Pitcairn Islands 1925 stampless cover to Alleton, Mass., U.S.A., Washburn correspondence, with fine (slightly doubled) 'POSTED IN PITCAIRN ISLAND/1924 NO STAMPS AVAILABLE' large cachet in black (as type IV), with the year deleted in black M/S, SGC9.
A very fine 'CRISTOBAL CANAL ZONE' machine transit date stamp on reverse.
Typical slight cover faults but a rare and highly unusual 'late' use of this cachet (clearly after 1/1/25 !). The arrangement of letters being sent without postage stamps was ended in 1926.
A very interesting and philatelically important piece of early postal history from the Pitcairn Islands.
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £2,500+.
The mail service from the Pitcairn Islands was irregular because it depended on passing ships and mail from the island was often sent via Tahiti.
In 1920, a regular mail service was introduced. As there were no stamps available, letters were allowed free postage as long as they carried a cachet, or manuscript endorsement, indicating their origin.
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