369. STOCKHOLMIA 2019 & ERIVAN Worldwide Rarities

1889/1904, 10 kopeks blue used on postal stationery envelope 10 kopeks, as registered letter from Glaritsaya (August 1, 1895) to the Russian embassy at Seoul, Corea, showing on reverse transit mark of St. Petersburg and clear brownish arrival mark "NINSEN I.J.P.O. 8 MAR 95"; some minor staining. An attractive letter with extremely rare destination

PSKOV 1896, 5 kopeks with 1898, 1 kopek in strip of 3 and 3 kopeks, tied by violet date stamp of November 1, 1901 to registered envelope from Pleshkavo (volost Dakatovo) to Pskov. Very fine and most attractive (Strebulaev 24, 29, 30) Provenance: Fabergé (Corinphila 1999)

1850, Isabella 6 cuartos black, 2 single copies, both with ample to large margins, used with blue "A" on lettersheet with adjacent red "AVILA 24 ENo 1850" to Madrid. A very fine and most attractive entire. Certificates EXFIMA (1978) and COMEX (2018)

1852, Isabella 6 cuartos rose, nice fresh colour and good margins, tied by clear blue 'barilla' cancel to entire letter, written on December 31, 1851 and posted on the first day of issue of this stamp "VALENCIA 1 ENO. 1852" (in red), addressed to Madrid. A very attractive and rare first day cover. Signed Holcombe with his certificate (1990)

1854, 6 cuartos carmine, nice deep colour, slightly touched at bottom, otherwise ample to very large margins, tied by clear "barilla" to entire letter with full contents of January 1, 1854, the day of issue of this stamp and posted the same day with frontside clear red "SEVILLA 1 ENO. 1854"  to Merida. A fine and attractive first day letter. Certificate Graus (1992)

1879, Cover from Tarragona to Kobe, Japan, franked with 1878, 25 centavos olive-brown, 2 examples, endorsed "Via Los Etados Unidos de America del Norte" with frontside red oval "To Late", transit marks of New York (May 9), San Francisco (May 16) and Yokohama (June 28), also arrival mark "HIOGO 4 JUL". Usual light transportation marks. An attractive and early cover to Japan. Certificate COMEX (2018)

1855, 24 skilling Bco. brickred, fresh colour and with a very nice perforation, used with superb strike of Stockholm cds. of 29.4.1857, repeated at left, on small envelope to Zeitz in Saxony, originally endorsed "via Lübeck" but changed into "f Nagler via Stettin", adjacent red "Aus Schweden". The cover with faint vertical crease not affecting the stamp. Very attractive and fine. Opinion Sjöman (1974) and certificate Dr. Helena Obermüller Wilén (2018) (Facit 5c)

1858, Barquitos 3 pesos green, wonderful fresh colour and large margins with full framelines on all sides and parts of 2 neighbouring stamps, tied by crisp 'ponchito' cancel to lettersheet with adjacent  "CORREOS DE BUENOS AIRES 3 AGO 58" to Tucuman. A beautiful and fresh entire with one of the best cut examples of this rare stamp, for which a small removed stain at lower right is of absolutely minor importance. Signed van Dieten and Calves, certificate Philatelic Foundation (2019) (Scott 3) Provenance: Alfred Caspary (1958)

1858, Confederación Argentina 15 centavos blue, nice colour and full to large margins, used on entire letter and tied by clear oval marking "CORREOS NACTIONALES DE SAN JUAN / FRANCA" to Rosario. Very fine and scarce, especially in this condition. Certificate Philatelic Foundation (2018) Provenance: 116. Corinphila Auction (1999)

1862, Coat of Arms with accent 15 centavos blue, a magnificent example with good to extra large margins and in nice fresh shade, tied by "CORDOBA FRANCA" to lettersheet to Buenos Aires. The entire with some paper breaks in file and flap folds strengthened and small part of the entire with family name repaired. An attractive and scarce franking. Certificate Philatelic Foundation (1999) Provenance: 116. Corinphila Auction (1999)

1867/68, Condor 10 centavos brown, 2 single copies in nice fresh colour and with good to very large margins, tied by cds. "CORREOS LA PAZ 16 ENERO" (1868) to entire letter endorsed "Por Vapor" to Arequipa, Peru with Tacna arrival mark on reverse (JAN 22). A very fine and rare letter. Certificates RPS (1962) and Philatelic Foundation (1994) (Scott 4)
Provenance: 90. Corinphila Auction (1994)

1843, 'Bull's Eye' 60 reis black, intermediate impression, complete pane of 18 stamps from the composite plate in almost flawless condition, nice fresh colour and large margins on all sides with outer framelines at top, right and bottom (so-called semi-xifopagos), lightly cancelled by framed "CIDADE DE NICTHEROY", a tiny nick at top in the outer frameline, far off the stamps mentioned for accuracy only. A beautiful multiple of great rarity and one of the highlights of Brazil first issue. Signed Alberto Diena in pencil. Provenance: Maurice Burrus (1963), Tefik Kuyas (1978), Gordon N. John (1986)

1843, 'Bull's Eye' 60 reis black, intermediate impression, nice fresh colour and large even margins, tied by brownish-black straight line "S. JOAO DEL REI" to entire letter, dated June 15, 1844, to Rio de Janeiro. Some very light erosions in the cover without importance. A very fine and attractive letter with a rare cancellation. Signed Alberto Diena in pencil. Provenance: Gordon N. John (1986)

1843, 'Bull's Eye' 90 reis black in horizontal pair, intermediate impression together with 60 reis worn impression, all in fresh colour and with good to mostly large margins, used on entire printed commercial letter, tied by cds. "CORREOS GERAL BA CORTE 26/9 1843" and addressed to Cattas Altas in the postal district of Ouro Preto. A marvellous letter with an outstanding combination; just one further letter with similar franking is recorded. Signed Alberto Diena in pencil
Provenance: Collection Berms (Robson Lowe, 1975)

1858, Coat of Arms with single-lined margin 1 dinero slate-blue in horizontal strip of 4 with enormous margins on all sides, used on lettersheet from Chiclayo, dated 6 Juin 1858, to Lima, each stamp cancelled by clear central strike of red dotted "CHAICL.". One of the most beautiful covers of this issue and a great item of Peruan classic philately. Signed A. Diena and Holcombe with his certificate (1992) (Scott 3)

1858, Double-lined frame 1 dinero slate-blue, worn plate, vertical strip of 4 in nice colour and with large margins on all sides, used on folded letter from Iquique (May 20, 1859) to Lima, endorsed "por Vapor". A fine and scarce multiple on letter. Signed Holcombe and certificate Philatelic Foundation (2019) (Scott 7)

1859, Sun Head with thin figures of value: 80 centesimos yellow in deep shade and with large margins, used on lettersheet to Paisandu, tied by superb "ADMON DE CORREOS MONTEVIDEO 19 AUGOSTO 1859". The entire with some minor staining, overall very fine and attractive. Certificate Philatelic Foundation (2018) (Scott 8)

1859, Sun Head with thin figures of value: 180 centesimos green in deep fresh shade and with good to very large margins, used on entire letter to Buenos Aires, tied by superb "ADMON DE CORREOS MONTEVIDEO 16 SEPTE 1859". A very fine and scarce letter to abroad. Signed Diaz and certificate Philatelic Foundation (2018) (Scott 11) Provenance: 116. Corinphila Auction (1999)

1860/61, Thick Figures of Value: 60 centesimos chocolate brown, fine impression and large to ample margins, used on entire letter and tied by clear oval "ADMON DE CORREOS MONTEVIDEO 21 MAY 1860", used to Tacuaremdo. A beautiful letter of this distinctive and rare shade in flawless condition. Supposed to be unique. Signed Diaz and certificate Philatelic Foundation (2018) (Scott 13e) Provenance: 116. Corinphila Auction (1999)

1896, Dr. Wölfert's steerable air ship. Flown postcard with 2 strikes of special cachet "Transportiert per Luftfahrt in dem lenkbaren Motorballon Dr. Wölfert im Jahre 1896 anläßlich der Berliner Gewerbe-Ausstellung" with long text on reverse "... for your collection I send you this postcard which will be on board during the flight. ...". One of the great rarities of early German airmail

1911, November 12, Calbraith Rodgers' 'Vin Fiz flight', photo postcard, depicting Vin Fiz with pilot C. Rodgers, intended for the final leg of the first successful trans-continental flight which crashed upon take-off at Compton, addressed to Long Beack, California with short interesting text "Just a card to let you see, we have a new way of sending our mail here in Calif. I suppose we will be travelling that way soon ..." showing violet three-line "Machine wrecked at Compton Aviator injured" and five-line cachet, franked with Franklin 1 cent green, pen crossed, card showing on picture side offset of machine cancel. A fine and rare card, just 8 entires are recorded from this crash flight (AANC 2c)

1932, International Congress of Trans-Oceanic Flyers in Rome. Photograph (230:170 mm) of 38 pilots present at the meeting, all recipients of a Medal of Honour granted by King Victor Emanuel III with original signatures of each one, including such prominent names as Italo Balbo, Wolfgang von Gronau, Harold Gatty and Sir H. Wilkins. A highly interesting and rare document

1933, Italian Air Cruise New York-Rome, envelope franked with 1928 Zeppelin issue 65 cents, 1,30 dollar and 2,60 dollar, tied by duplex "NEW YORK JUL 23 1933" to Rome with arrival mark of August 12 and returned to the US with transit and arrival marks. A tear at the top of the envelope also affecting the 1,30 dollar stamp, but quite discretely. A most attractive and rare Croceria cover. Certificate Trachtenberg (1978)

1969, Apollo 11, special envelope endorsed "CARRIED TO THE MOON ON APOLLO 11" with signatures of Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, cancelled by Webster, TX August 11, 1969 machine cancel with adjacent "DELAYED BY QUARANTAINE AND LUNA RECEIVING LABORATORY M.S.C.-HOUSTON, TEXAS". A very fine and rare cover

1971, Apollo 15, special envelope for Apollo 12 mission, cancelled "HOUSTON DEC 10 1969" and signed by all 3 Apollo 12 crew members Alan Bean, Charles Conrad and Dick Gordon; in the end left behind, but later carried by Jim Irwin on Apollo 15 mission, endorsed on reverse "This envelope was flown to the moon on Apollo 15. Richard F. Gordon". A fine and rare moon cover.