366. Auktion März 2018

OCCUPATION OF CRETE: 1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, complete set on horizontally laid paper, the key 2m red with huge margins, 1m blue & 2m black with remnant, 2m red lightly hinged, and 1m green appears never hinged. Backstamped, key by Zeis. 

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, in canceled blocks with blue "RETHYMNON" straightline: 1m blue type I block of four with violet control mark, tied to fragment; 2m rose red on laid paper with blue control mark, rich color, nice margins all around, horizontal crease affecting top pair and lower right stamp with diagonal crease, mainly visible from the back, scarce; 1m yellow green on laid paper block of eight, with blue control, very fine; 2m black in four blocks of four, two on wove paper, each with either violet or blue control and two on laid paper, the one with violet control having a horizontal crease.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, the 1m blue type I, with clear and distinct double impression. Great color, nice margins for this, violet control mark and canceled-to-order with blue "RETHYMNON" straightline. Backstamped extremely rare.  

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, the 2m on horizontally laid paper. A very nice group that includes an uncatalogued single without any control marks, an unused single in a similar shade, a red hue on thinner paper, three singles and a pair of the rose red hue, one with a crease, several are backstamped.  

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m blue on quadrilled paper, with control mark, unused no gum, backstamped. Very Fine.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m bright carmine red on wove, uncatalogued color without any control mark, rich color, clear margins all around, unused no gum, scarce.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m brown on laid paper, uncatalogued as such, with control mark, "RETHYMNON" straightline cancel, signed. Very Fine and scarce.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m violet on quadrilled paper, uncatalogued without any control mark, rich color, nice margins all around, unused no gum, Schmitt pencil number on back. Very Fine.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m violet on quadrilled paper, with control mark, sheet selvage copy, "RETHYMNON" straightline cancel, backstamped and signed. Very Fine.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, the 2m pale gray rose on wove paper, corner block of four with violet blue circular control in the middle and each with the very scarce "MARGARITAIS" straightline cancel in blue. Very small lower right corner crease just into the frame line of the lower right stamp. A very nice multiple with a seldom seen cancel.

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, two 2m blue, one on wove, with trace of the control mark at top left corner, unused no gum, thin spot, backstamped; one on quadrilled paper, without control mark, uncatalogued as such, unused no gum. Very Fine. 

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, three 1m yellow green, one mint and two canceled, with pin perforation all around, and a canceled 2m black with a roulette perforation, signed Buhler. Seldom seen. 

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 1m violet on quadrilled paper, uncatalogued without any control mark, rich color, nice margins all around, unused no gum, backstamped, unpriced unused. Very Fine. 

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, the 2m black on wove paper, an unused block of six and a single, all with the small control mark that was used in the later "Trident" issues. Although considered by some to be proofs, these are scarce, and the block of six is considered a large multiple. The single has a small corner crease, the block of six a diagonal crease affecting four out of the six stamps, the single backstamped Schmitt. 

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, the 2m black on wove paper, two copies without any control mark, one canceled with the very rare "FODELE" straightline. Both are fresh, sound, backstamped by J.U. Schmitt. 

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m black on quadrilled paper, a complete sheet of 20 (4x5) with control mark covering the upper 16 stamps and with the first and third horizontal rows with "RETHYMNON" straightline cancel in blue, rows two and four without the cancel and row five without control or cancel. According to Holcombe, the status of this small sheet format is unknown. May be unique, some minor wrinkles on the edges of the sheet do not detract, very desirable, with Holcombe certificate (1988). 

1899, Handstamped & Trident Issues, Cover Lot of 21 pieces including a small cover with a pair of 1m green canceled with "SELIA" violet brown straightline, three covers and a fragment with blue "ROUSTIKA" straightline on either 1m green, 2m black, or 2m blue Trident with Stars; seventeen pieces from Rethymnon, of special notice two different, each with the 1899, 2m pale grey-rose Handstamped type II, one franked with a single each 1m blue type I, 2m black, one with a block of 1m green, one with an 1gr orange Trident without stars, etc.

1899, First "Trident" Issue, complete set of 3 values in six different colors, with and/or without control mark, the 1gr green is canceled, all others mint, a couple with small faults, a couple with no gum, some are backstamped, including the scarce 2m black which is also signed by Diena but has some perf thins on top. Overall a very nice complete set plus the extra stamps. 

1899, First "Trident" Issue, complete set of 3 values in six different colors. Either with blue or violet small control mark and most are canceled-to-order with either a "RETHYMNO" straightline or cds. Some are backstamped.

1899, First "Trident" Issue, complete imperf pair set of three values in six colors each. The 1gr rose and 1gr lilac with the left stamp having the broken T in ΤΑΧΥΔΡΟΜΕΙΟΝ. Sheet selvage pairs from the original plates, without any controls, unused. Very rare as a complete set.

1899, Russian Post Office, "Trident" Issue Without Stars. An imperforated composite Proof in black comprising 1gr. type 3 & 4 and 2m. type 3 & 4, as well as a single imperf black proof of the 1m. All are printed on the reverse of a trial obligation (bond) printer's waste. The 1m single has neither control nor cancel. In the composite proof, all bear the small circular control mark in blue, one of the 1gr with partial "RETHYMNON" cds, the other with the scarce "ANOGEIA" straightline in black. Of the two 2m. proofs one has no cancel  and the other a "RETHYMNON" cds. The composite proof may be unique. Folded between top and bottom pairs, a couple of minor wrinkles in the gutter do not detract. No hidden faults, Peter Holcombe's writing in pencil on the back of all items, with his certificate detailing more information and stating his opinion that these are genuine proofs printed from the original plates. A high quality showpiece of great rarity and significance. Certificate Holcombe

1899, "Trident" Issues variety lot. First Issue set of three values in six colors: Imperf set of sheet selvage singles without control marks; the 1gr rose, 1 & 2m lilac, 2m green, 1m orange thinned, all mint hinged gum with remnant. Also included are an imperf 1m orange with control and blue "RETHYMNON" straightline, and an uncatalogued imperf at right sheet selvage 1gr blue with control mark and blue "RETHYMNON" straightline; both are thinned. Second Issue imperf sheet selvage 1m rose with control mark and "RETHYMNON" straightline, with thins; an uncatalogued 1m green imperf at right with the sheet selvage, "RETHYMNON" administrative control at lower left and black cds on top; a displaced horizontal perforation used 1gr green tied on fragment. Finally there are used 2m. blue and 1gr (variety dot between S and I of Grosion) blue, both with double control marks, the 2m with a thin. Excellent for the specialist. 

1899, "Trident" Issues Proofs: From the First Issue, two proofs: an imperf single 1m blue on the front and 2m blue on the back; and an imperf 2m lilac on the front with a 1m lilac on the back. From the Second Issue: a sheet selvage imperf single with a double impession of the 2m and 1gr green; a sheet selvage single with a double impression of the 2m and 1gr blue; a sheet corner imperf block of four of the 1m rose printed on one side and the 2m rose printed on the other, signed Spanos; a sheet corner imperf block of four of the 2gr green on one side and a double inverted impression of the 2m and 1gr green on the other, signed Spanos; a sheet selvage imperf block of four of the 2m lilac on one side and with a double impression of the 1m blue upright and of the 1gr violet inverted, signed Spanos. 

1899, First and Second "Trident" Issues, cancelation group. Stamps may have some faults, others are very fine in quality. Included cancels are "AGIOS GALINIS" (x6), "ANOGEIA", "AMARI", "KASTELI" (x3), "MARGARITAIS" (x2), "MELAMPES" (x4), "SELIA" (x6) and "SPILI". Some cancels are very clear and full strikes. Very nice group, high catalogue value, some are backstamped. 

1899, Russian Offices accumulation of mint and used. Handstamped Issues include 24 copies of 1m blue Type I including two pairs, three copies of 2m gray rose, 11 copies of 2m rose and red including a pair, numerous 1m green with mint blocks in various sizes, and numerous  2m black including a mint part sheet of 80, other smaller multiples, and many mint and used; all stamps with paper and color shade varieties, condition is mixed from faulty to very fine, overall a very nice group. Trident Issues with over 100 First Issue without Stars, almost all canceled, about just as many mint Second Issue Trident with Stars and about half that many canceled, variety of control mark colors when present; some forgeries lurking around and few with faults, but spot checks showed these to be genuine and in overall good quality. Also included are two sheets of 32 of the 2m and the 1gr violet (some separation, 1gr with vertical rows 3 & 6 showing the dot after S of Grosion). Excellent basis for study and expansion

1899, Second "Trident" Issue, the 1gr rose, Imperf Sheet of 32 stamps, the third and seventh vertical rows with the dot between the S and I of Grosion variety, sheet was folded in four along the middle rows, reinforced with tape on the back, a crease on the right just into the upper right corner stamp. Note in Schmitt's handwriting describes this as a proof. Very rare, the first we have seen. 

"AGIOS GALINIS" full violet straightline cancel on cover franked with 1899, 1m green and 2m black, mailed to Rethymnon,  some folds and normal wear and tear, superb strike of this difficult cancel. 

Almost complete collection of Russian straightline cancels (only "Margaritais" missing) on 56 singles, pairs and a block of the 1899 Handstamped Issue, noted a 1m blue type I with "MELAMBES," a 1m green single with a "DAMASTA," and a block of four with "SELIA," a pair of 2m black without control (unlisted as such) with "ANOGEIA," a single with "FODELE," and another single with "DAMASTA," and numerous others; lot contains only one "RETHYMNON". Very fine, difficult to assemble, most are clear and in most cases full strikes.  

"GARAZO" full black straightline tying an 1899, 2m. black on two similar covers to Rethymnon, clean, with very fine strikes. 

"MELAMBES" full black straightline tying an 1899, 2m. red on cover (reduced at right) to Rethymnon. A rare cancel on a scarce stamp. Very Fine Provenance: Dr. Maurice R. Friend (1982)

"RETHYMNON" full straightline in blue tying an 1899, 1m blue Trident  on cover to Roustika (reduced at right) and "RETHYMNON" cds in black on two different covers sent to the same recipient in Pigi; first tying an 1899, 1m & 2m orange Trident and a second tying an 1899, 1gr yellow Trident. Nice and useful.

"ROUSTIKA" full straightline cancel in blue on pair of 1899, 1m blue Trident with Stars on cover to Rethymnon; two covers, both mailed from Rethymnon to Pigi, one franked with a single each of 1899, 1m rose imperf at right (listed in Hellas) & 2m blue Trident with Stars and the other with a single 1gr rose. Overall very fine and one with a scarce perforation error on cover.

"SPILI" full black straightline on two covers to Rethymnon. First ties pair of 1899, 1m green, the second a sheet selvage copy of 2m black. Some creasing and normal wear & tear, very fine strikes of this scarce cancel. 

REFUGEES MAIL: 1921, Lemnos: 3 philatelic covers with surcharged stamps (philatelic issue for the financial aid of the Russian refugees), all tied with large cds "RUSSKAYA POST LEMNOS"

1863/66, Inscription on coloured ground 2k. light-rose/black, used with clear numeral "390", a very rare stamp with numeral cancellation, fine, signed Fulpius and certificate Mikulski (1998)

4 k. yellowish-green/black, fresh colour and good margins all around, unused, fine, signed Pfenninger, Jem a.o.