Three New Calédonia 5c stamps cancelled with PCH type 5 and Ligne N°4 NOUMEA A MARSEILLE 8 June 1903. ("RW" coll.)

Coverfront: letter to France, the 10c rate paid by to 5c NC stamps cancelled with the Port Sandwich cancel with dateblock inverted. ("Aore" coll.)

Correct 10c rate to France by a NC stamp cancelled with PCH type 4, the cover slightly cut at left like many of the Mère Marie-Alexis letters. The cancel has the italic month block. Backstamped on arrival at Montbert on 27-7 08. ("JGI" coll.)

Correct 10c rate to France by a British 1d stamp cancelled with PCH type 7. Backstamped Sydney JUL 11 1910 and on arrival at Montbert on 16-8 10 (46 days). ("JGI" coll.)

3 July 1910

French 1910 10c stamp cancelled with PCH type 5. ("Aore" coll.)
PACIFIQUE data: Sydney 9 Nov 10 - back 27 Nov 10.

French 1912 10c stamp cancelled with GK Type PM2. Backstamped Machecoul 14 7 12 and Tuvois 15 7 12 and (ex Goron coll.)

Two French 1912 5c stamps cancelled with PCH type 5. Backstamped Montbert 29-12-12. (Klinger coll.)

One of the very scarce WWI letters: from Port Vila to Monbert, France. The ½d 1911 British and the 5c 1911/12 French definitives are tied with faint PCH type 5 cancels. ("Mele" coll.)

French 1912 10c stamp cancelled with PCH type 7A on a piece of a cover front. This is the cancel with the incorrectly engraved "F". Cancelled on arrival Paris étranger on 16. IV. 1919. (Ruecker coll.)

Two French 1912 5c stamps cancelled with PCH type 7 on a cover front. (Ruecker coll.)

French 1912 50c stamp cancelled with PCH type 7. Registration label PCH type R2. (Klinger coll.)

French 1912 20c stamp cancelled with PCH type 8. (Treadwell coll.)

Two 1912 French 20c stamps and a 1924 10c stamp cancelled with PCH type 8. (Goron coll.)

French 1925 50c stamp cancelled with PCH type 8. (Klinger coll.)

French 1925 10c and 40c stamps the 10c stamp cancelled with PCH type 9, the 40c stamp cancelled by manuscript. The empty place before the day "3" is a rectangle. (Klinger coll.)

French 1925 50c stamp cancelled with PCH type 9. (Klinger coll.)

British 1925 2d and French 1925 30c stamp cancelled with PCH type 9. (Klinger coll.)

This "Tourville" cover thanks to Bertrand Sinais, 65th auction April 25, 2008, 7, rue de chateaudun, Paris. Sorry, no URL available. Picture shows only part of the letter. French 50c stamp with "PAR AVION" handstamp on a "Mère Marie Alexis" letter to France. Cancelled on transit Noumea 20.7. and Nantes 29.8.1929.

Two British 1925 2½d stamps cancelled with PCH type 9. (Klinger coll.)

British 1925 5d stamps cancelled with PCH type 9. First the day "1" and then a rectangle - could this mean "10" as well? (Klinger coll.)

British 1925 5d stamps cancelled with PCH type 9. Image thanks to London Stamps Exchange Ltd. 10 years after London Stamp Exchange auction I saw this part cover again at an internet auction (in color at top). Some weird person who provided the internet auction with many cut apart covers had shortened this part cover too!

French 1938 5c stamp together with 1925 30c, 10c and 5c stamps on piece of a cover cancelled with GK type PM7C and sent to Nantes, France.

French 1938 10c stamp on piece of a cover cancelled with PCH type 90. Written from "École St. Michel, Canal Segond, Santo" to Ste. Foy les Lyon and redirected to Nantes. Backstamped 27.5.39 6:40 in Ste. Foy, again on 27.5.39 19:20 and Nantes 28.5.1939. (Klinger coll.)

French 1925 10c stamp cancelled with PCH type 12 (?). Written to herself in France (?).

Mixed franking: 45c and 5cg on a cover(fragment) cancelled wuth PM7C. Colonial letter ratein 1939 was 10cg. 5cg were paid by the old stamps with a ratio of 9:1.

Letter from Port Vila written by Soeur Marie Alexis to Sainte-Foy-les-Lyon (Rhône) France. The 10 gc stamp tied with PM11B on 29 April 1940, correct 10cg colonial letter rate. Arrival cachet Ste Foy les Lyon 2 -11 40 : so travel time 6 months. No NH or Australian censor mark . The cover was opened by the British censorship, label P.C 90 OPENED BY EXAMINER 4485 and detained en route, waiting until better times for postal service. ("SeSi" coll.)

Letter written by Soeur Marie Alexis carried via Noumea to San Francisco, New York and Lisbon like the letters at left. From Lisbon it went surface mail to Marseille. Backstamped Noumea 29 Sept 1941 and Ste. Foy les Lyon 20.10.41. Weak Marseille international censor cachet on front and reverse. Several censor strips. (ex Alain Millet coll.)

Nearly identical cover via New York and Lisbon. (ex Millet coll.) His write-up: "Lettre entre 26 et 30g. Tarif franco colonial de 1,30 F CFP jusqu'à 50g + surtaxe de 19F CFP par 5g: soit un total de 115,30 F CFP = 3,97 Fr.or, réduit à 3,90 F.or"

Nearly identical cover via New York and Lisbon. (ex Millet coll.)

Cover to New Caledonia, 10c surface rate, cancelled with Type 11. Opened and censored and resealed with tape in the New Hebrides and in New Caledonia. The mauve circular cachet of the Censure Aliiée No. 5 was struck on the front. (seen in a 2007 SPINK auction.

Mère Marie-Alexis to USA. The correct rate 30c cancelled with PM7C. Censored and two days later backstamped 30 November 1944.

28 November 1944

The first of a few known post WWII letters from Mère Marie-Alexis. The 1938 French 10c stamp cancelled with PCH type 11.
Picture thanks to David Wrigley Postal History

12 June 1945

French 1938 10c stamp cancelled with GK type PM7C. Written to another sister at "Soeurs Missionnaires de la Société de Marie" who today still reside there. Circular Port Vila "Passed by Censor ..." handstamp. (seen in an old dealer's offer)

Mère Marie Alexis mail from Vila to Mère Marie de la Mercie in Sainte - Foy - les - Lyon Rhône France.
The French 10c stamp cancelled with GK type PM7C, correct colonial rate for a 20g letter.
The circular bilingual Vila censor handstamp on right front. 17 AUG 1945 is the latest known use so far for the NH censor cachet. ("SeSi" coll.)

Sender

postmark

Both the 1938 and the 1941 5c stamps cancelled with PCH type 14.

Patriotic card with the Croix de Lorraine blazon of the Free French. The 5c France Libre and 5c.or cancelled with PCH type 11, the 5cg cancelled with PCH type 12. Written by Soeur Marie Alexis : "religieuse des Soeurs missionnaire de la Société de Marie. Née à Montbert (Loire inférieure) le 28 septembre 1876. Arrive aux Hébrides en mai 1902. Elle est chargée du premier hopital à Anabrou (Vaté) puis en 1913 de l'hopital de Port-Vila" (O'Reilly). ("SeSi" coll.)

2 October 1945

Letter from Soeur Marie ALexis to U.S.A. The two French and ENglish 1938 15cg stamps are cancelled with GK type PM11A. Correct non-colonial letter rate. (ex Millet coll.)

23 January 1947

Arogramme cancelled with GK PM11B (used 1939-1951). (Golden Sale 2002)

A late letter from Mère Marie-Alexis to France: the two British 5c stamps are cancelled with PCH type 13. (Klinger coll.)

This one is in [F.2.] too: Air mail letter to France. The 15c and 50c stamps tied by PCH type 9. PCH type 233 remembering the first flight Port-Vila - Paris on 26AP50 on front. ("Namba 2" collection)