TIN CAN MAIL enigma

General postal history discussions on any topics we don't have a specific category for.
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Robinr
Posts: 155
Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2010 6:00 pm

TIN CAN MAIL enigma

Post by Robinr »

Hi All,

I'm hoping there is a Tin Can Mail expert among us who can help me understand this cover. It seems that outgoing mail from the island far exceeds the incoming from abroad. Of the latter, mail from the US far outnumbers that from elsewhere, the next biggest number of stamps being Tongan. Stamps with any of the GB four kings were/are apparently uncommon.

The initial impression of this cover is that it went from England, witness the GB stamps, arrived on Tin Can Island where it picked up a Tongan stamp and came back to England. Very nice, a both-ways cover.

But, there is no GB cancellation to show it actually left England under its own steam.

On reflection, I suspect it was mailed as an addressed and stamped envelope, inside another to the island with the customary 6d inside where it was given the Tongan adhesive and multiple cachets on front and back, and sent off to eventually arrive in England.

Any comments and insights would be very welcome.

Cheers, Robin
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