Lot
396 
Panama, Colombia 1889, Registration, 10c red on yellowish, manuscript "30" number, used with Panama 1892 10c orange, cancelled by oval grid on cover to Boston Mass., matching "Correos de Bocas del Toro, 26 Ene 1894" cds, purple New Orleans (2.2) and blue Boston (2.6) backstamps, two registry number handstamps, Extremely Fine. Scott No. Colombia F10 + 18 Estimate $750 - 1,000.
THIS IS THE EARLIEST RECORDED REGISTERED COVER FROM BOCAS DEL TORO.
The National Postal Agency in Bocas del Toro was established in 1893, but no registered covers from that year have been recorded. Most overseas mail from Bocas del Toro was sent by ship via New Orleans or Mobile. The first registration stamps sent to Bocas del Toro were Colombia F10.
Realized: $1,000
Lot
397
Panama, Colombia 1895, Registration, 10c deep brown on rose buff, manuscript "596" number, used with Panama 1895 20c violet, tied by purple "Bocas del Toro, 24 May 1899" cds on cover to England, purple Mobile (5.30) backstamp transit and Mobile Registry label (FX-MO3) with manuscript name affixed, New York (6.2) backstamp transit and New York registry label affixed, red London (6.10) arrival oval and blue crayon "770" registry marking; some edge wear, Very Fine. Scott No. Colombia F11 + Panama 19 Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
ONE OF ONLY FOUR RECORDED MOBILE FX-MO3 MANUSCRIPT EXCHANGE LABELS, A REMARKABLE USE WITH THREE DIFFERENT EXCHANGE LABELS.
This Mobile registry label was a blank style with manuscript "Mobile" added.
Lot
398
Panama, Colombia 1895, Registration, 10c deep brown on rose buff, with manuscript "859", used with Panama 1892 5c blue pair, tied by purple "Bocas del Toro, 9 Aug 1899" cds on pink cover to New York City, purple Mobile (8.15) backstamp transit and Mobile Registry label (FX-MO3) with manuscript name affixed, purple New York (8.17) arrival backstamp, Very Fine and attractive. Scott No. Colombia F11 + Panama 17 (2) Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
ONE OF ONLY FOUR RECORDED MOBILE FX-MO3 MANUSCRIPT EXCHANGE LABELS.
This Mobile registry label was a blank style with manuscript "Mobile" added.
Realized: $525
Lot
399
Panama, Colombia 1895, Registration, 10c deep brown on rose buff, manuscript "1124" number with left selvage, used with Panama 1892 10c orange, corner fault, tied by purple "Bocas del Toro, Nov 1 1900" cds to New Orleans La., magenta Mobile (11.8) transit cds with Mobile Registry label (FX-MO2) with handstamped name affixed, purple New Orleans (11.9) arrival cds. Scott No. Colombia F11 + Panama 18 Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED MOBILE FX-MO2 HANDSTAMPED EXCHANGE LABEL.
Lot
400
Panama, Colombia 1892, Registration, 10c yellow brown on light buff, manuscript "769" number, used with Panama 10c orange (18), cancelled by purple three-ring target duplexed with "Correos, Bocas del Toro, Dic 3 1896" double-circle ds on cover to New York City, printed J.H.D. Finke corner card, reverse with purple New Orleans (12.11) cds and New York (12.14) arrival cds, Very Fine. Scott No. Colombia F12 + 18 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $160
Lot
401
Panama, Colombia 1892, Registration, 10c yellow brown on light buff, manuscript "735", used with 10c orange (18), tied by "Correos, Bocas del Toro, Sep 23 1897" duplex on cover to Germany, endorsed "via Mobile or New Orleans", reverse with New Orleans (10.2) and New York (10.4) transits, New York registry exchange label affixed, Hamburg (10.14) arrival backstamp; some gum staining around F12, otherwise Very Fine, This is an early registered use from Bocas del Toro, the earliest recorded registered cover to Europe. Scott No. Colombia F12 + 18 Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $375
Lot
402
Panama, Colombia 1902, Registration, 20c red brown on blue, manuscript "554", used with Panama 1895 20c violet tied by purple "Bocas del Toro, 20 May 1903" cds on cover to San Francisco Cal., blue Mobile (5.25) transit backstamp with Mobile exchange label (FX-MO1) affixed, purple San Francisco (6.1) arrival backstamp, Chinese manuscript and handstamp docketing at right. Scott No. Colombia F13 + Panama 19 Estimate $500 - 750.
Bocas del Toro received a supply of new Colombian stamps in 1903 that lasted until the middle of May 1904, which provided material to be overprinted and surcharged after independence.
Realized: $400
Lot
403
Panama, Colombia 1903, Registration, 20c blue on blue, manuscript "1485", used with Panama 1892 10c orange, two singles, tied by purple "Bocas del Toro, 13 Nov 1903" cds on buff cover to San Francisco Cal., reverse with magenta New Orleans (11.28) and purple San Francisco (12.3) backstamps; Chinese manuscript and handstamp docketing at right, Very Fine. Scott No. Colombia F17 + 18 (2) Estimate $300 - 400.
During the month after Independence, Colombian stamps were used without overprinting in Bocas del Toro. This also occurred in other small towns, but no registered covers from them have been recorded.
Realized: $400
Lot
404
Panama, 1901, Registration, 10c brown red, two labels, both with manuscript "422" numbers, used with Panama 1892 5c blue pair and 10c orange, tied by two strikes of purple "Bocas del Toro, 4 Jun 1902" cds on cover to England, Mobile (6.10) transit backstamp with Mobile Registry label (FX-MO1) affixed, New York (6.12) transit backstamps with New York registry label affixed, London (6.22) arrival backstamp, blue crayon cross; 5c corner fault, Very Fine. Scott No. Panama F4 + 17 (2), 18 Estimate $750 - 1,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS FRANKING WITH TWO PANAMA F4 10C PROVISIONALS PREPAYING THE 20C REGISTRY FEE.
At the time of the 1902 postal rate increase, Bocas del Toro apparently had a supply of the Panama 10c F4 provisional on hand. Initially they utilized two to prepay the registry fee, later surcharging them.
Realized: $1,100
Lot
405
Panama, 1902, Registration, 20c on 10c brown red, local non-serif overprint, purple "20" non-serif overprint handstamp, manuscript "524" number, used with Panama 1895 20c violet, two singles tied by purple "Bocas del Toro, 17 Jul 1902" cds on pink cover to San Francisco Cal., blue Mobile (7.22) transit backstamp with Mobile registry label (FX-MO1) affixed, San Francisco (7.28) arrival backstamp, Chinese docketing and handstamp, Very Fine. Scott No. Panama F5 var. + 19 (2) Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED USAGES OF THIS BOCAS DEL TORO LOCAL NON-SERIF SURCHARGE REGISTRY STAMP.
This cover shows that Bocas del Toro used registry stamps with a local surcharge and are not currently listed in the catalogs. Both usages showing this surcharge were sent on July 17th 1902.
Realized: $3,500