PITCAIRN 1954 RANGITIKI COVER & LETTER TO CURACAO UNIQUE

Description: **** P I T C A I R N I S L A N D S **** [MAS] M.S. "RANGITIKI" AT PITCAIRN - 15 MARCH 1954 FRESH & COMPLETE LETTER & ENVELOPE WRITTEN ON BOARD DURING PITCAIRN STOPOVER AMAZING DESTINATION LETTER TO PASTOR AT WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO, DUTCH WEST INDIES FROM PASSENGER ON "RANGITIKI" BOTH ITEMS IN FRESH AND VERY FINE/EXTRA FINE CONDITION • • • U N I Q U E O P P O R T U N I T Y • • • ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PITCAIRN POSTSCRIPT: Large passenger liners, such as the New Zealand Shipping Company's (NZSCo) RANGITIKI (16,698 tons / 1929 - 1962), generally stopped at Pitcairn Island for about 2 or 3 hours only, on their voyages to and from New Zealand and England. This was a refreshingly different and exciting port of call for passengers who had last seen land about 14 days before! This remarkable letter, with its envelope correctly rated at 2½d to a non-British Empire (Commonwealth) destination as rare as CURACAO, Dutch West Indies, is fresh and complete, and was written on the Shipping Company's stationery at the time of the stopover at this Pacific island. The writer of the letter has addressed his envelope [translated from Dutch] to the Reverend Father Radulphus at the St. Vincentius Home on Scherpen Hill, overlooking Willemstad, Curacao. As this town was often a port where the NZSCo ships called before their transit of the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean, it is possible that the writer and the Pastor were friends, and may have seen each other in person on this voyage. THE COVER & ITS CONTENTS : are in very fine condition, considering they were written more than 65 years ago. There are minor light bends on the envelope flap. It has been neatly opened at the top, and is 5¼" x 4¼" size, with Company logo on the flap in orange, white and blue. The [Company stationery] two-page letter is fresh and clean, without blemishes, having been preserved in its envelope since 1954. It is folded in half, and is 8" x 5" in size (8" x 10" opened out). It is dated "Rangitiki / 15th March 1954" *. The envelope was back-stamped on arrival in Willemstad two months later, on 12 May 1954. At the time, RANGITIKI was on her way to Auckland when it stopped at Pitcairn; the letter would have reached New Zealand around the end of March, and was then trans-shipped to the next eastbound ship for the Canal, and diverted again, with other mail, for the Dutch West Indies. Some trip ! HISTORIC ITEMS * Reference: "PITCAIRN - PORT OF CALL" by Dr. Herbert Ford (1st Edition - 1996). Do you collect Pitcairn Island / New Zealand / Dutch Colonies / Postal History / Ship Mail / Transportation / Historic documents? This combination of letter and envelope makes a unique, valuable, and eye-catching display to be proud of. FIVE STARS !! ****************** GALASALES - IT'S ABOUT CHOICE - COUNT ON US ® !! KINDLY NOTE WE SELL SHIP POSTCARDS, COVERS, AND STAMP OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH & FINE, WORLDWIDE TOPICAL AND THEMATIC ISSUES PITCAIRN ISLANDS WE OFFER PITCAIRN'S POSTAL, PHILATELIC, AND SOCIAL HISTORY, INCLUDING WORLDWIDE PITCAIRN-RELATED STAMP ISSUES. SHIPPING/HANDLING WE COMBINE SHIPPING ON MULTIPLE PURCHASES U.S.A. : CERTIFIED FIRST CLASS MAIL $3.95 with tracking ::: INSURED MAIL $7.95 with tracking WORLDWIDE AIRMAIL $4.25 ::: INSURED REGISTERED AIRMAIL $24.95 with tracking Orders are always well packaged, to prevent any damage in the mail PLEASE SEE OUR 100% FEEDBACK, AND SUPERB BUYERS' SATISFACTION RECORD. BUY WITH CONFIDENCE. MAKE US YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR PITCAIRN POSTAL HISTORY & TOPICAL STAMPS. WE POST IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK, PACK SECURELY, AND SHIP IN 24 HOURS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON eBAY SINCE 2001. NOTE TO BUYERS IN INDIA, CHINA, AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST: 1. Due to missing orders mailed to India & China, we RECOMMEND adding REGISTERED MAIL delivery to any payment. 2. WE DO NOT SHIP to any country in Africa or the Middle East, EXCEPT South Africa, Namibia, and Israel. FOR DISCOUNTED SHIPPING, ADD YOUR ITEMS TOGETHER IN YOUR SHOPPING CART, AND REQUEST INVOICE. THANK YOU.

Price: 350 USD

Location: Arizona,

End Time: 2024-02-08T17:44:09.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7.95 USD