- Letters to and from the Medici Family
Part I - 1488-1587
Publisher: Christie's-Robson Lowe, Zurich, 1985.
Auction catalogue, hardback, privately bound in dark blue cloth with gilt lettering to spine, retaining the original front cover inside, and with the prices realised loosely inserted, illustrated, 74 pages, in Very Good condition.
Nicely bound example of this important catalogue.

£12.00

Quantity: 1

Billig, Fritz - Billig's Philatelic Handbook, Volume VIII
Publisher: Billig, New York, 1948.
First edition, hardback, illustrated, 212 pages, ex-libris Ken Sargeant and J.F. Giblin, some slight wear, in Good condition.
Includes "Thurn & Taxis, Founders of the Posts of Europe with a History of the Family and their Posts, the Stamps and Postal Markings" by E.F. Hurt.

£15.00

Quantity: 1

Smith, W.J. - James Chalmers, Inventor of the Adhesive Postage Stamp
Publisher: David Winter & Son, Dundee, 1970.
First edition, hardback, dustwrapper, 148 pages + plates + facsimiles, in VG condition.
An interesting look at the Chalmers-Hill controversy, supporting the claim that James Chalmers, a Dundee bookseller, was the first to propose, in 1834, the adoption of adhesive 'stamps' to indicate the prepayment of postage. It reprints the pamphlets published by Patrick Chalmers, son of James, in defence of his father's claim, and includes facsimiles of some of the documentary evidence.

£10.00

Quantity: 1

Oxley, G.F. - British Postal Rates to Europe, 1836-1876
Publisher: The Postal History Society, 1992.
Large paperback, illustrated, ix + 130 pages, in VG condition.
Detailed and well-researched work.

£24.00

Quantity: 1

Kenton, Phil J. and Parsons, Harry G. - Early Routings of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company 1842-1879
Publisher: The Postal History Society, 1999.
Large hardback, illustrated, xxiv + 471 pages, in Very Good condition.
Superb handbook, with much detail on the sailings to the West Indies and Central America.

£36.00

Quantity: 1

Müller, Dr. jur. C.F. - Ueber die de recepto actio und deren analoge Ausdehnung auf die Postanstalten
Publisher: Serig, Leipzig, 1857.
Second edition, xvi + 210 pages, hardback, superb quarter leather with raised bands and gilt decoration to spine, marbled boards and endpapers, text in German, some foxing (mainly to the first and last few leaves) else in Very Good+ condition. A lovely copy.
An extremely rare early work relating to the postal systems of the German States and the Austrian Empire. This is primarily a legal commentary on the liability of organisations on claims for injury, loss or damage with particular reference to the posts, following the formation of the Austro-German Postal Union (DÖPV) in 1850. Sections on the Roman Law (receptio actio) relating to shippers, innkeepers and livery stables, and its application to modern post offices are followed by detailed sections quoting the regulations of the DÖPV on both letter and parcel post. There is much useful information on the postal service including details of the Registration service, the maximum compensation payable on loss of a "recommandirt" letter, declared value (insured) mail services, regulations on packing and addressing parcels, etc. A large section deals with which regulations apply in many of the individual German States and in the Austrian Empire. A final section deals with the Railways and their legal responsibilities.

£495.00

Quantity: 1

Hopkins, A.E. - A History of Wreck Covers Originating at Sea & on Land
Publisher: privately published, Bath, 1940.
First edition, hardback, original blue cloth, 63 pages + 17 photo-plates, in Very Good condition.
Rare first edition of this classic handbook.

£20.00

Quantity: 1

Coburn, Jesse L. - Letters of Gold
California Postal History Through 1869
Publisher: U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, Ohio, 1984.
First edition, large hardback, dustwrapper, x + 389 pages, profusely illustrated, dustwrapper torn at edges and sunned to spine area, a Very Good copy in Fair/Good dustwrapper.
Superb postal history study, with hundreds of covers illustrated, including several pages of colour plates. A large work.

£25.00

Quantity: 1

Robinson, Howard - Carrying British Mails Overseas
Publisher: New York University Press, 1964.
First edition, hardback, dustwrapper, 327 pages + plates, ex-library copy with library-pocket to front endpaper and a few library marks, sellotape marks to endpapers, dustwrapper torn in places, and front inner-flap of d/w removed and pasted to front-endpaper, a Good, sound copy, contents in Very Good condition.
An important account of the growth of the overseas postal service from the beginning of the cross-Channel service in the reign of James I.

£24.00

Quantity: 1

Staff, Frank - The Penny Post
1680 - 1918
Publisher: The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge, 1992.
Second edition (first paperback edition), paperback, 219 pages, covers slightly bumped with some light creasing, internally in Very Good condition.
The first paperback edition of Frank Staff's authoritative and extremely readable account of the growth of the Penny Post from its local beginnings to national and international agreements. To some (such as Elihu Burritt who campaigned so vigorously for Ocean Penny Post to and from the United States, and Henniker Heaton, who by his efforts brought about Imperial Penny Post in 1898) the need to provide a cheap means of communication between peoples at home and abroad was not only obvious but was fought for with missionary zeal; however, governments were slow to react to these demands and the story Frank Staff describes provides a fascinating sidelight of social as well as postal history. While we are all familiar with the name of Rowland Hill, who in 1840 established Uniform Penny Post in this country, less well-known is the pioneering work of William Dockwra, who created an efficient Penny Post in London as early as 1680 with four or five hundred Receiving Houses to take in letters, seven Sorting Offices and very frequent deliveries. Other pioneers include Ralph Allen of Bath, who developed Bye-way and Cross Roads Post throughout England and Wales in 1720, Peter Williamson, who organised a Penny Post in Edinburgh in 1773-4, and John Palmer, who devised the first mail-coach service in 1784 from Bristol to London. The study of postal history opens up wide possibilities and is a fascinating subject of interest to the social historian as well as the philatelist. The Penny Post not only gives the historical background of a reform, but indicates the range of items that may still be obtained by the keen collector - early date-stamped envelopes, broadsheets and pamphlets, letter scales and stamp boxes, personal correspondence and newspaper cartoons - and the book itself is illustrated with a remarkable collection of photographs and line drawings.

£12.00

Quantity: 1

Clear, Charles R. - John Palmer (of Bath) Mail Coach Pioneer
Publisher: Blandford Press/Postal History Society, London, 1955.
First edition, hardback, 109 pages, illustrated, remnants only of dustwrapper remaining, previous owner's name on front endpaper, foxing to endpapers and page-edges, Good condition in Poor dustwrapper.
Authoritative history of the introduction of mail coaches. Scarce.

£20.00

Quantity: 1

Clear, C.R. - Thomas Witherings and the Birth of the Postal Service
Together with a copy and a transcription of the Proclamation of King Charles the First establishing the first State postal service for the conveyance of private letters in England and Scotland
Publisher: General Post Office, London, 1935.
Post Office Green Papers No. 15, first edition, paperback, frontispiece, 19 pages, a little light soiling to front cover else in Very Good condition.
Scarce.

£15.00

Quantity: 1

Forster, R.K. - Postmark Collecting
Publisher: Stanley Paul, London, 1960.
First edition, hardback, dustwrapper, 192 pages, illustrated, short tear to dustwrapper near head of spine, else in Very Good condition.
Interesting and useful guide to postmarks. Very well illustrated.

£9.50

Quantity: 1

Ray, Leslie - A Glossary of Abbreviations found on Handstruck Stamps
Publisher: Robson Lowe, London, 1959.
First edition, paperback, 12 pages, VG condition.
A most useful little dictionary of several hundred of the intriguing abbreviated marks found on pre-adhesive (and some later) mail, always such a mystery until you know what each mark means.

£4.00

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Lowe, Robson - The Encyclopaedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1639-1952
Volume V The Empire in North America. Part II Canada
Publisher: Robson Lowe, London, 1973.
first edition, paperback, xvi + 255 pages, in Very Good condition.
The six volumes of Robson Lowe's Encyclopaedia of British Empire Postage Stamps together form an unparalleled work of great use to British Empire collectors. This is the Canada only section from Volume 5 in the series - British North America. As with the rest of the series, the book not only covers the adhesive postage stamp issues in detail, but also the postal history of, in this case, Canada, including postal rates, handstamps, cancellations, etc. Well illustrated throughout, including four colour plates. For collectors of Canada this should be a "must".

£12.50

Quantity: 12345678910