377th Auction

BOLSHEVIK PERIOD: 1917-19 (16.5) money transfer card for 15 rubles, sent from Lemburg, Lifland to a soldier with the 13th Finland regiment, via the Head Field Post Office at Velikie-Luki, from where it was directed to F.P.O. No.19, then to F.P.O. No.20, then F.P.O. No.18. Over 3 months later received in Kovrov, then to Riga (2.4.18), back to Kovrov (22.3.19) and finally returned to Lemburg two years later! A historical document, reflecting the fluid military situation and the disruption of postal communications during this period which saw the Bolshevik Revolution, German occupation of the Baltic States, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Allied Armistice and civil war in Russia. Despite the nearly two years of effort, the poor soldier never received his (now vastly devalued and nearly worthless) 15 rubles

1933, Riga-Bathurst Flight, 10-100s. with right sheet margin, unused, fine

10 c. grey-black, horizontal strip of 4 with good to wide margins, lightly cancelled by Luxemburg circle of bars; the right stamp tiny corner crease resp. nick, otherwise very fine and fresh, certificate Böttger BPP (2017) (Prifix 1i)

1852, 10 c. grey-black in block of 4, clear at lower left, otherwise good to wide margins, neatly cancelled by 2 strikes of target cancel of Remich; the lower right stamp slightly thinned, otherwise very fine and fresh; one of the most attractive of the few blocks of 4 recorded. Certificate Goebel AIEP (2011) (Solufil 1f) Provenance: Juan del Puente ( 73. Corinphila-Auktion, 1985)

10 c. grey-black, 2 horizontal pairs with good to mostly large margins, tied by circle of bars to lettersheet with adjacent "LUXEMBOURG 20 JUIL. 58" to Paris; a scarce franking in fine condition, certificate Demuth BPP (1994)

1859/63, Coat of arms 25 c. brown with clear to good margins, tied by small cds. "LUXEMBOURG 26 OCT. 61" with additional strike alongside to entire letter to Völklingen, very fine, certificate Demuth BPP (1994)

1865/75, rouletted in colour, 1 c. brown orange, block of 9, unused with original gum, rouletting slightly split at top and some very minor toning, still fine and fresh; a scarce multiple, certificate Böttger BPP (2018)

1865/75, rouletted in colour, 12½c. rose in block of 4, unused with original gum, roulettings slightly split and strengthened by hinges, still fine and very scarce, certificate Böttger BPP (2018)

1865, Coat of arm rouletted in colour 12½ c. rose in block of 4, neatly cancelled by small cds. "ESCH-S-L'ALZETTE 5 MARS 76", very fine, certificate Böttger BPP (2016)

1865/75, rouletted in colour, 20 c. gray brown , block of 4 from the upper right sheet corner, unused with original gum, one stamp mint never hinged, fine and fresh ( minor faults in the margins only); a scarce multiple, certificate Böttger BPP (2018)

1865/74, 25 c. ultramarine, tied cds. "LUXEMBOURG 2 SEPT." (1870) to entire letter to Paris, endorsed "par la Belgique" due to Franco-Prussian war, showing on front blue "PARIS ETRANGÈRE 4 SEPT. 70"; a fine and interesting entire, certificate Demuth BPP (1995)

1908, Caritas forerunners 10 c. blue and 20 c. dark green with coat of arms 1 c. (12 copies + philatelic bisect), all tied by cds. "LUXEMBOURG-GARE HOLLERICH 28.9.09) to Germany; the Caritas labels light corner creases, otherwise fine; very scarce (Prifix 2, 4)

1920, Caritas forerunner 5 c. green souvenir sheet, unmounted mint, very fine and fresh

1921, Birth of Prince Jean souvenier sheet, used on philatelic registered local cover from LUXEMBOURG VILLE 11.1.21", tied by register handstamp; slight transportation faults, still fine and very scarce  

1923, Princess souvenir sheet 10 fr., type I, unused with o.g. (tiny hinge thin in top margin), stamp itself unmounted mint, certificate Demuth BPP (1990)

1926/30, Grand Duchess 5 c.-1 3/4 fr., 17 different values on watermarked paper (wavy lines), all with red overprint "SPECIMEN" and punchhole, all unmounted mint, fine/very fine. The final issue was produced on unwatermarked paper; a very scarce group

1944, Charlotte 5 c.-20 fr., 21 die proofs (except 60 c. and 3½ fr.) of the American Bank Note Co., printed on thin paper, mostly mounted on card/sunken card, one with stain in the margin, otherwise fine/very fine; a very scarce group

1946, Heroes and martyrs souvenir sheet, imperforated, unmounted mint, very fine. Only few imperforated souvenir sheets have been recorded. Certificate Böttger BPP (2015)

1948, essay Charlotte 3½ fr. in dark blue as die proof of the American Bank Note Co. on thin paper in block formate, very fine

1955, 50 Years of Rotary 30 f., six Artist colour Die proof cards different colours, all with artist signature, few with slightly spots, otherwise fine, rare

INCOMING MAIL: "Circular" envelope from Great Britain to Curacao, franked with 1864/79, 1 d. lake-red, tied by Reading duplex "635", taxed on arrival "3", possibly because the envelope was closed. Opened on 3 sides, still fine, sign. Knopke BPP

1846, uncomplete lettersheet (large backflap remaining), endorsed "J.F. BÖCKER, ZENDELING op BORNEO" via "BATAVIA 15/1" to the "Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft" at Barmen, Prussia with frontside blue seal "POSTKANTOOR/HOOFD KANTOOR TE BATAVIA" and red "ZEEBRIEF DEN HELDER 1875"; on reverse manuscript arrival notation of 21.5.1846, distribution mark and red "50" in manuscript, taxed on front with "240" cents. Earliest recorded mail from Borneo Provenance: Collection Bultermann

1920, Coat of arms 5p.- 10m. with black overprint "Malli", mounted on cardboard of which 500 were sent to the Finnish Post offices as proofs, fine

1920, 10 and 30p. horizontal pairs together with 80p. tied by violet cds. "KIRJASALO ´16 VIII 20" to cover to Kello with arrival mark, fine

1920, 30-50p. tied by cds. "KIRJASALO 4 IX 20" to cover to Tyrisevä with arrival mark, fine

1920, 1m. tied by cds. "KIRJASALO 20 VIII 20" to cover to Helsinki with arrival mark, small tear in cover, otherwise fine, scarce

1920, 1m. tied by cds. "KIRJASALO 16 IX 20" to cover to Marseille with arrival mark, few folds, otherwise fine, scarce

1920, Harvester playing harp 10m., vertical pair with upper sheet margin with inverted center, mint never hinged, small gum skips, a very rare multiple with only 100 of this error printed, fine

1921, "Inkerin Hyväksi" inverted overprint on horizontal pair 80p., mint never hinged, fine, scarce

1918, Germania 10 pfg., block of eight from the upper left sheet corner, with heavily shifted overprint thus the upper two stamps without overprint, second row only with small parts of overprint, the other rows with slanted overprint, a scarce and very attractive multiple, certificates Schmutz (1997) and Petriuk PZF (2021) (Fischer 10IIb)

1918, Germania 10 pfg. with clear double overprint, unused, very fine, scarce, certificate Korszen (2018) and Petriuk PZF (2021) (Fischer 10II Np)

1918, Germania 10 pfg. with clear double overprint, used, very fine, scarce, certificate Korszen (2018) and Petriuk PZF (2021) (Fischer 10II Np)

1918, Germania 20pfg. "szafir", pair (positions 49-50) and horizontal strip of three (positions 46-48) tied by provisional cancel "GABIN" to reverse of registered value declared cover with handwritten r-label to Warsaw with arrival mark, horizontal fold through cover not affecting the adhesives, very attractive and one of the rarest letters of the Germania issue, certificate Mikulski (2009) and signed Petriuk with detailed certificate (2020) (Fischer 12I bb)                           

1918, Germania 20 pfg. blue, pre-war printing, block of four from positions 86-87 and 96-97 with bottom sheet margin, mint never hinged, very fine, scarce, signed with certificate Korszen (2018) and certificate Petriuk PZF (2021) (Fischer 12II bax)

1918, Germania 30 pfg., block of four and block of six tied by provisional cds. "PYZDRY 24.II.1919" as rare 10fold-franking to German parcel card addressed to "Michał Wieczorkiewicz, Jabłonna Group, 1st Battery, 3rd Company, Warsaw Citadel" with arrival mark. The upper left stamp of the block of four showing variety "Pocata", one stamp of the block of six showing "dot in k"., filing hole affecting one stamp, otherwise fine and a very rare and early card, certificate Petriuk PZF (2021)

1918, Germania 40 pfg. with clear double overprint, unused, very fine, scarce, certificate Korszen (2018) and Petriuk PZF (2021) (Fischer 15Ib Np)