375th Auction

1689, folded letter from Corfu to Venice, with long text in Greek, scarce earlier cover, fine

1827, Entire letter from Sante to Venice, showing on reverse red "ISOLA DI SANTE" and adjacent fancy "CORFU 6 MAGGIO 1827" and Venice desinfection seal with circle of dots, on front boxed "V stato pontifisicio", desinfection slits, a fine letter to abroad

"CORFU 23 APRILE 1843" on entire letter endorsed "Via Malta" to England, here re-directed with 1841, 1 d. red-brown applied, cancelled by black MC; transit and arrival marks on reverse, and unusual combination letter

1849, Cover with clear cds. "CORFU 10 APR." via "TRIEST 12/4", "WIEN 16. APR." and "AACHEN BAHNHOF 20/4" to England, prepaid with "9" kr. CM to Triest and charged "2/10" for the remaining route incl. 3 d. Austrian, 4 d. Prussian and 2 d. Belgian transit as well as 6 d. sea rate; desinfection slits; a fine and scarce entire, certificate Wijnants (2018)

1859,  Queen Victoria ½d. orange, two singles with good margins all around tied by blue cds. "CORFU 1 OTT" to small folded letter to St. Maura with crayon "1d paid" and italian cancel "POSTA PAGATA" alongside, address partly erased, stamps slightly oxydized and barely perceptible faint crease, a wonderful and rare cover, signed Pröschold and certificate Sismondo (2019)

1862, Small envelope endorsed "from John Stevens HM ship Trident, Corfu", franked with 1855/62, 1 d. red, tied by "A86" of mediterranean packet, signed by commanding officer and sent to Bristol with arrival mark of 18.9.1862; small hint arrow, otherwise fine; scarce cover

1862,  Entire folded letter with blue "CORFU 8.SET." and "POSTA PAGATA", paid 1d. (black crayon) to Athens 10.9.62 (old style calendar), sent via Constantinopel 17.9 (Austrian Levant cds. in blue) handed to the Greek Post Office, which marked it with the old pre-stamp period "KONSTANTINOUPOLIS TOURKIA 5.9.1862" to be directed to Athens via Piraeus 10.9.62 ! Manuscript "50" lepta in red crayon, paid with Athens fine provisionals 10 l. (three margins) and 40 l.. A fine entire with scarce stamps and exceptional route

1862/64, three items from the Ionian islands to Greece:  entire letter, prepaid with "1" d. from Zante 11.8.62 (blue cds) to Athens, entire letter prepaid with "1" d. from Cefallonia May 1864 with boxed "Franca" and oval DP, all in blue, to Patras and letter sheet from Lefkas 9.4.64 (blue cds), prepaid with "1" d., to Athens, all three franked with 20 l. Large Hermes upon arrival, to pay the local postage, interesting and good to very fine

1868, Entire folded letter dated inside "Corfu 11/23.9.1868" and adressed to Janina, carried by private means to the coast of Epirus and here taxed and franked with 2 pia. and 5 pia. Duloz postage due, tied by Janina all arabic circular; 5 pia. damaged by filing crease, very interesting

INCOMING MAIL: AUSTRIA: 1850/54, 2 copies 9 kr. blue and single copy 6 kr. brown, all with clear to mostly large margins, tied by cds. "TRIESTE Reccomandata 16/5" to front and reverse of registered lettersheet to Corfu with clear arrival mark on front; one 9 kr. slight marginal creasing and slight ink erosion in the lower part of address, still a fine and very scarce first issue entire

AUSTRIA: 1861, 3 kr. green, 15 kr. blue and 10 kr. brown (on reverse), tied by double line "Cattaro 23 SET." (1862) on front and reverse of entire registered letter to Corfu with transit mark on front; some minor toning, otherwise very fine; a scarce letter

CANADA: 1860, Envelope franked with 1859, 12½ c. blue-green, cancelled by unclear target with adjacent "KINGSTON U.C. AP 25 1860" to England, re-directed to Corfu (reverse transit mark "MALTA JY 20 1860") and again re-directed to England with several transit and arrival marks. The stamp small marginal tears and backflap with some faults, still fine; certificate Vincent Graves Greene (2008)

ECUADOR: 1881, 20 c. grey-violet, diagonally bisected, tied by cds. "GUAYAQUIL FRANCA" to mourning cover to Corfu with arrival mark

GIBRALTAR: 1863, Small envelope franked with GB 1864/79, 1 d. lake-red and 1855/57, 3 d. carmine, tied by "A26" with adjacent "GIBRALTAR JU 17 63" to Corfu with red arrival mark on reverse; the 3 d. some flat perfs, where applied at the edge of the envelope, still fine and scarce

GREAT BRITAIN: 1858, Small envelope franked with pair 1856, 6 d. purple from "STAPLEHURST SP 13 1858" via Belgium and Prussia to a military at Cepalonia with Corfu transit mark on front, stamps with few flat perfs, otherwise very fine

GB: 1862, Cover addressed "Poste restante" to Ancona, Italy and re-directed to Corfu with transit and arrival marks on reverse

GB: 1863, Envelope franked with 2 copies 1855/62, 1 d. red and 3 copies 1862, 6 d. purple from "SHREWSBURY JA 14 63" to a military at Corfu, correctly paid for the 2nd rate via Belgium, Prussia and Triest, effective from January 1, 1863, on reverse transit marks of Vienna and Triest and arrival mark in blue; the margin of the right stamp with creasing and small faults, otherwise fine; an attractive and scarce cover

GB: 1863, Small cover franked with 1862, 6 d. purple from "TIVERTON JU 4 63" via Ancona (closed mail) to a military at Corfu with red arrival mark on reverse; the stamp small corner fault due to transportation, otherwise fine

GREAT BRITAIN: 1873/76, 2½ d. lilac, tied by numeral "186" and cds. "DUBLIN JA 15 76" to envelope to a member of mediterranean fleet at Corfu, care of English consul; on reverse transit mark of Malta

HUNGARY: 1860, Entire letter from "SZEKSZARD 16/12" to Corfu with arrival mark on front, taxed "30" lepta

KINGDOM OF ITALY: 1863, Lettersheet from Ancona to Corfu, franked with Sardenia 1855/63, 5 c. green and Italy 1863, 15 c blue, type I, the later slightly touched at bottom, otherwise large margins, blue arrival mark on front; since the letter was underpaid red "FRANCOBOLLO INSUFFICIENTE" and "CREDITO ITALIANO CENT.". Folds of the side flaps separated in few places, still fine and scarce

MALTA: 1869, Entire letter franked with GB 1867/69, 6 d. violet without hyphen, tied by duplex "A25 / B MALTA JU 22 69" to entire letter to Corfu with frontside clear red "4 3/4" and "P.D."; stamp affected by light horizontal filing fold, also lettersheet from the same correspondence with 3 d. in horizontal pair and same handstamps, one stamp filing crease

ROMANIA: 1858, Entire letter with clear blue "AGENZIA DEL LLOYD AUSTRIACO Galatz" to Santa Maura

ROMANIA: 1872/73, Paris printing 10 b. blue, 15 b. brown and 50 b. rose tied by cds. "GALATZ 15 MAR 75" to triple rate lettersheet via Triest to Corfu; very scarce and attractive

SWITZERLAND: 1860, Entire letter franked with 1857/60, 10 rp. blue and 40 rp. green in horizontal pair, tied by cds. "GENEVE 27 JUIL 60" to Corfu with notations "via Trieste" and "per Lloyd austriaco", transit and arrival marks on reverse. A vertical filing crease affecting the 10 rp. slightly, still fine and extremely rare

THURN & TAXIS: 1859, Lettersheet franked with 1852, 1 kr. and 9 kr. (2 each), tied by numeral "142", from "OFFENBACH 15 4" to Corfu; on front noted postage of "9" kreuzer postal union fee and "11" kreuzer foreign share; one 1 kr. with cover crease and little unfresh, but extremely rare, we have recorded only one further entire from Thurn & Taxis to the Ionian Islands

TOSCANA: 1861, Entire letter from Livorno, franked with provisional government 20 c. blue and 40 c. rose-carmine, tied by cds. to Corfu with adjacent double line "MALTA SHIP LETTER". Small ink erosion, otherwise a fine and rare entire, sign. Colla with certificate (2002)

TURKEY: 1864, Entire letter franked with Austrian Levante 1863, 10 s. blue and 1863/64, 5 s. rose, cancelled by clear "LLOYD AGENZIE CONSTANTINOPOLI 2/9" to Cefalonia with faint arrival mark on front, slightly tying 5 s.; light cover crease not affecting the stamps