358 / September 2014

1832 (May 28): Entire letter written by Edward Walter Bonham from ´Shuchtinabad´ to Brighton, UK (mailed on June 8), with fascinating content "I am living in a tent as the village is a collection of small round huts and dirty to a degree...dried cowdung is the fuel in this country...the Mines are situated clöse by which is the reason I am staying here. I left Tabriz on wednesday last the 23rd...on one of Capt. Campbell´s horses...I reached this place (104 miles) in three days...this place is 4 miles from Meanna on the direct route from Tabriz to Teheran and celebrated for its bugs..." letter continues from Gultuppa on June 7 "I went out to seek these goats..what they call Bouuetins in Switzerland (Chamois?) I have sent a young one home to Thornton which will be a curiosity if it arrives alive as they are said to be extinct in Europe...its is now two months or more since a Tartar has been in from Constantinople, it is too bad Mr. Cartwright does not send them (with the Post) more regularly...this letter goes tomorrow by a Gholam (Post-Rider) who takes it to Erzeroum to be forwarded by a Pasha´s Tartar...". The letter has split pages but shows fine circular NETTO DI FUORI E DI DENTRO circular Disinfection cachet of Semlin on reverse and part wax seal of same with London arrival cds (August). and charged 1/6d. due. A remarkable entire. 

1882 5 c. violet & lavender (2) and 10 c. carmine & deep pink (2) used on 1885 cover to London tied by MECHED datestamps (12/2) with Teheran transit at left and reverse with London (March 30) arrival cds in red. Slight file fold at base but a very rare frankin. Ex collection Gordon Torrey.

50 c. black, yellow & orange used on reverse of 1882 cover to Derby, UK tied by framed KHIABAN handstamp in black (suburb of Tabriz), front with Teheran transit cds (12/11) and reverse with ´Derby´ arrival cds (Dec 8) in black. A fine and most unusual franking.

5 c. green & deep green, four examples used on registered cover to Reading, UK (one is Type II with two dots), in combination with 1885 2 ch. rose red pair tied by URMIA datestamps of despatch. Registration label at right and reverse with Reading arrival cds (Aug 30). Some peripheral ageing and one or two faults but a rare mixed issue franking. 

2 ch. green (2), 5 ch. blue and 10 ch. orange all used on 5 ch. grey-blue postal stationery envelope, paying the registered rate to London, tied by DJOULFA datestamps in black. Teheran transits and London arrival (July 22) also on front. Minor aging but a most attractive cover. 

2 ch. brown, 4 ch. vermilion and 8 ch. orange used on 1900 10 ch. grey-blue postal stationery envelope sent registered to Manchester, all cancelled by SULTANABAD datestamps in black. Teheran transit at left, red registration label and London transit in red (July 31) on front. Usual slight bends but scarce.

1 ch. violet (12 examples) and 2 ch. grey (6), used on reverse of registered cover to Timperley, Cheshire all tied by TEHERAN DEPART datestamps, Baku Russian transit cds and by Altrincham arrival cds (Feb 2). Front of cover with scarce violet handstamp of registration (unlisted in Shaida) and framed ´Teheran´registration cachet in black , couple of imperfections

3 ch. green used on Newspaper Wrapper to London, tied by neat YEZD cds in black (Nov 8) with Teheran transit cds at left. Some aging but scarce.