 1891 from, the same individual to the same addressee. The ‘long sea route’ referred to the fact that the card was transmitted totally by the sea route to Britain, and it was less expensive than the ‘THREE PENCE’ green post card

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JANET GAYNOR, AMERICAN FILM STAR, FIRST IMAGE ON AUSTRALIAN T.V. [USA]

This somewhat battered cover was sent to Miss J. Gaynor, C/- United Artists, Hollywood, California and has a roller cancel on the green 1d Queen Elizabeth and the red 2d KGVI stamps, ASHFIELD/ 945 AM/ 19 JUL/ 1941 with the slogan MINIMUM LETTER/ RATE TO U.S.A. 3D/ ADDRESSEE PAYS/ DOUBLE/ DEFICIENCY. In addition there was a delay in sending as shown by the handstruck ASHFIELD/ 22 JL (41)/ N.S.W cancel. The

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JAMES ERSKINE CALDER , SURVEYOR of TASMANIA & SERJEANT-AT-ARMS

The cover is addressed to J. E. Calder Esq, Surveyor General, Hobarton. At the left hand border there is a manuscript ‘Swansea 1861′, and there is a vertical pair of the imperforate slate green Van Diemens Land (1860 printing) canceled with the second allocation BN ‘94′, paying the 4d per ½ oz. inland letter rate. There is a red handstrike of PRE-PAID/ 21 MY 21/ 1861 on arrival at Hobart.

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BARONESS SOPHIE ADLERSPARRE, SWEDISH FEMINIST, WRITER & EDITOR

The cover was addressed to Baroness Leijonhoufud (sic), Allerton, The Drive, Hove, England and it was redirected with a ms. Nissafors, Sweden. There is a blue crayon tax marking as well as a tax handstamp of a ‘T’ in a hexagon. The 2 copies of the 1d pink QV stamp of Victoria are canceled with a MELBOURNE/ 10/ 9–A 20 MY 08/ VICTORIA postmark. There is a reception cancel at

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WILLIAM L’ESTRANGE EAMES, DOCTOR, SOLDIER & SPORTSMAN [SOUTH AFRICA]

More than a dozen covers came to auction on Ebay, mainly addressed to Mrs. L’Estrange Eames, but a few to her husband William, both from South Africa and England, mostly 1900-1901. These covers prompted me to research this man. The first was written by William to his wife, with a manuscript ‘On active service no stamps available’ on an Afrikaans printed cover, postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE/ 31/ JY 3/ 00/

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TRIAL BAY, SOUTH WEST ROCKS DETENTION BARRACKS 1914-1918 [GERMANY]

At least 4 covers have appeared on several auction sites in the past 2 years, but illustrations were only available for two at the time for preparation of this paper. I knew little of the Australian internment camps during WW I in 1914-1918, and I had never heard of Trial Bay South West Rocks, N.S.W., so this paper was a great learning experience. The first cover was sent from Ceylon

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RAILHEAD P.O/ R.M.1., REGISTRATION LABEL: ‘TRAV P O/ AIF’ in PALESTINE

I need help with this cover as I don’t have access to the book which may give me more information about this interesting postmark and registration label. The blue Australian 3d KGVI head stamp is postmarked RAILHEAD P.O/ -1 AU 40/ R.M.1. The blue registration label R/50 has a typed Trav P. O/ A I F / 780, and the other significant postal marking is a red boxed PASSED BY CENSOR/

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No 4 AUXILIARY HOSPITAL, ABBASSIA ARTILLERY BARRACKS, 1915 [EGYPT]

This may well be a one of a kind illustrated World War One postcard on account of the large 3-ringed postal marking with the unusual centrally placed ABBASSIA and the 8 11 1915 date-stamp, that originated at the No 4 Auxiliary Hospital, Artillery Barracks, Abbassia, (Cairo). It has a manuscript ‘on active service 1276 9th.. 6th Reg, and is addressed to a Mrs P.C. Mowle, Neutral Bay, Sydney. The card is

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LETTERS from WIFE in AUSTRALIA to H.W. ROGER, CIVILIAN INTERNEE, H.K.

Six covers with letters were addressed to Hugh (Hugo) Wood Roger in Hong Kong dated from December 1941 until October 1943, but only five of them were from his wife Claudia and their 2 sons, Ned and Robin. The first cover is an introduction to the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, and it was sent just prior to his wife had any information about this terrible event in the life

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