Lot #52 1850 (April 18) cover to "Altona by Hamburg" endorsed "Pr John Bartlett via London" with superb strike of the unframed 'GPO/[crown]/AP+18/1850/SOUTH AUSTRALIA' cds & rated "6" in red, London transit b/s of 3JY3/1850 in red & rated "8" for inwards shipletter, double-circle 'P.A./8 7 50/ALTONA' arrival cds on the face, rated "1/2" in black & "19" in blue, minor soiling. RPSofV Certificate (2014). Until 1864, Altona was Danish territory, and this is the earliest recorded cover from South Australi

Description:

1850 (April 18) cover to "Altona by Hamburg" endorsed "Pr John Bartlett via London" with superb strike of the unframed 'GPO/[crown]/AP+18/1850/SOUTH AUSTRALIA' cds & rated "6" in red, London transit b/s of 3JY3/1850 in red & rated "8" for inwards shipletter, double-circle 'P.A./8 7 50/ALTONA' arrival cds on the face, rated "1/2" in black & "19" in blue, minor soiling. RPSofV Certificate (2014).

Until 1864, Altona was Danish territory, and this is the earliest recorded cover from South Australia to Denmark, and probably the earliest to any part of Scandinavia. It also pre-dates by 5 years the earliest recorded cover to any part of Germany, being a July 1855 cover to Hannover.

Because of restrictions on the number of Jews who could live in adjacent Hamburg, the more accommodating Altona developed into an important centre of Jewish scholarship. The Gastein Convention in 1864 ceded Schleswig & Holstein to Prussian administration, & three years later both duchies were absorbed into Prussia.