362 / März 2016

1865, unissued 10 pa. brown, unused with large part o.g.; a light diagonal crease in the upper part (invisible from front), otherwise fine and fresh; a rare stamp, certificate ISFILA

CONSTANTINOPLE: Liannos local post 20 pa., tied by bilingual "BAHCEKPUSU" to entire newspaper, fine and very scarce, certificate ISFILA

AKSARAY: "TELEGRAF VE POSTAHANE-I AKSARAY 1303", superb negative seal in red on 1892, 1 pia. on reverse of cover to Nigde; the stamp affected by some scratches, otherwise fine; very attractive and rare, the only example recorded in red colour to date

GAZIANTEP: "AYINTAB POSTA SUBESI 1286", small negative seal in blue, clear strike on 1880, 1 pia. on cover to Omaha, USA with transit marks of Haleb, Istanbul and New York on front and reverse; the cover slightly roughly opened at right and partly little toned, still fine. The only known example of this seal cancel on cover

"HAYDARPASA", all Arabic cancellation on cover with 1875, 1 pia. yellow, single stamp and bisect on a local cover, unrecorded on cover, a rarity

VAN: "VAN AVR..96", bilingual dater with stretched stars, clear strike on 1892, 1 pia. on cover to the US with transit and arrival marks; cover somewhat roughly opened at top, otherwise fine; a very rare cancellation, supposed to be one of two entires known

ALBANIA: "HAIMARA (KHIMARA) 31 12-1907", bilingual cds. on envelope with 1 pia. blue to Triest with arrival mark. This is the only example of this type Haimara cancel known on al complete postal document

BOSNIA: 1864, folded envelope with Turkey Tughra issue 20 pa. red-brown and 5 pia. brick postage due, tied by "BOSNA" in dots (Isfila no.2, RR) to Brod, usual file fold, scarce and seldom offered envelope from Passer collection, ex Passer, Otto Hornung

BULGARIA: 1841, folded envelope with contents, manuscript "ISLIMIYE" (today Sliven) to Constantinople with deep blue arrival mark "AN CANIB POSTANE-I DERALIYE 257" (Isfila no. 3, RR), extremely scarce early mail from Sliven where 1841 no postal cancellation was in use

IRAQ: 1876, "ERBIL" boxed all Arabic cancellation (Isfila no. 1, RR, Arbil), on cover franked with 2 pia. black on brownish, addresed to Bagdad from a well known correspondance, small border flaw and few tiny spots, a scarce cancellation

IRAQ: 1913, "KERBELA 1", blue cds. (unrecorded on cover) on parcel card to Pera with arrival mark on reverse, usual obliteration cut, a rarity

IRAQ: 1891, "MUSUL 81", blue box type (Isfila no. 3) cancellation on official cover with rectangular "tahrirati mühimme" (important mail) and official seal "MOSUL EMLAK HÜMAYUN IDARES" (Mosul Land Registry), little rough opened on top, very scarce and unusual Ottoman forerunner

VELJETRINE: Bilingual date stamp on 1909, 1 pia. and 2 pia. on registered envelope to Istanbul with arrival mark; slight opening faults on reverse; a scarce registered item

LEBANON: 1912, "AIN EL SELAM" on 20 pa. postal stationery card (Isfila no.1, (RRR), C/W Fig. 80) to Denmark with arrival mark on front, scarce and clear mark on an important forerunner, expertised Nakri

LYBIA: 1905, 20 pa. tied by cds. "EGADI PIRUSCAFO POSTALE" to commercial cover from Benghazi, somewhat reduced in size

ISTIB: "ISTIB ", arabic boxed marking in black, clear strike on postcard 20 pa. 1888 to Paris with adjacent transit and arrival marks of Uskub and France; card with tiny tear at right, otherwise fine and very rare; only one other strike is known on entire

LYBIA: 1911, commercial envelope from Benghazi, franked with 1909, 20 pa. tied by Italian ship post cancel "PIRUSCAFO POSTALE ITALIANO MARCO AURELIO 5 GIU. 11" and somewhat faint adjacent red "BANCO DI ROMA * LINEA DI NAVIG. TRIPOLI ZYRENAICA ALESSANDRIA / PIRUSCAFO ROMA"; a rare cover

SYRIA: 1909, Zor (also known as Deyr el Zor, clear cancellation on reverse of cover with 10 pa. in block of 4 to Istanbul with arrival mark, on cover a very scarce cancellation (Coles-Walker no. 49, Isfila no.1 RR)

CAMARAN ISLAND: 1895/1912, 2 covers and postcard with clear cancellation "CAMARAN (ILE)" and bilingual "CAMARAN" in black and violet

TAIZ: "TELEGRAF VE POSTA HANE-i TAIZ", negative seal on telegram; several folds and a large tear in the upper part of the telegram backed (all quite imperceptible); a very rare item

1922, War-disabled 9d. on 15p. with left sheet margin, mint never hinged, fine

1922, War-disabled 9d. on 15p. with left sheet margin, mint never hinged, fine

1867, 1 s. green, 3 d. rose and 2 d. blue (shifted perforation, both inscription at bottom), tied by dublex "LONDON/88 FE.23.72" to folded letter via Hongkong to Yokohma with arrival mark, fine

1929, UPU 1 £ black, unused o.g., very fine

1929, UPU 1 £ black, unused o.g., very fine

1915, 3 ch. green & grey type of Persia, overprinted in black; horizontal pair on partially opened-out August 1915 cover; tied by Bouchir Depart cds, with green "GR/Opened/by/Censor" label, and re-sealed with Arabic label; multiple of a rare issue on cover, BPA certificate.

Bushire 1915: 6 ch. green & red-brown,Setting 1c., position 8, (SG 5) used on reverse of censored commercial cover to Shiraz tied by BOUCHIR (DEPART) datestamp in black and overlapped by "GR Crown / Opened by Censor" cachet with further Borazjan Rebel Reseal Censor on top. CHIRAZ ARRIVEÉ datestamp of receipt also on reverse of a rare cover. Opinion Holcombe (1997).

1915, 6 ch. brown-lake and green, no stop; setting 1A, Pos.9; on reverse of August 1915 cover, tied by Bouchir Depart cds; stamp covered by censor and re-sealing labels; handstamped with Isfahan arrival cds on front; rare variation on cover, BPA certificate.

1915, 2 kr. claret and green, overprinted in black; setting IIA/5; no watermark, perf. 11 1/2 x 11; unused, with large part original gum, BPA certificate.

1915, 10 kr. rose and bistre-brown type of Persia, overprinted in black; setting IB/3; no watermark, perf. 11 1/2; unused, with large part original gum;  BPA certificate.

1851, American Beaver 3 d. red, small to good margins all around, tied by barred cancel to mourning cover from "TORONTO 13.FE.(58)" to Hamilton with arrival mark, fine

"GAGETOWN N.B. PAID" and inside "PAID 3 D", both in red on small envelope from Gagetown to Fredericton, fine and scarce

"FREDERICTON MR 14 1853" on complete receipt for a registered letter to St. John

"3" in black on lettersheet endorsed "on Service" 1851 from Fredericton to Robert D. Wilmot, Surveyor General of New Brunswick, filing creases

3 d. dull-red, clear to good margins, neatly cancelled by grill "1" of St. John, very fine

3 d. dull-red with scarce cancellation of St. John express mail cds., repaired tear and small thins