343 / März 2011

1868, 2 b. orange with plate flaw above "B", full to wide margins, used, fine

4 b. blue and 18 b. rose, both good to wide margins, unused, 18 b. only small parts o.g., also 4 b. used, all sign. Heimbüchler BPP

18 b. rose, good to mostly wide margins, tied to entire letter with adjacent "OLTENITA DIST. ILFOVU." (1868) to Bukarest; fine and early use

18 b. vermilion, 3rd printing, cut close, partly touched at right, tied by blue "BOZEU 14/5" (1870) to letter to Bukarest

18 b. rose, large margins, tied by central clear "BRAILA 1/4" to entire letter from Bozeu to Braila, the stamp cancelled on arrival, same cancel as arrival mark on reverse, very fine

1869, 25 b. orange/blue and 50 b. blue/red, both with good to wide margins, unused, 25 b. with original gum, 50 b. sign. Georg Bühler

1871, unfranked lettersheet from "GALATZ 27 1" to Corfu, franked on arrival with 10 l. orange and 80 l. rose (70 l. rumanian- and 20 l. greek postage)

1871, 5 b. rose, slightly touched at upper right, otherwise wide margins with small part of neighbour at left, tied by clear "BUCURESTI 24 9" to return receipt (cut to shape), sign. Heimbüchler BPP

1872, 25 b. brown with plate flaw "EINCI", tied by clear "JASSY 28 7 SERA" to piece

1876/79, Bukarest printing 5 b. olive and 4 copies 10 b. blue tied to registered letter from "MIZILU 19 JUL. 78" to Cronstadt, slight transportation marks, scarce franking

1879, 25 b. blue, tied by cds. "BUCURESCI 3 JUN. 81" to envelope to Paris, fine

1956, animals 55 b. with heavily shifted print of the brown colour to the top, block of four from the lower right sheet corner, unhinged mint, somewhat creased in the margin only

1857, "FRANCO", black boxed marking on front of letter from Galatz to Jassy, fine

"BUCURESTI OKT. 8" (small letters) in blue

1862, "FRANCO JASSY 78 Lei 5 Par." on entire letter to Galatz with adjacent "JASSY MOLDOVA 20/1" and "REECEPISSE", folded and partly toned in places; extremely high rate

1862, "FRANCO OKNA" and "T.OKNA MOLDOVA" on entire prepaid letter to Galatz

"OLTENITA NOE. 23" on entire letter 1857

"ZIMNICEA" in large letters on almost cpl. letter 1861 to Bukarest with part strike (mica) on front

1854, The Mercury Essay 20 kop. light blue/black, as almost all known examples cut to shape and affixed to small piece. The earliest known essay for Russia no. 1, produced at the State Paper Mills. One of the great rarities of classic Russia; certificate Mikulski Provenance: Breitfuss (1911), Fabergé, Goss

1857, narrow-tailed Eagle Essay 10 kop. + 1 kop. green/brown, cut square with fine fresh colour and nice embossing; extremely rare, certificate Mikulski Provenance: Breitfuss (1911), Fabergé, Goss

same essay in rose/brown, cut square with large margins; a very nice colour combination and extremely rare, certificate Mikulski Provenance: Fabergé

1857, colour proof in the adopted design in green and orange on chalky glazed paper with watermark "1", unused with original gum; very fine and fresh;  unique in this colour combination, certificate Mikulski Provenance: Breitfuss (1911), Fabergé, Goss, Eppstein, Mehrtens

1857, 10 k. light brown/blue in mixed franking with 1858, 10 k. brown/blue, tied by numeral "37" of Reval to cover to Riga with adjacent endorsment "Reval 22 December 1859" and same date dispatch mark on reverse, also boxed datestamp "Polucheno 25 December" applied in transit, full intact wax seal; a very fine and unique mixed franking and one of the great rarities of Russia and Estonia. This cover is no. 8 of the Mikulski listing out of only two covers used in Estonia. Provenance: Z. Mikulski (2006)

1857, 10 k. light brown/blue, plate II, large margins all around, beeing from the upper right sheet corner, in combination with 1858 10 k. brown/blue perforated 14½, each tied by red cds. "WARSAW 4/3" and additional  pen stroke to cover to Wilno; the 1857, 10 kopecks  has been lifted for inspection and is replaced with a hinge; both stamps of fresh colour and in fine condition. This is the only known entire with a mixed franking of the first two stamps of Russia; one of the greatest rarities of Russian and Polish philately.The Mikulski listing of 'Mixed frankings imperforate, used in combination with perforate' records four covers only (plus three pieces) with the 1857, 10 kopecks imperforated. This cover is No. 3 of the Mikulski listing and the only used in Poland. One of the greatest gems of Russian and Polish Philately! Certificate BPA

1858, 30 k. rose/yellow-green diagonally bisected, lower right half, tied by cyrillic script straight line "Berdichev" to folded lettersheet to Warsaw, the addressee's name in the cover was excised and has been restored, the bisect itself in very fine condition. A beautiful cover and a true gem of Russian and Ukraine philately, signed Faberge and certificate BPA (showing the state before restauration) Provenance: Fabergé (1939, lot 193)      

1866, 10k. brown/blue, two singles with inverted center, tied by cds. "Kursk 18 Dez. 1874" to cover to Warszaw, with adjacent arrival postmark "WARSZAWA 21 Dec.1874". Addressee's name excised and partly covered with white paper, stamps very fine, with additional departure and transit markings on reverse. A phenomenal rarity from Imperial Russia, and unique on cover, Mikulski certificate Provenance: Z. Mikulski (2004)

10 k. blue/orange, imperforated colour proof on thick chalky glazed paper, very fresh colour, fantastic raised embossing and wide margins all round, unused, very fine, only two pieces are known with blue frame, the other one having a different center colour, certificate Mikulski. A major rarity of Russian Empire Provenance: A. Fabergé

Definitive issue: 1857, 10 k. brown/blue, fresh colour and large margins all around, unused without gum, very fine, certificate Calves

10 k. dark brown/blue, wide margins all around, used, small gum creases (Mi. 1.000,-)

10 k. dark brown/light blue, from the lower right sheet corner with wide margins on three sides and just slightly touched at right, tied by manuscript to folded letter sheet to Moscow, a very appealing item

1884, essays in unadopted designs 3,50 r. blue/black and 7 r. yellow/black, imperforated on horizontally  laid paper with part of original gum and paper remainders on reverse Provenance: Fabergé

1889, 4 k. red and 20 k. blue/red on vertical laid paper, tied by cds. "RIGA 12.10.07" to reverse of insured letter for 10 rbl. to Leipzig, very fine and attractive

1889, 1 r. brown/orange on horizontally laid paper, imperforated block of 10 with wide sheet margins at left and right, overprinted "OBRASEZ"; folded vertically once, unhinged mint; a very rare multiple

1889, 1 kop. orange on vertically laid paper, imperforated horizontal strip of 5 from lower left sheet corner with large sheet margins and plate no. "1", perforated "OBRASEZ", unhinged mint, very fine and fresh

1908, 10 and 25 K., tied by cds. "24.10.1917" - the day before the Octoberrevolution - to registered cover from the Petrograd department of the Peoples Bank of Moscow to the Russian-Asian bank in Gomel, arrival mark on reverse, fine

1910/19, 3.5 R. block of 11 with three empty fields, the lower row imperforated at bottom, unhinged mint, fine and interesting