PITCAIRN ISLANDS 1959 FINE "WILLEM RUYS" MAIDEN VISIT CARD

Description

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P I T C A I R N    I S L A N D S
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ROYAL ROTTERDAM LLOYD LUXURY CRUISE SHIP "WILLEM RUYS"
SUPERB MAIDEN VISIT POSTCARD WITH SHIP'S MARKINGS & CERTIFICATION
VERY FINE CONDITION
Franking: Sc.#24, S.G. 22, Mi.#24
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THE POSTCARD
:
• printed for Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Shipping Company (RRL) from an original painting by Victor van der Trip during the period of WILLEM RUYS' service between The Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies from 1947 to 1953.
• franked with a Pitcairn 3d QEII stamp, and hand-cancelled at the Pitcairn Post Office a few days after the 16 April 1959 visit by the passenger liner (postmark date unclear).
• 50mm long WILLEM RUYS ship mark in purple ink applied at top of picture panel above type-written "FIRST VISIT TO PITCAIRN / April 16th, 1959" (two lines).
• "First Visit "Willem Ruys" Pitcairn Island 16 - 4 - 1959" mark applied in reddish-violet ink (95mm long) at base of postcard, and also appears diagonally on reverse side.
• Typical RRL oval-shape 50mm double ring ship mark "Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd n.v. / m.s. "WILLEM RUYS" / ROTTERDAM" at upper right corner of reverse side (for reference only, compare to oval mark of another RRL vessel, "WONOSARI", on 1955 cover).
• On message (reverse) side, a double-spaced typewritten notatation states (translated from Dutch) "Sent on the occasion of the first visit of the m.s. "Willem Ruys" to PITCAIRN ISLAND on 16 April 1959", with (unknown) signature.
CONDITION
:
Exceptionally fine and fresh condition, no rips, tears, blemishes, yellowing, age marks, or wrinkles. Sharp corners.
Great addition to any PITCAIRN / SHIP / POSTCARD / POSTAL HISTORY collection.
The 23,000-ton, much-loved and popular luxury Dutch passenger liner, M.S. WILLEM RUYS, made the first of her eleven visits to Pitcairn Island during its inaugural Round-the-World cruise on 16 April 1959.  Its last visit was on 26 April 1964, during her final World Cruise from New Zealand, en route to the Panama Canal and Europe (see typical schedule below).
Every visit of WILLEM RUYS was a red-letter day for both passengers and islanders, who clambered aboard from their longboats for a day of trading and bartering, none more than the Island Post Office staff, who would spend days after the ship's departure postmarking the hundreds of letters and postcards sent by passengers and crew, as a momento of their visit.
M.S. "WILLEM RUYS" VISITS TO PITCAIRN ISLAND: two in 1959, two in 1960, four in 1961, two in 1962, last on 26 April 1964
BRIEF SHIP HISTORY
:
• 1939 - keel laid down in de Schelde Shipyard, Vlissingen, Holland (unsuccessful attempted bombings by German air force in WW2 halted building)
• 1946 - launched, completed and sea trials in late 1947, Maiden Voyage from Netherlands to Dutch East Indies 5 December 1947 (900 passengers in 4 classes)
• 1949 - Indonesia Independence led to reduced service, refit 1953 - switched to North Atlantic Service to New York, later to Canada (1045 passengers in 2 classes)
• 1959 - after extensive refit, departed Rotterdam 7 March on new 63-day Round-the-World Service via Southampton, the Mediterranean, Suez Canal to Melbourne (4 April) - Sydney (7th) - Wellington New Zealand (11th) - PITCAIRN ISLAND (16th) - Panama Canal (25th) - Miami (29th) - Bermuda (1st May) - Southampton (8th) - Rotterdam (9th).
• 1964 - reduced passenger levels, laid up in Rotterdam, then sold to Flotta Lauro Lines mid-1964, extensive refit in Naples, renamed "ACHILLE LAURO".
•1965 to 1994 -  a series of misfortunes: collisions, fires, hijacking (1985), sold twice, lost to fire off Somalia on 30 November to 2 December 1994,
en route
to South Africa.
GALASALES - IT'S ABOUT CHOICE  - COUNT ON US ® !!
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SALES TAX FOR U.S. BUYERS
-----------------------
EBAY COLLECTS SALES TAX FROM BUYERS IN MOST U.S. STATES AND D.C. AND SENDS IT TO TH
E I.R.S.
GALASALES SENDS BUYERS AN INVOICE; EBAY ADDS THE APPROPRIATE STATE TAX TO THAT INVOICE.
GALASALES RETURNS PAYMENTS FOR WRONG OR DAMAGED ITEMS; EBAY MAY NOT REFUND THE SALES TAX.
KINDLY
NOTE
WE SELL SHIP POSTCARDS, COVERS, AND STAMPS OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH, AND WORLDWIDE TOPICAL AND THEMATIC ISSUES.
PITCAIRN ISLANDS
WE OFFER PITCAIRN ISLAND'S POSTAL, PHILATELIC, AND SOCIAL HISTORY, INCLUDING WORLDWIDE PITCAIRN-RELATED STAMP ISSUES.
SHIPPING/HANDLING
WE COMBINE SHIPPING ON MULTIPLE PURCHASES
U.S.A.
: EXPEDITED FIRST CLASS MAIL
.25
::: INSURED MAIL
with tracking
.95
WORLDWIDE
: AIRMAIL
.25
:::
REGISTERED AIRMAIL
with tracking
.95
Orders are
always
well packaged, to prevent any damage in the mail
PLEASE SEE OUR EXCELLENT FEEDBACK BUYERS' SATISFACTION RECORD. BUY WITH CONFIDENCE. MAKE
US
YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR PITCAIRN ISLANDS
. WE POST IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK, PACK SECURELY, AND SHIP WITHIN 24 HOURS. THANK YOU FOR 20 YEARS' TRUST AND SUPPORT ON eBAY.
NOTE TO BUYERS IN
INDIA, CHINA, AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
:
1. Due to missing orders mailed to India & China, we RECOMMEND adding REGISTERED MAIL delivery to your payment.
2. WE DO NOT SHIP to any country in Africa or the Middle East, EXCEPT South Africa, Namibia, and Israel.
FOR DISCOUNTED SHIPPING, ADD YOUR ITEMS TOGETHER IN YOUR SHOPPING CART, AND REQUEST INVOICE. THANK YOU.