Los 137
1851/60: 1 d. red brown on blued, 3 d. bright blue and 6 d. deep green all used on delightful small 1860 envelope endorsed 'per Cunard Steamer' to Nice, Sardinia. The adhesives with excellent colour and large margins with just the 1 d. value being just shaved at left, tied by mute barrred grid handstamps in black and by 'London / Paid' transit cds (March 5) in red. Manuscript '1/1d.' at left and reverse with Halifax despatch cds (Feb 23) and 'Nizza Mara.' arrival cds (March 8) in black. A famous and very rare cover. Cert. RPS (2011).
Note: This cover remains the sole known usage to continental Europe other than France - Sardinia returned Nice to France just 16 days after the arrival of this letter as a result of the Treaty of Turin (March 24, 1860).
Provenance: Argenti, Mayer, Hackmey.
