Lot
6355 
New Zealand, 1867, Queen Victoria "Chalon Head", 3d lilac, perf 12½, Large Star watermark, used with 1871, 6d pale blue (136), each tied by "01" thick barred oval, matching "Oamaru, NO 29, 72" origin backstamp on cover to France, magenta "P.D", red "Poss. Ang. V. Suez, Alexandrie" entry cds (2.10), the reverse with several indistinct French cds's; some minor aging and repaired tiny edge flaws, Fine and unusual mixed-issue franking, John Woolfe, Spink, October 2006, lot 336 Greg Francis, Spink, July 2014, lot 1378. Scott No. 33. Campbell Paterson No. A3d (3).
SG No. 117 Estimate $400 - 600.
At this date there was no English Packets taking mail to Marseilles, the service having been terminated and mail was being sent via Brindisi. Although this cover is endorsed via "San Francisco" it appears to have been crossed out and it certainly did not go by this route. The December mails left Sydney on December 31st 1872 and Melbourne on January 2nd 1873 aboard the "Bangalore". The mail reached Galle on January 22nd and Suez on February 8th. The Southampton mail was transferred to the "Massilia" at Alexandria on February 11th and the "via Brindisi" mails went on the "Poonah" on February 10th.