Lot
1157 
1882, 10¢ brown, re-engraved, two covers from Lalance & Grosjean Mfg. Co. of New York City to Laos Mission via Bangkok, Siam, addressed to Rev. Charles Martin, care Rev. A.N. McDonald, Bangkok, Siam, the first is an 1883 usage bearing four 10¢ brown singles, tied by strikes of "New-York Oct 22, '83" duplex prepaying triple the 13¢ British mail rate with a 1¢ convenience overpayment, reverse with "New York Oct 23 F.D." transit backstamp and red crayon "20/3" credit rating, endorsed "Via England, S/S 'Oregon' ", reverse with Brindisi (11.8), Napoli (11.10) and red Singapore Paid transits, reduced a bit at left; second cover, 1884 bearing three 10¢ brown singles tied by three strikes of "New-York Feb 9 '84" duplex prepaying triple the 10¢ direct American Trans-Pacific packet rate, "New York F.D. Feb 9" backstamp and red crayon "120/3" credit rating, additional red crayon "3", reduced slightly at right, F.-V.F. pair. Scott No. 209 Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A RARE CORRESPONDENCE PAIR TO THE LAOS MISSION VIA BANGKOK, SIAM SHOWING THE TWO AVAILABLE RATES, THE 13¢ BRITISH MAIL RATE AND THE DIRECT 10¢ AMERICAN TRANS-PACIFIC RATE.
Rev. and Mrs. Chalmus Martin joined the Laos Mission located at Chiangmai at the end of 1883. They had to leave in 1886 because of a life threatening illness to him. These covers must have been among the last to travel via the Bangkok route. Lalance & Grosjean were important manufacturers of porcelain covered iron cookware. In April 1884, a British consul was appointed to Chiangmai. Mail was then routed via Moulmein, Burma instead of the uncertain Bangkok route. It took six weeks to four months to go from Bangkok to Chiangmai, depending on the water level of the river.
Chiangmal was the major center of the Kingdom of Chiangmai in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Kingdom was one of the successors of medieval Lanna Kingdom that had been under Burmese rule for two centuries until it was captured by Siamese forces under Taksin of Thonburi in 1774. Inthawichayanon (1871-1884) was the last King of Chiangmai when it was annexed by Siam in 1884. These two covers actually arrived while the Kingdom of Chiangmai was still independent.
Realized: $2,700