The earliest-known privately owned cover sent from Bermuda was part of a “beautiful” display and presentation given by esteemed philatelist David Pitts to The Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) late last month.
Focusing on the postal history of Bermuda, the presentation included the country’s postal predecessors up to the time it entered the Universal Postal Union in April 1877. Heading the display was the earliest-known privately owned cover sent from Bermuda; it was sent to England in 1617. The earliest-known cover, sent one year earlier, is held by the National Trust of Bermuda. Pitts also showed an equally impressive cover, the so-called “Moncrieff” cover, sent from Bermuda on May 26, 1875 and addressed to H. Moncrieff in London. It’s the only recorded cover with all three of the 1875 one-penny provisionals, namely four of the one penny on 4d, and singles of the one penny on 2d and one penny on one schilling.
Pitts also acknowledged the help he received from fellow philatelist Arthur Groten.
For more information, visit rpsl.org.uk.