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Postcard 1902 Crown Jewels Tower of London Wrench Series No.82 Undivided Back
FrontBack
Pre-linen · 1902

Postcard 1902 Crown Jewels Tower of London Wrench Series No.82 Undivided Back

London, England1902Pre-linenGood

Behind ornate ironwork grilles and under the glow of an early electric pendant lamp, the Crown Jewels of England gleam in their Victorian-era display case at the Tower of London — a sepia-toned image of almost conspiratorial intimacy, as though the viewer has been granted private audience with regalia that have survived fire, theft attempts, and revolution for centuries. This is a Wrench Series card, printed in Saxony circa 1901–1902, bearing the earliest recognised British divided-back transitional format: the reverse instructs that message space "may be used for Communication in the British Isles only (Post Office Regulation)" — a hallmark of the pre-1902 undivided-back era giving way to the new rules. The Jewel House display pictured reflects the arrangement installed after the 1868 rehousing in the Wakefield Tower, with the characteristic cage-like iron screen that protected the jewels until the 1960s redesign. Published as Wrench Series No. 82, this unused card was printed in Saxony (Germany), as was common for high-quality British view cards before WWI trade disruption ended that practice. A clean, square-cornered example with the original stamp box intact, priced by a dealer at $3.00 pencil notation on the reverse.

$14.95
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PC-05496 · The Wrench Series (Evelyn Wrench, London); Printed in Saxony
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