377th Auction

CHINA-AUSTRIA, 1869, Lettersheet from Hongkong to Vienna, franked with 1863/71, 12 cents pale greenish blue with central "B62", noted as "6" pence in red ink for the prepayment till Alexandria, taxed with "15" neukreuzer for the conveyance beyond Alexandria to be paid by the recipient. On reverse Hongkong dispatch marks and Vienna arrival mark in red. A fine cover (SG12)

CHINA-NETHERLANDS, 1858, Entire letter with small crowned "PAID AT HONG-KONG" to Leiden, prepaid with "1/-" in red crayon till Alexandria. At Triest boxed tax mark "6¼" applied for the postage from Alexandria to Triest (3¼ silbergroschen) and from Triest to the Dutch border (3 silbergroschen). At Leiden a total of "50" cents including 10 cents internal Dutch postage was charged to the recipient. On reverse Leiden arrival mark of October 2nd.

CHINA-SAXONY, 1856, Part paid cover to Altenburg (quadruple British resp. triple German rate), endorsed "per Overland Mail via Triest", showing on front clear red crowned "PAID AT HONG KONG"  with adjacent "4/-" in red crayon for the prepayment of 4 shillings for the distance to Alexandria. For the remaining distance taxed with "18 5/10"  Austrian neugroschen resp. silbergroschen, which had to be paid by the recipient. On reverse weak Hongkong despatch mark and Saxonian distribution mark. A very fine and scarce entire  

CHINA-SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, 1866, Complete printed matter from Hongkong to Altona, franked with 1863/71, 4 cents grey, tied by clear "B62" with adjacent light red handstamp "via Trieste". The 4 cents (noted as "2" pence in red ink) paid for the distance till Alexandria; rare black tax stamp "1" (groschen) for the conveyance from Alexandria to Altona applied with corresponding "2" (schilling courant) in red crayon, to be paid by the recipient. Somewhat unclear Altona arrival mark on reverse. Very few entires with the tax stamp "1" have been recorded, which was applied at Triest only on part-paid printed matters from Asia between 1858 and 1868. A fine and rare entire. (SG 9)

EGYPT-AUSTRIA 1867, Entire letter from Cairo to Triest, franked with 1866, 1 piastre lilac, tied by cds. "POSTE VICE REALI EGIZIANE CAIRO 20 MAR 67" and additional Austrian Levante 15 soldi brown, tied by cds. "ALEXANDRIEN 27/3"; on reverse Triest arrival mark of April 1st. A fine and rare combination letter; only few such combinations with the 1st issue of Egypt have been recorded. Signed Enzo Diena with certificate (1992) and Ferchenbauer with certificate (2018) Provenance: Dr. William Byam (Robson Lowe-auction, 1961)

EGYPT-AUSTRIA, 1868, Cover from Cairo to Vienna, franked with Egypt 1867, 1 piastre red, tied by cds. "POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE CAIRO 24 LUG. 68" and additional Austrian Levante 1864, 15 soldi brown, tied by cds. "ALEXANDRIA 25/7"; on reverse transit marks of the Egyptian post office at Alexandria and Triest (30.7.) and Vienna arrival mark (31.7.) A fine and rare combination cover. Certificate Alberto Diena (1968)
Provenance: Kurt Wolfsbauer (David Feldman-auction, 2002)

EGYPT-AUSTRIA, 1870, Entire letter via Alexandria to Vienna, franked with 1867, 20 para green and horizontal pair 1 piastre red, tied by cds. "V.R. POSTE EGIZIANE MEHALLA 22 LUG 1870", adjacent straight line "Franca". The letter is correctly franked with 2½ piastres from lower Egypt to Austria according to the Austro-Egyptian postal convention, effective from September 1868. The pair affected by cover crease, still fine and scarce. Provenance: Peter A.S. Smith (Corinphila 2015)

EGYPT-ITALY, 1869, Lettersheet to Limone, Italy, franked with 1867, Penasson 20 para green, 1 piastre and 2 piastre blue, all tied by cds. "CANAL DE SUEZ CHANTIER VI/21 MAI 69" with adjacent straight line "Franca" and on reverse transit marks of Ismailia, Alexandria and Triest, Italian railway mark "TORINO-CUNEO" and arrival mark. The letter was franked to be sent registered but was forwarded as ordinary letter, possibly because the small post office was overchangelled in doing it the requested way. Just 2 further entires have been recorded with the illusive "CHANTIER VI" cancellation, the one offered here is without doubt the most attractive and valuable one. An important item of Egyptian philately. Signed Giulio Bolaffi, A. Bolaffi, Alberto Diena and Silvio Sorani Provenance: Emile Antonini (85. Corinphila-auction, 1992), Samir Amin Fikry (David Feldman-auction, 2011)

EGYPT-THURN&TAXIS, 1863, double rate registered envelope, prepaid in cash with 70 soldi (noted on reverse "40/30"), with blue cds. "ALEXANDRIEN RECOM. 11/5" and matching "FRANCO" to the wellknown geographical publisher Justus Perthes in Gotha, showing adjacent red Prussian "Recomandirt" and on reverse oval "RECOMMANDIRT TRIEST 18/5 1863", railway mark "HALLE/EISENACH" and arrival mark. Fine and scarce Provenance: Kurt Wolfsbauer (David Feldman-auction, 2002)

EGYPT-WURTTEMBERG, 1845, Entire letter dated on front "Le Caire a 21/12 45" with long text written by Erwin of Neipperg to his brother General Alfred Graf Neipperg, posted at Alexandria, showing the straight line postmark of the Austrian post and transported via Triest, Verona, Innsbruck and Bregenz to Stuttgart, here re-addressed to Schwaigern. The letter was prepaid with "24" kreuzer till Triest (noted on reverse) and taxed in manuscript with "12" kreuzer c.m. for the internal Austrian postage and "25" kreuzer German currency total postage due, to be paid by the recipient. The letter contains a comprehensive report of the start of Neipperg's expedition to the Sudan including an audience granted to him by the viceroy Mehemed Ali. A very interesting item

PERSIA-GREAT BRITAIN, 1832, Entire letter from an expedition to the mines near Miyaneh to Brighton. The 5 pages of contents dated between May 28 and June 1st, 1832 give a comprehensive report about the expedition and the transport of the letter ("a Gholam takes it to Erzroum to be forwarded by a Pasha's Tartar"). The letter transported via Constantinople and Semlin with desinfection handstamp and red wax seal. Upon arrival charged with "1/6 d." to be paid by the recipient. The letter with few split folds, but still fine and fresh. A most remarkable and early letter from Persia. From the contents of the letter: "I am living in a tent a 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 close 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 3 days ... This place is 4 miles from Meanna on the direct route from Tabriz to Teheran and celebrated for its bugs..."

PHILIPPINES-SAXONY: 1858, Entire letter from Manila to Limbach, showing on front red oval "FORWARDED BY WM PUSTAU & Co. HONG KONG" next to small crowned "PAID AT HONG KONG", on reverse dispatch mark "HONG-KONG 14 MR 1858". The letter was part-paid with "1/-" in red crayon; for the conveyance from Alexandria to Saxony taxed with blue boxed "6¼" (groschen), in Saxony taxed "6 3" for 6 neugroschen and 3 pfennig to be paid by the recipient. A fine and scarce letter

PHILIPPINES-SWEDEN, 1861, Entire double rate letter (quadruple for the British share) from the Swedisch/Norwegian consulate at Manila to Stockholm with frontside red forwarding agent handstamp "RUSSEL & STURGIS MANILA" and adjacent "HONGKONG PAID JA 30 61", on reverse transit marks of Berlin and Hamburg (Prussian and Swedish post offices). The letter was prepaid with "4/-" till Alexandria, for the conveyance from Alexandria to Hamburg charged with "12" silbergroschen. Since the addressee was a governmental body, the postage due amount was included in the quarterly statement to the GPO at Stockholm and not marked on the letter. A remarkable and rare letter from Eastern Asia to Sweden. Provenance: Kersti & Bertil Larsson collection (364. Heinrich Köhler-auction, 2017)

SIAM-ALBANIA, 1868, Cover with blue straight line "CONSULAT DE FRANCE A BANGKOK" and red boxed "F.S.P." (France Service Public) to Scutari with clear cds. "LIGNE N PAQ. FR. No3 / 4 NOV. 68"; on reverse transit marks of Alexandria (27.11.), Marseille (4.12.), Paris (5.12.) and Triest (8.12.). At Triest the cover was charged in blue crayon "15" (Austro-German postage) and "25" (postage Triest-Scutari), both in kreuzer currency. Such early mail from Siam to Europe is very rare.

SIAM-THURN&TAXIS, 1859, Double rate entire letter, dated inside "Bangkok den 28. März 1859", showing on front red oval forwarding agent mark "PICKENPACK, THIES & Co. BANGKOK SIAM" and on reverse "BEHN, MEYER & Co. SINGAPORE". In Singapore franked for the conveyance to Alexandria with 2 copies India 1856/64, 8 annas carmine, tied by somewhat indistinct "B172" of Singapore with matching red dispatch mark on reverse. The prepaid amount of "2/-" noted on reverse crossed out, and changed into "40" kreuzer due (consisting of 22 kreuzer sea postage from Alexandria to Trieste and 18 kreuzer German postal union postage), which was to be paid by the recipient. One stamp with some minor creasing without impotance. A very fine and rare early letter from Thailand to Europe. (SG India 48/49)