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Message #820

bdavidson

Posts: 2

I have acquired an Easter Island cover dated 04 Oct 1953 but note from PISC Postal History articlea that the Post Office was inaugurated on 13 Nov 1953. Can anybody shed light on this anomaly. Many thanks.

2025-01-24 12:54

Message #821

dmaddock

Posts: 1

Hi bdavidson

It is correct that the Post Office opened 13 November 1953 (Information from the Chilean Post office). However, I have two covers dated 4th October. When I had only one, I thought that it was perhaps a philatelic item done as a favour by the Post Office Manager for a visiting collector. However, I bought another similar cover a little while ago, Both have a transit postmark for Panama, the first sent onward to Austria and the second to the USA. It is very interesting that another has now been found. My new theory is that while the post office was not due to open until 13 November, a ship called at the island in October. This was a very infrequent event. The ship was obviously not bound for Valparaiso, and I think that the manager was persuaded to take advantage of the opportunity to send some non Chilean post. There is an article in Pacifica but I'm afraid I can't lay my hands on it at the moment.

2025-02-05 19:27