KONIG VON PREUSSEN (KING OF PRUSSIA)

[aukepalmhof]

The vessel depict on this stamp is as given by Stanley Gibbons as the KING OF PRUSSIA, what is the English translation of her name in German which is KÖNIG VON PREUSSEN.
She was an East Indiaman built in the United Kingdom, under which name and where built is till so far not known.
1751 Bought by the Preussisch Asiatischen Kompanie at Emden, Germany together with the BURG VON EMDEN.
Tonnage ?, dim. 150 x 38 x 19ft. (draught fully loaded)
Armament 36 guns.
Crew 120 men and 15 mariners.

1752 She sailed from Emden under command of Captain Carl Gleitzke (or Gleitschke) for her first voyage to Canton, China, at that time she was the only port in China to allow European ships.
At that time the port of Emden was under problems with constant silting and it took 24 days before the ship had passed the one mile from the port to the road and 24 barges where needed to load the vessel and made her ready for sea.
After arrival in Canton she loaded tea, porcelain and silk before she set sail for her homeward voyage.
After arrival in 1753 at Emden hardly any profit was made after all expenses were paid.
When in 1757 Emden during the Seven Years War was occupied by French troops the KÖNIG VON PREUSSEN with the director of the company Mr.Gottfried Teegel and a part of the company assets escaped to Delfzijl in the Netherlands.
The KÖNIG VON PREUSSEN was later sent to the mouth of the River Ganges to salvage the cargo of the in 1756 stranded PRINZ HEINRICH of the Bengalische Company and brings the cargo to Europe.
1762 She arrived with this cargo in Europe.
Because of the French occupation of Emden and with the outlook of profit bad, the majority of the shareholders in the company in 1765 decided to liquidate the company, and the remaining ships of the company were sold under which the KÖNIG VON PREUSSEN.

Fate unknown

Bulgaria 1986 5s sg3372, scott?

Source: Navicula. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nig ... n_(Schiff)