373. Auktion

ITALIEN: 1902, "SERBIA * PIROSCAFO POSTALE ITALIANO" auf Postkarte mit türkischer Frankatur nach Frankreich

1875, Anker grün in frischer Farbe und guter Prägung, noch voll bis breitrandig geschnitten, sauber mit schwarzem Stempel "REV-FÜLÖP" entwertet, oben kleine dünne Stelle, sonst ein sehr attraktives Stück dieser seltenen Marke, welche nur vom August-November 1875 verwendet worden ist, weniger als 15 Stücke sind registriert, davon einige im Ungarischen Postmuseum

Provenienz: The Julius Steindler Collection "Shipping Companies stamps" (Robson Lowe 1972)
                     abgebildet in L.N. & M. Williams "Seltene Briefmarken" (Stuttgart 1968)

1875, Anker bläulich-grün in frischer Farbe und guter Prägung, rechts berührt, sonst gut gerandet, sauber mit schwarzem Stempel "REV-FÜLÖP" entwertet, links mit kleinem Prägebruch, sonst ein sehr attraktives Stück dieser seltenen Marke, welche nur vom August-November 1875 verwendet worden ist, nur wenige Stücke registriert, wovon einige im Ungarischen Postmuseum lagern

Provenienz: The Julius Steindler Collection "Shipping Companies stamps" (Robson Lowe 1972)
                     abgebildet in L.N. & M. Williams "Seltene Briefmarken" (Stuttgart 1968)

1875, Anker braun-rot in frischer Farbe und guter Prägung, rechts gering berührt, sonst gut gerandet, sauber mit schwarzem Stempel "REV-FÜLÖP" entwertet, kleine Prägebrüche, kleine dünne Stellen, sonst ein sehr attraktives Stück dieser enorm seltenen und gesuchten Marke, welche nur vom August-November 1875 verwendet worden ist

Provenienz: abgebildet in L.N. & M. Williams "Seltene Briefmarken" (Stuttgart 1968)

The Gauthier Frères & Cie 1856-1857: "Barcelone" red ship letter stamp, fresh colour and wide margins all around, used with clear  "G.F. & Co." manuscript cancel, a perfect and very attractive copy, a total of only 8 stamps are recorded and accordingly S. Ringstrom and H.E. Tester in their authoritative work "The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World - Part 2" describe the Gauthier Freres stamps as being "among the rarest in the world", signed and certificate BPA (1996) Provenance: The Denwood Kelly Collection [cover picture] (Robson Lowe 1985)                       ex Golding                      depicted in Encyclopedia of rare and famous stamps, The Biographies, page 78 (1997, L.N. Williams)

The Gauthier Frères & Cie 1856-1857: "Barcelone" red ship letter stamp, touched at left, with parts of adjoining stamp on top, with clear  "G.F. & Co." manuscript cancel and additional vertical, on complete folded lettersheet written by M. L. Seller on the 4th of February 1857, endorsed "par Franc Comtois franco Havre" with red "OUTREMER LA HAVRE 13 MARS 1857" alongside, taxed "12" decimes, a very fine and only recorded entire Provenance: The Julius Steindler Collection "Shipping Companies stamps" (Robson Lowe 1972)                       The Denwood Kelly Collection (Robson Lowe 1985)                       ex Klein, Mondolfo and "Robus"                       depicted in  S. Ringstrom and H.E. Tester "The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World - Part 2" page 151                      depicted in L.N. Williams "Encyclopedia of rare and famous stamps, The Biographies", page 79  

The "Admiralty" stamp with manuscript "3 3/4", fresh colour and good margins all around, used on folded lettersheet from Constantinople to Broussa with boxed ''P Anchor P" alongside, a fine and attractive cover, certificate du Vachat (2009) Provenance: depicted in S. Ringstrom and H.E. Tester "The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World - Part 2" page 118

The "Admiralty" stamp with manuscript "1 ½", good margins all around with large part of adjoining stamp at bottom, used on folded lettersheet from Constantinople to Broussa with oval "CONSTANTINOPOLI * POSTA DEI PIROSCAFI OTTOMANI P.P" alongside, a fine and attractive cover, certificate du Vachat (2009) Provenance: The Pasha Collection of Islamic Stamps and Postal History (Spink 2011)                      depicted in S. Ringstrom and H.E. Tester "The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World - Part 2" page 118  

The "Admiralty" stamp with manuscript "3" in mixed franking with "Porto-Piastre" label with manuscript "2½" on folded letter from Constantinople to Chio (Kemlek) with black "POSTA DEI PIROSCAFI OTTOMANI COSTANTINOPOLI P.P." alongside, vertical fold affecting "Admiralty" stamp, some minor ageing, otherwise a fine and exceedingly rare entire with only one other "mixed" franking between "Admiralty" and "Porto-Piastre" recorded, certificate du Vachat (2009) Provenance: Robson Lowe (1977) extensively described and depicted in S. Ringstrom and H.E. Tester "The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World - Part 2" page 121-126                        

The "Admiralty" stamp with manuscript "3" amended in red crayon to "2", somewhat irregularly cut with part of adjoining stamp at top, on folded lettersheet dated July 4. 1860 from Constantinople to Brousse with "P.P." anchor canceller alongside, minor ageing on reverse, a fine and attractive entire, certificate Scheller (2009)  

"Porto-Piastre" with manuscript "6" on folded letter from Constantinople to Broussa with black “POSTA DEI PIROSCAFI OTTOMANI COSTANTINOPOLI P.P.” alongside, fine and very scarce, signed Sorani and Calves Provenance: ​Cengiz Arsman Collection  

"Porto-Piastre" with manuscript "3" on folded letter from Constantinople to Broussa with black boxed ''P Anchor P" alongside, some ageing, otherwise fine, certificate Vachat (2009)  

"Porto-Piastre" with manuscript "2" on folded letter from Constantinople to Broussa with black boxed ''P Anchor P" alongside, some ageing and imperfections, certificate Vachat (2010)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para brown/blue and 2 piastre red/blue, fresh colour and good margins all around, unused without gum, very fine, signed Romeko a.o., certificates RPSL (1957) and APS (1999)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para brown/blue, fresh colour and good margins all around, used with blue dotted cancel, very fine, signed Mikulski a.o.

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para brown/blue, fresh colour and wide margins all around, lightly used with blue crayon, fine

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para brown/blue, wonderful fresh block of four from the bottom sheet margin with wide margins all around, used with two clear strikes of blue cds. "XIOS 28 SEP 1868", minor thin and corner bend in the margin only, a very attractive multiple, being the only loose block of four recorded, signed Bolaffi with certificate (1970) Provenance: Baron Philipp Ferrary de la Renotière (Sale 8, November 1923, Lot 236)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para brown/blue, vertical pair in fresh colour and wide margins all around with blue numeral "783" BEIRUT (applied upon arrival) on folded lettersheet from Mersina to Beirut with arrival mark "ПОРТЪ БЕЙРУТЪ 29 NOV" on reverse, a very rare and one of the most important covers from the Russian Levant with only 3 covers recorded bearing a pair of this stamp, certificate Mikulski (2000) Provenance: Russian Ship, Dr Raymond Casey (2016)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para brown/blue, block of four from the lower left sheet corner together with two horizontal pairs, one with large bottom sheet margin, all with good to huge margins in deep fresh shade, tied by two clear blue strikes of cds. "XIOSЪ 27 АВГ 1868" to folded letter to Constantinople, a very fine and truly remarkable item, not only the most important item of Russian Levant, but one of the most beautiful covers in all of classic philately, signed Mavrogordato, detailed certificate Mikulski (1995 and 2006) as well as photo certificate RPSL (2003) Only one other block of four is recorded of this stamp and is off cover, lot 6013 in this sale Provenance: Pierre Mavrogordato (IPOSTA 1930, Berlin)                      John R. Boker, Jr. (Private Treaty)                      The Pavlosk collection (Corinphila, 1996)                      Russian Ship, Dr Raymond Casey (2016)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre red/blue, fresh colour and wide margins all around, unused with part original gum, scarce, fine, signed Mikulski and and others with Mikulski (1975) and A. Diena (1974) certificates  

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre red/blue, fresh colour and wide margins all around, tied by blue retta to small piece, very fine and attractive, signed Mikulski and others

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre red/blue, in nice deep shade from the upper right sheet corner, just touching outer frameline at lower right, tied by blue retta to folded letter from Smyrne to Taganrog, with blue senders cachet and Ropit Constantinople cds. alongside, a fine and attractive entire Provenance: Russian Ship, Dr Raymond Casey (2016)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre plate proof in black on white paper with vertical network, without gum, scarce, fine, sign. Prof. Winterstein, Pohl

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre plate proof in blue on white paper with vertical network, without gum, scarce, fine

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para red/blue, block of 12 in fresh and nice shade with sheet margins on three sides, without gum, an attractive multiple, signed Gilbert & Köhler

1866, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre, single in a deep and fresh shade with wide, well balanced margins tied by blue double cds. "COMPAGNIE RUSSE DE NAVIGATION SMIRNE 1865 JUN 26" to folded lettersheet to Mersina, a fine and rare entire Provenance: The Agathon Fabergé Collection (Harmer's of Bond Street, 1940, lot 173)                       David Feldman (November 1982, lot 20909)  

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre, two singles in distinctively different shades from different printings, both with good margins all around, tied by blue cds. "COMPAGNIE RUSSE DE NAVIGATION SMIRNE 9.4" to envelope (reduced at right) to Tripoli, extremely fine and rare franking of the same value from two different printings, certificate Mikulski (1999) Provenance: Caspary                      The Agathon Fabergé Collection (Harmer's of Bond Street, 1940, lot 173)                      Corinphila 105th. Auction (1998)  

1865, Steamer and Eagle 10 para horizontal strip of four in fresh colour and wide margins all around tied by black retta to folded lettersheet from Samsun to Trébizonde, the strip with tiny wrinkles of no importance, a fine and rare entire, certificate Mikulski (1999)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre, three singles, mostly good margins, only one stamp touched at left, all tied by blue indistinct Smyrna cds. to folded lettersheet to Mersina, right stamp affected by vertical filing crease, a trifle stained, otherwise fine, an attractive and scarce cover, signed Alberto Diena and Holcombe with certificate (1993) Provenance:  The Agathon Fabergé Collection (Harmer's of Bond Street, 1940, lot 194)                       The Julius Steindler Collection "Shipping Companies stamps" (Robson Lowe 1972)

1865, Steamer and Eagle 2 piastre, deep and fresh shade with wide, well balanced margins in combination with Imperial Russia Coat of Arms 10k. brown/blue, tied by blue retta to folded letter from Messina to Taganrog with cds. "РОПИТ КОНСТАНТИНОП. АГЕНТ. 27 II 68" on reverse, a very fine, rare and attractive combination cover, signed Faberge, A. Diena, Giulio Bolaffi and  certificate Holcombe (1990) Provenance: The Agathon Fabergé Collection (Harmer's of Bond Street, 1940, lot 200)                      The Julius Steindler Collection "Shipping Companies stamps" (Robson Lowe 1972, lot 439)                      Joseph Hackmey                      London 2015 Europhilex Rarities Auction (Global Philatelic Network, lot 384)                                      

1867, Steamer and Eagle 10 para, block of four in deep fresh shade and good margins all around, used with four clear strikes of blue retta, upper two stamps with ironed out horizontal creases (basically invisible on front), small pre-cuts between stamps, a very attractive and rare multiple, signed Pfenninger Provenance: The Agathon Fabergé Collection (Harmer's of Bond Street, 1940, lot 212)                       Russian Ship Mail, Dr Raymond Casey (2016)

FIRST PRINTING: 1863, For dispatch under Wrapper 6 kopeck light-blue, fresh colour and good margins all around, used clear strike of blue boxed "Franco", a truly beautiful used copy, certificate Mikulski (1995)  Provenance: Baron Philipp Ferrary de la Renotière (Sale 8, November 1923, Lot 229)                      Caspary (H.R. Harmer, March 1958, Lot 271)                      John R. Boker

SECOND PRINTING: 1863, For dispatch under Wrapper 6 kopeck gray-blue, complete sheet of four with wide margins all around, unused without gum as issued, few thins and horizontal crease through lower stamps, otherwise fine, a visually appealing and scarce multiple, in addition an unused single

SECOND PRINTING: 1863, For dispatch under Wrapper 6 kopeck gray-blue, fresh colour and good margins on two sides, slightly touched at upper left and right, used with clear strike of cds. "КОНСТАНТИНОПОЛ 4 MAR 1864", absolutely insignificant corner crease at lower left, an attractive copy of this rare stamp in used condition, signed Pfenninger and Köhler

THIRD PRINTING: 1863, For dispatch under Wrapper 6 kopeck dark-blue on glaced paper, complete sheet of four with wide margins all around, mint never hinged, small corner crease at upper left, some small wrinkles, otherwise fine, a scarce sheet, signed Kosack and Richter

"BELL'S ASIA MINOR STEAMSHIP Co. SMYRNA AGENCY" perfectly struck blue four-line handstamp on folded letter to Triest with adjacent cds. "SMIRNE 4/2 71", once the cover was received by the companies agent in Izmir it was transferred to the Austrian Lloyd Company where the cover was charged with "20" (soldi) as postage due, reverse with arrival mark, a very fine entire showing a perfect strike of the very rare handstamp of which only two are recorded