377th Auction

1867,  1 pi. red as "Port-to-Port" rate, tied by bold "Poste Vice-Reali Egiziane / Alessandria" with repeated strike alongside to entire letter from Alexandria to Constantinople, endorsed "per Azizie Steamer" at top; reverse with superb "Poste Vice-Reali Egiziane / Costantinopoli" Egyptian P.O. datestamp of receipt (Jan 4, 1869). A rare and fine letter, signed Todd AIEP. 

1867, 2 pi. blue, horizontal pair, Types III-IV, tied by cds. "CAIRO 10 DEC. 67" to registered letter sheet (side flaps missing) from Cairo to Constantinople, noted at 9 grams in manuscript, reverse with "POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / COSTANTINOPOLI" arrival mark. Postage from Cairo = 1 piastre, 1 pi. for Seapost to Constantinople and 2 pi. for registration. Some edge wear but a rare cover and rate. Signed Todd AIEP.

CONSTANTINOPLE: 1874, Bulaq 10 pa. in vertical pair and 1 pia., tied by cds. "V.R. POSTE EGIZIANE CONSTANTINOPOLI 29 APR 77" to envelope to Cairo with Alexandria transit and arrival marks on reverse; large part of reverse flap missing, otherwise fine

CONSTANTINOPLE: 1874, Bulaq 1 p. rose and vertical pair 1 p. vermilion (the upper stamp with double perforation at top), tied by cds. "V.R. POSTE EGIZIANE CONSTANTINOPOLI 1 SET. 75" to double rate envelope to Cairo with transit mark of Alexandria and arrival mark; part of reverse flap missing, otherwise fine, sign. Holcombe

EGYPT-AUSTRIA 1867, Entire letter from Cairo to Triest, franked with 1866, 1 piastre lilac, tied by cds. "POSTE VICE REALI EGIZIANE CAIRO 20 MAR 67" and additional Austrian Levante 15 soldi brown, tied by cds. "ALEXANDRIEN 27/3"; on reverse Triest arrival mark of April 1st. A fine and rare combination letter; only few such combinations with the 1st issue of Egypt have been recorded. Signed Enzo Diena with certificate (1992) and Ferchenbauer with certificate (2018) Provenance: Dr. William Byam (Robson Lowe-auction, 1961)

EGYPT-AUSTRIA, 1868, Cover from Cairo to Vienna, franked with Egypt 1867, 1 piastre red, tied by cds. "POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE CAIRO 24 LUG. 68" and additional Austrian Levante 1864, 15 soldi brown, tied by cds. "ALEXANDRIA 25/7"; on reverse transit marks of the Egyptian post office at Alexandria and Triest (30.7.) and Vienna arrival mark (31.7.) A fine and rare combination cover. Certificate Alberto Diena (1968)
Provenance: Kurt Wolfsbauer (David Feldman-auction, 2002)

EGYPT-AUSTRIA, 1870, Entire letter via Alexandria to Vienna, franked with 1867, 20 para green and horizontal pair 1 piastre red, tied by cds. "V.R. POSTE EGIZIANE MEHALLA 22 LUG 1870", adjacent straight line "Franca". The letter is correctly franked with 2½ piastres from lower Egypt to Austria according to the Austro-Egyptian postal convention, effective from September 1868. The pair affected by cover crease, still fine and scarce. Provenance: Peter A.S. Smith (Corinphila 2015)

EGYPT-ITALY, 1869, Lettersheet to Limone, Italy, franked with 1867, Penasson 20 para green, 1 piastre and 2 piastre blue, all tied by cds. "CANAL DE SUEZ CHANTIER VI/21 MAI 69" with adjacent straight line "Franca" and on reverse transit marks of Ismailia, Alexandria and Triest, Italian railway mark "TORINO-CUNEO" and arrival mark. The letter was franked to be sent registered but was forwarded as ordinary letter, possibly because the small post office was overchangelled in doing it the requested way. Just 2 further entires have been recorded with the illusive "CHANTIER VI" cancellation, the one offered here is without doubt the most attractive and valuable one. An important item of Egyptian philately. Signed Giulio Bolaffi, A. Bolaffi, Alberto Diena and Silvio Sorani Provenance: Emile Antonini (85. Corinphila-auction, 1992), Samir Amin Fikry (David Feldman-auction, 2011)

EGYPT-THURN&TAXIS, 1863, double rate registered envelope, prepaid in cash with 70 soldi (noted on reverse "40/30"), with blue cds. "ALEXANDRIEN RECOM. 11/5" and matching "FRANCO" to the wellknown geographical publisher Justus Perthes in Gotha, showing adjacent red Prussian "Recomandirt" and on reverse oval "RECOMMANDIRT TRIEST 18/5 1863", railway mark "HALLE/EISENACH" and arrival mark. Fine and scarce Provenance: Kurt Wolfsbauer (David Feldman-auction, 2002)

EGYPT-WURTTEMBERG, 1845, Entire letter dated on front "Le Caire a 21/12 45" with long text written by Erwin of Neipperg to his brother General Alfred Graf Neipperg, posted at Alexandria, showing the straight line postmark of the Austrian post and transported via Triest, Verona, Innsbruck and Bregenz to Stuttgart, here re-addressed to Schwaigern. The letter was prepaid with "24" kreuzer till Triest (noted on reverse) and taxed in manuscript with "12" kreuzer c.m. for the internal Austrian postage and "25" kreuzer German currency total postage due, to be paid by the recipient. The letter contains a comprehensive report of the start of Neipperg's expedition to the Sudan including an audience granted to him by the viceroy Mehemed Ali. A very interesting item