377th Auction

Aleppo: 1858, unpaid Entire letter from Smyrna via Alexandretta to Aleppo with very rare two line "POSTE FRANCAISE / D'ALEP" handstamp (Pothion = 22 points) and TAXE, both in blue, and adjacent "SMYRNE TURQUIE 3 MAI 58" cds in black, , reverse with ALEXANDRETTW SYRIE 8 MAI 58" transit cds's. Taxed with '20' décimes due upon arrival; a fresh and fine cover, certificate Roumet (1999).

Aleppo: 1864, prepaid letter sheet from Aleppo via Beirut to Marseille, franked with Napoléon perforated 10 c. bistre and 40 c. orange, tied by GC '5079' with adjacent "POSTE FRANCAISE / D'ALEP" handstamp in blue and "ALEXANDRETTE SYRIE 10 OCT 64" cds, framed PD in black and framed red "PAQUEBOTS DE LA MEDITERRANEE", reverse with "BEYROUT SYRIE 12 OCT 64" transit and Marseille arrival (Oct. 25) cds's. A scarce cover.

Alexandrette: 1859, entire letter written in Aleppo, mailed from Alexandrette to Marseille, struck with light two line "POSTE FRANCAISE / 'ALEP" handstamp in blue (Pothion = 22 points), franked in Alexandretta with Napoléon imperforated 10 c. bistre and 40 c. orange, tied by PC '3766' with adjacent "ALEXANDRETTE SYRIE 10 SEPT 59" and framed PD in black; reverse with Marseille transit mark. A scarce and attractive cover.

Alexandretta: 1869, envelope from Aleppo to Marseille, franked on reverse with Turkey 1869 Dulos 20 pa. green and 1 pi. yellow, perf. 13¼ , tied by all Arabic framed 'Haleb' in blue (Coles & Walker fig. 4), mailed through the French P.O. in Alexandrette with 1863 Napoléon laureated 20 c. blue in  horizontal pair, tied by GC '5079' with adjacent "ALEXANDRETTE SYRIE 24 MAI 69", framed PD in black and framed "PAQUEBOTS DE LA MEDITERRANEE" in red, on reverse Smirna French P.O. transit and Marseille arrival (July 6) cds's. A fine and scarce combination usage opened out for display. Cert. Roumet (1998).

Alexandretta : 1873, envelope from Aleppo to Marseille, franked on reverse with Turkey 1869 Dulos 10 pa. brown lilac and 2 ghrush orange (corner fault), tied by all Arabic framed 'Haleb'  handstamp in black (Coles & Walker fig. 4), mailed through the French P.O. in Alexandrette with 1872 Cérès 80 c. rose, tied by GC '5079'  with adjacent "ALEXANDRETTE SYRIE 3 JANV 73" , framed "PD" in black and red "PAQUEBOTS DE LA MEDITERRANEE" ; reverse with Smirna French P.O. transit cds. A fine and scarce combination usage. Signed Calves.

Hierapetra: 1898, Free of charge military Envelope from Hierapetra to Paris, handstamped with clear "HIERAPETRA CRETE 14 SEPT 98" cds in black and adjacent military handstamp "SECTEUR FRANCAIS CRETE LE COMMANDANT", reverse with rare Sitia Crete and Marseille transit cds's.

Rhodos: 1879, entire letter from Bristol to Rhodos, franked with Victoria 2½ d. rosy mauve, tied by "BRISTOL JY 29 79 / 131" duplex, French Calais entry cds in red alongside, reverse with Lyon - Marseille Spécial TPO transit cds and blue "RHODES 9 AOUT 79" arrival cds., a very rare incoming item from the United Kingdom; certificate Roumet (2006).

Tunis: 1856, letter sheet from Tunis to France, franked with 1853 Napoléon imperforated 20 c. blue in a left marginal horizontal strip of three, touched in two places but generally good to large margins, tied by PC "3716" of Bone with adjacent "TUNIS 17 SEPT. 56" (Pothion = 21 points) and framed "P.P." in red, reverse with Bone Algerie, Marseille & Montpellier transit and St. Pons arrival (Sept 26) cds's. Charge '4' décimes due upon arrival. A scarce and attractive item; signed Calves; cert. Roumet (1998). Note: Adhesives on mail from Tunis were cancelled in Bone, Algeria with the Petits Chiffres '3716' or Gros Chiffres '5015', respectively in the years between 1852 and 1862. In 1863 Tunis became a Bureau de distribution and received its own Gros chiffres '5107'.

Tunis: 1873, entire letter from Tunis to Marseille, franked with 1871/73 Cérès 10 c. brown on rose and two singles of 25 c. blue, tied by GC '5107'  with adjacent "TUNIS 7 OCT 73" (Pothion = 13 points), framed PD in red and "TUNIS-PAR-BONE ALGERIE 8 OCT 73" cds in red, reverse with Marseille arrival (Oct 12) cds.; one short perf, otherwise fine and fresh, a scarce and attractive item with the 60 c. rate for covers up to 10 gr. which were transported with 'Paquebots de l'Algérie' vessels  

Tunis: 1878, envelope from Tunis to France, franked with type Sage 25 c. blue, tied by red "TUNIS-BONE ALGERIE 20 AOUT 78" railway cds; reverse with Bone and French transit cds's. Minor part of one backflap missing, otherwise fine, a scarce and interesting item which was despatched not in the Tuns post office but directly in the railway wagon of the Tunis - Bone line.

1872, Ceres 15c. brown, fresh colour and good margins all around, unused, very fine, certificate Behr (2011)

POSTAGE DUE: 1894, Numerals 5c. black, Sperati forgery with "dropped B" variety, unused, the only known copy with the Sperati overprint, fine, signed Sperati / Reproduction

1912, 10 on 50 c. brown, type I tied by cds. “LIBREVILLE CABON 2.JUIN.14” to registered cover with six other stamps to Philadelphia with arrival mark, fine

1956, Airmail 25-100fr., imperforated multi-coloured proof sheet, mint never hinged, fine

1994, 200000 k. on 0,50r., block of four with upper sheet margin with inverted surcharge, mint never hinged, fine

1 d. black, plate 1, LG, good to large margins, tied by red MC to small piece, very fine

1840, 1 d. black, plate 1A, DG, good to large margins, neatly cancelled by red MC, very fine, sign. Georg Bühler

1840, Victoria 1d. black, plate 1b,PJ, inverted watermark, fresh colour and good to wide margins with small part of adjoining stamp at upper right, used with clear red MC, a very fine copy of this scarce stamp

1840, Victoria 1d. black, plate 2, MB, fresh colour and good to wide margins all around, used with clearly struck black MC, fine, certificate Louis BPP (2004)

1840, Victoria 1d. black, plate 7, JA, fresh colour and good to wide margins all around, used with clearly struck black MC, fine, certificate Louis BPP (2004)

1840, 1 d. black, plate 3, SL, good even margins, tied by nice clear red MC to piece, very fine

1840, Victoria 1d. black, plate 1b, QD, fresh colour and good to wide margins all around tied by red MC with "GLASGOW FEB 11 1841" on reverse to folded letter via Belfast to Cookstown, Ireland, transit- and arrival mark on reverse, a late use of the red Maltese cross a few days before the official change to black stamp ink, certificate Louis BPP (2003)

MALTESE CROSS CANCELLATIONS: London Numeral 1-12 struck on twelve 1d. red imperforated, mostly nice and good strikes, some stamps with faults, certificate Pröschold BPP (1988)

1857, Transitional Issue 1d. pale-red, strip of three, two pairs and single tied by numeral "15" to small cover to Paris, some perfs slightly blunted as affixed on the edge, a little roughly opened, a scarce and attractive cover

1864/79, 1 d. lake-red, tied by clear "HELENSBURGH FE 13 1869" to small embossed Valentine's cover sent locally with arrival mark on reverse; very attractive

1854, Embossed 6d. dull lilac in combination with 1856 4d. carmine on highly glazed paper, tied by numeral "19" to folded letter to Bilbao, embossed slightly touched at bottom, otherwise a fine and rare combination of embossed and surface printed stamps, only 15 combinations recorded by Simpson & Louis

1867/83, 10 sh. greenish-grey, GG, fresh colour and good perforation, used, fine
 

1862/67, Consecutive Athens Printings 10l. red-orange, extremely fresh colour and wide well balanced margins all around, unused without gum, despite a tiny backed spot, a very fine and choice item of this rare and dramatically undervalued stamp, certificate Tseriotis AIEP (2020) (Hellas ​18ba)

Constantinople: 1868/69, cleaned plate 2 l. dull brown in horizontal pair and 40 l. dull mauve on blued and 1870, 1 l. chestnut brown, all tied by dotted '95' numeral with adjacent "Constantinople 31 JAN 70"  to  Athens by French ship, carried at 45 lepta rate (for under 10 grams) ; reverse with Athens arrival mark . A fine and rare entire. Illustrated in 'Les Tarifs Helléniques' on page 155. Signed Holcombe.

1868/69, Cleaned Plates Printing 10l. red-orange horizontal pair, bright and fresh colour with wide and well balanced margins, unused with original gum, an extremely fine and attractive pair of this rare unused stamp, certificate Tseriotis AIEP (2020) (Hellas ​26a)

1906, Intermediate Olympics Goddess of Victory 10l. greenish blue, imperforated plate proof on white cardboard, block of four, no gum as issued, tiny discoloration at upper left stamp, otherwise fine

1906, Intermediate Olympics Hercules and Antaeus 25l. rose carmine, perforated plate proof on white cardboard, no gum as issued, fine

1906, Intermediate Olympics Hercules and Antaeus 25l. rose carmine, imperforated plate proof on white cardboard, block of four, no gum as issued, tiny discoloration at upper left stamp, otherwise fine

DEDEAGH, locally produced negative seal on Thrace 1813, handstamp 1 p. on Turkey 2 pa. on cover with adjacent cds. of the Austrian PO "DEDEAGATSCH 20. X 13" to Mytilene with arrival mark, 2 filing creases not affecting the stamp nor postmarks; fine and rare

MYTILENE: "TELEGRAF VE POSTAHANE-I MIDILLU 318", negative seal postmark on cpl. telegram from Galaz to Mytilene, very rare

1899, Provisional Handstamp Issue, 2m. rose, one copy on laid paper and one on surface laid paper, both used with straight-line "RETHYMNON", fine