A cover German explorer Karl von Ditmar sent to his wife in Russia in 1853 looks set to headline an auction at Siegel.
Ditmar was carrying out geological surveys in Kamchatka, on Russia’s Pacific coast.
This letter travelled over three continents in 1853
This letter travelled via a whaling ship to Hawaii, then on to San Francisco and New York. It was shipped across the Atlantic to Bremen, Germany and then on to the address in the town of Adavere (now in Estonia).
The journey took around five months.
The cover is exceptionally rare, being one of three known 19th century covers sent from Hawaii to Russia. It’s valued at $15,000-20,000.
The sale, titled Stampless Stories: A Postal History of America, consists of a wealth of covers that travelled from and through America before the arrival of the adhesive stamp.
We’ve just restocked our selection of stamps, click here to take a look.
Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about postage stamp auctions.
