Fernando Po to Germany
April 23, 1897
Fernando Po is an island in the Gulf of Guinea off the
coast of Cameroon.
It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1472 and acquired by Spain in
1778.
It was leased to the British in 1827 for use as an antislavery naval
base.
It became a separate Spanish colony until it was merged into Spanish
Guinea in 1909.
The British base closed in 1834 but its favorable
climate made it the center of British activity.
A British consul was first appointed circa 1850.
The consul became the British packet agent in March, 1859.
Although the agency closed in 1877, the island continued
to be a port of call for the British Packets.
Registration of this cover was indicated by the notation Regiotrada!, the boxed
registration handstamp with a script serial number inserted, and the
pencilled blue cross.
There are two FERNANDO PÓO CDS cancelling
singles of
the
King Alphonso XIII orange brown 10c and dark brown 12½c issued
in 1896 (Scott 17 and 18).
The cover was carried by the British Packet to Liverpool
where
its arrival was noted by the oval British registry stamp on May 25.
It was sent immediately to London.
London applied another oval registry stamp in red on May 25 and sent it
on its way to Germany.
The destination was Bäden-Bäden
about 35 km southwest of
Karlsruhe.
In Baden-Baden the cover was forwarded however I cannot identify the
new destination.
Help, anyone?