The Christmas Island (Pacific) Local Stamps and Postal History

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Christmas Island - Central Pacific Cocoanut Plantations Ltd. local stamps.
Letters to the Bern/Switzerland philatelist Fred Reinhard.

23 February 2023 : 66 covers.

Johann Friedrich Reinhard (20 May 1871 - 28.4.1936) worked with the Swiss customs service, was a philatelist and journalist also founder of the Stamp Exchange Club Bern.
Until the early 1930s he was the chief editor of the "Schweizer Briefmarkenzeitung

Schweizer Briefmarken Zeitung

Schweizer Briefmarken Zeitung

The letters were carried to San Francisco by steamers of the Union Line (Union Steamship Co.) from Wellington (NZ) via Rarotonga and Papeete. From there by train to the east cost and on to Europe.

These here are real commercial covers. I think Reinhard received Plantation stamps with these (taxed !).

Reinhard registered letter

7 October 1918

Reinhard registered letter reverse

7 October 1918 - R01 & R01a

Reinhard registered letter

7 October 1918

Reinhard registered letter reverse

7 October 1918 - R01 & R01b
(new 4/2019)

Reinhard registered letter. Backstamped CL1 palm cachet, San Francisco 28 October 1918, New York 2 November 1918 and Frenhc censor cachet "OUVERT par l'Autorité Militaire 203". Arrived (manuscript) 25 November 1918

7 October 1918

Reinhard registered letter reverse

On all Reinhard covers the 5c plantation stamp is cancelled with CL1, the big palm tree cachet in black.

CL1 black

CL1 in black

In Papeete the covers were cancelled either with the newer PAPEETE / TAHIT cancel or with the old one.

Older Papeete cancel

Older Papeete cancel

Newer Papeete cancel

Newer Papeete cancel

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Another 7. October 1918 cover: the typical Reinhard cover now:

7. October 1918 - Rg 881

Reinhard registered letter #881

cancel

Reinhard registered letter #881

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11. October 1918 covers:

11. October 1918 ?? Rg --
(new 23 Apr 2018)

Reinhard not a registered letter #00 - maybe 11. Oct. 18 too.
Image thanks to Auktionshaus Schlegel, Berlin

11. October 1918 - Rg --

Reinhard not a registered letter #00

11. October 1918 - Rg 1
(new 10/18)

Reinhard registered letter #1
Image thank to Auktionshaus Schlegel, Berlin

Reverse - Rg 1

11. October 1918 - Rg 3

Reinhard registered letter #9
Image thank to a New Zealand collector.

Reverse - Rg 3

11. October 1918 - Rg 9

Reinhard registered letter #9
Source: The Royal Philatelic Society London: The London Philatelist, Vol. 78, Nr. 913, January 1969, page 16.

11. October 1918 - Rg 18

Reinhard registered letter #18

11. October 1918 Rg 18

Reinhard registered letter #18 reverse

11. October 1918 - Rg 24

Reinhard registered letter #24

11. October 1918 - Rg 27
(new 2/2022)

Reinhard registered letter #27 - also backstamped San Francisco & New York

11. October 1918 - Rg 32
(new 11/2019)

Reinhard registered letter #32.
Image thanks to David Feldman Switzerland

11. October 1918 - Rg 32

reverse

11. October 1918 - Rg 35
(new 10/2018)

Reinhard registered letter #37. Opened, censored and closed again with "Controle Postal Militaire" tape, oval "OUVERT par l'AUTORITÉ MILITAIRE 204" on front and reverse.
Image thanks to Auktionshaus Schlegel, Berlin

11. October 1918 - Rg 35

reverse

11. October 1918 - Rg 37
(new Oct 2018)

Reinhard registered letter #37. Also censored.

11. October 1918 - Rg 37

First mentionned in January 1924 in the French stamp magazine "Le Timbre-poste".

11. October 1918 - Rg 39

Reinhard registered letter #39

11. October 1918 - Rg 51
(new Oct 2020)

Reinhard registered letter #51.

11. October 1918 - Rg 51

reverse

11. October 1918 - Rg 54

Reinhard registered letter #54

11. October 1918 - Rg 57
(new 23 Apr 2018)

Reinhard registered letter #57
Image thanks to Auktionshaus Schlegel, Berlin

11. October 1918 - Rg 61
(new 3/2020)

Reinhard registered letter #61. Image thanks to Pacific Islands Study Circle

11. October 1918 - Rg 68

Reinhard registered letter #68

11. October 1918 Rg 68

Reinhard registered letter #68 reverse

11. October 1918 - Rg 70

Reinhard registered letter #70

11. October 1918 - Rg 73
(new 10 Jan 2022)

Reinhard registered letter #73

11. October 1918 - Rg 73
(new 10 Jan 2022)

reverse

11. October 1918 - Rg 76
(new 23 Apr 2018)

Reinhard registered letter #76
Image thanks to Auktionshaus Schlegel, Berlin

11. October 1918 - Rg 77

Reinhard registered letter #77

11. October 1918 - Rg 982

Reinhard registered letter #982

11. October 1918 - Rg 983
(new Dec. 2017)

Reinhard registered letter #983 Universal Philatelic Auctions, GB

11. October 1918 - Rg 983
(new Dec. 2017)

Reinhard registered letter #983 - This was the same in cover in a Harmers of London auction 1985. It showed up again after 32 years.

11. October 1918 - Rg 984

Reinhard registered letter #984, San Francisco 28 Oct, New York 2 November

11. October 1918 - Rg 984

Reinhard registered letter #984, San Francisco 28 Oct, New York 2 November, censored

11. October 1918 - Rg 989

Reinhard registered letter #989
Image thanks to Auktionshaus Felzmann

11. October 1918 - Rg 989

reverse
Image thanks to Auktionshaus Felzmann

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12. October 1918 - no Rg#

A Reinhard cover out of the normal order and without registry

This Reinhard letter was apparently forgotten on 11 October and was dispatched one day later. It received no registration and was stamped with the newer Papeete postmark which appeared on 31 October normally.

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31. October 1918 covers:

31. October 1918 - Rg 64

Reinhard registered letter #64
Image thanks to Steve Drewett

31. October 1918 - Rg 65
(new 12/21)

Reinhard registered letter #65

31. October 1918 - Rg 65
(new 12/21)

reverse

31. October 1918 - Rg 68
(new 9/2020)

Reinhard registered letter #68

31. October 1918 - Rg 68

reverse

31. October 1918 - Rg 69

Reinhard registered letter #69

31. October 1918 - Rg 72

Reinhard registered letter #72

31. October 1918 - Rg 73

Reinhard registered letter #73

31. October 1918 - Rg 83

Reinhard registered letter #83, backstamped San Francisco 23 December 1918 and New York 28 December 1918.

31. October 1918 - Rg 84

Reinhard registered letter #84

31. October 1918 - Rg 95

Reinhard registered letter #95

31. October 1918 - Rg 109

Reinhard registered letter #109

31. October 1918 - Rg 111
(new Feb 2018)

Reinhard registered letter #111
Backstamped San Francisco 23 Dec and New York 12-28-1918.

31. October 1918 - Rg 111

Reinhard registered letter #111
Backstamped San Francisco 23 Dec and New York 12-28-1918.

31. October 1918 - Rg 140
(new 8/2022)

Reinhard registered letter #111
Backstamped San Francisco 23 Dec and New York 12-28-1918.
Image thanks to Auction Galleries Hamburg

31. October 1918 - Rg 140

Reinhard registered letter #111
Backstamped San Francisco 23 Dec and New York 12-28-1918.

31. October 1918 - Rg 229

Reinhard registered letter #229

31. October 1918 - Rg 232

Reinhard registered letter #232

31. October 1918 - Rg 337

Reinhard registered letter #337 - backstamped San Francisco 23 DEC and New York 28-12-1918

31. October 1918 - Rg 337

Reinhard registered letter #337 - reverse

31. October 1918 - Rg 371

Reinhard registered letter #371

31. October 1918 - Rg 383

Reinhard registered letter #383

31. October 1918 - Rg 384

Reinhard registered letter #384

31. October 1918 - Rg 771
(new Jan 2018)

Reinhard registered letter #771
Image thanks to Cavendish Auction House

31. October 1918 - Rg 788

Reinhard registered letter #788

31. October 1918 - Rg xxx
(new 6/2019)

Reinhard registered letter #xxx from =October 1918 possibly.

31. October 1918 - Rg 798
(new 9/2020)

Reinhard registered letter #798

31. October 1918 - Rg 798

reverse

31. October 1918 - Rg 799

Reinhard registered letter #799

31. October 1918 - Rg 801

Reinhard registered letter #801

31. October 1918 - Rg 841

Reinhard registered letter #841 - (David Gillis coll.)

31. October 1918 - Rg 892

Reinhard registered letter #892

31. October 1918 - Rg 892

31. October 1918 - Rg 893

Reinhard registered letter #893

31. October 1918 - Rg 893

31. October 1918 - Rg 897

Reinhard registered letter #897
Image thanks to Van Looy auctions

31. October 1918 - Rg 900
(new 10/2018)

Reinhard registered letter #900

31. October 1918 - Rg 900

31. October 1918 - Rg 903

Reinhard registered letter #903
Image thanks to William Carsson Philatelist, New Zealand

31. October 1918 - Rg 906
(new 1/2021)

Reinhard registered letter #903

31. October 1918 - Rg 906

Reinhard registered letter #903
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31. October 1918 - Rg 908?
(new 8/2018)

Reinhard registered letter #908
Image thanks to Grosvenor Auctions, London<

31. October 1918 - Rg 909

Reinhard registered letter #909
Image thanks to Channel Islands Postal Bid Sales

31. October 1918 - Rg 920

Reinhard registered letter #920
Image thanks to "American Philatelist", Decmber 2001, page 1094
The American Philatelist

31. October 1918 - Rg 977

Reinhard registered letter #977

31. October 1918 - Rg 977

reverse

31. October 1918 - Rg 978

Reinhard registered letter #978

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