1936 Tin Can Mail, 21 cachets

17th January 1936 Tin Can Mail, illustrated cover with typed address to Tonga, seven cachets on the front and fourteen on the reverse, folded.

Tin Can Mail. The Tongan Island of Niuafoíou had no deep water harbour so mail for the island was thrown overboard from ships in biscuit tins & collected by swimmers (later canoes), who took it to shore and in the other direction. During the 1930s & 40s this became quite a tourist attraction and you could have your mail covered in cachets to show it had made the journey.