378th Auction

IONIAN ISLANDS-AUSTRIA, 1835, unpaid entire letter from Corfu to Trieste with fancy "CORFU 27 NOVEMBRE 1835" on reverse and oval "OFFICIO DE LA POSTA GENERALE CORFU" on front next to blue "Jonia" with matching blue "TRIEST 12 DEZEMBER" on revers. Taxed in Trieste with "15/20" kreuzer c.m.

IONIAN ISLANDS-AUSTRIA, 1841, prepaid entire letter from Zante to Trieste with fancy "ZANTE 27 APRILE 1841" on reverse and "CORFU 29 APRILE 1841" on front; unusual rating in red crayon on front, "18" kreuzer prepayment noted on reverse. Entire with desinfection slits, very fine.

IONIAN ISLANDS-AUSTRIA, 1859, Entire prepaid letter from "ITAKA 16 JUNE (5)9" to Triest, as usual franked in transit (the little town had not yet been supplied with stamps) with 1859, 1 d. blue for the internal Ionian postage, tied by fancy "KEFALONIA 1859 JUNE 17" with adjacent matching blue boxed "FRANCA"; on reverse manuscript "15" (new kreuzer) in red crayon indicating the paid sea postage to Trieste; arrival mark of June 22nd. A rare and most attractive letter posted on the 2nd day of issue of the Ionian postage stamps. Signed Giulio Bolaffi with certificate (1966) and Alberto Diena with certificate (1962) (SG 2)

MAURITIUS-NORTH GERMAN FEDERATION: 1869, small wrapper endorsed "Via Trieste" and franked with DLR 1 d. brown, tied by duplex "MAURITIUS AU 26 69" to Danzig, Prussia, showing on front blue "FORWARDED BY SCOTT & CO. MAURITIUS". Although the wrapper was correctly franked, it was not accepted as printed matter and charged "1/1" (equal 11 sgr.) for the letter rate via England. A fine and interesting item.

MAURITIUS-SWEDEN: 1857, Double rate lettersheet from the Swedish/Norwegian Consulate at Port Louis, backstamped "PACKET LETTER MAURITIUS JU 19 1857" in red, endorsed "per overland mail via Trieste" to Stockholm. The letter was prepaid to Alexandria with "2/-", charged in Germany "12½" sgr. for sea post Alexandria-Trieste and "6" sgr. Postal Union double rate ; in Sweden a total postage due of "1(Rdr) 37 (sk) 6 (rst)" was noted ; a very rare entire via the overland mail; just 3 letters during the skilling period from Mauritius to Sweden have been recorded

INDIA -AUSTRIA: 1857, letter sheet prepaid till Alexandria with 1856/64, 8 a. carmine and additionally with 1854, 2 a. green (cut to shape) for the 'after packet' fee, both tied by octogonal handstamp "B 1" of Calcutta. On front red boxed "INDIA PAID", british manuscript "1/-" and postage due marking "9" (kreuzer c.m.) for the sea postage from Alexandria to Trieste. A fine and scarce entire. (SG 49+31)

INDIA -HAMBURG: 1863, cover prepaid till Alexandria with 1856/64, 1 a. brown and 8 a. carmine, tied by octogonal handstamp and showing on reverse blue "FORWARDED BY JOHN BORRADAILE & Co. CALCUTTA" next to red "EX CALCUTTA AG 16 1863" and red Bombay transit mark of August 23rd to Hamburg with arrival mark of 20.9.. On front red "INDIA PAID" and Triest handstamp "6" for the conveyance from Alexandria to Trieste; in Hamburg charged with "8" shilling local currency. Fine and fresh. (SG 39,48)

INDIA - SARDINIA: 1856, lettersheet from Calcutta to Genova, franked with horizontal pair 1854/55, 4 a. blue/red (4th printing), cut to shape but with still good margins, showing large part of printer's cross at bottom. The entire with red boxed "INDIA PAID" and "D.A.a.L." (Diritto Austriaco austriache Lire), charged upon arrival with "10" decimes. A fine and scarce letter. (SG23)

INDIA - SARDINIA: 1857, lettersheet from the same correspondance, franked with 1856/64, 8 a. carmine (perfs clipped at top), showing on front red boxed "INDIA PAID" and "D.A.a.L." (Diritto Austriaco austriache Lire), charged upon arrival with "10" decimes.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS- HAMBURG: 1856, double rate letter sheet with large part of contens from Singapore to Hamburg, endorsed "via Trieste", part paid to Alexandria with four copies 1854/55, 4a. 4th printing (all cut square, mostly with clear margins), each cancelled by diamond of dots. On front rated "12½" silbergroschen for the conveyance from Alexandria to Hamburg, change to "17" Schilling local Hamburg currency in blue ink; on reverse clear arrival datestamp (1.3). A very rare franking and an outstanding item of India used in the Straits Settlements. Certificate Heddergott BPP (2002).
Provenance: E.E. Yates (1939), Charles Taylor (London and Brighton stamp auctions 1981)

CHINA - FRANCE: 1870, printed matter letter sheet from Hongkong to St. Etienne, franked with 1863/71, 2 c. brown (defective) and 4 c. grey, tied by "B62"; on front and reverse Vienna and Fench transit marks and arrival mark of 22.2. 1870 (SG 8,9)

CHINA - NORTH GERMAN FEDERATION: 1868, envelope (opened on 2 sides) from Shanghai to Breslau, franked with 1863/71, 8 c. orange and 24 c. green, tied by "B62"; on reverse blue despatch "SHANGHAE OC 13 68", black "HONG-KONG OC 18 68" (not quite compleete since a seal was cut out) and arrival marks. At Trieste rare boxed tax stamp "4" was applied, although the letter was sufficiently prepaid according to the old rate with 24 c. to Alexandria (which had been reduced to 12 c. 4 month before) and 8 c. for the remaining way. A scarce and interesting letter.(SG 11,14)