ISLAS DE/BARLOVENTO. Light strike of red two-line handstamp on folded letter datelined "In prison Royalle De la Nouvelle Orleans Le 28 Janvier 1791" from Antonio Patrick Walsh and addressed to Monsieur Durin in Bordeaux, France, manuscript "16" (sols) due in France

FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "ISLAS DE BARLOVENTO" TWO-LINE HANDSTAMP MARKING FROM SPANISH COLONIAL NEW ORLEANS TO FRANCE.

According to Dr. Yamil Kouri, this originated in Spanish New Orleans and was sent via Havana to Cadiz, Spain, where the "ISLAS DE/BARLOVENTO" (Windward Islands) marking was applied. It was then sent overland to France and rated 16 sous for a single-weight letter from Spain. Dr. Kouri records only one other New Orleans cover bearing this marking, rated 24 sols.

The sender, Antonio Patrick Walsh, was a native of Dublin, Ireland. Walsh served in the Spanish military and in the militia of colonial Louisiana under Spanish rule. He later became involved in shipping, serving Spanish commercial interests in the Caribbean and Mexico as third commander of the ship Louisiana and as the owner of the ship La Mexicana. Following his maritime service, Walsh settled in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, where he owned a cotton plantation. (Source: https://www.lib.lsu.edu/sites/default/files/sc/findaid/0887m.pdf )

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