378th Auction

French Forces in transit to / from the Crimea: 1853, Empire 20c. blue, just touched at base, otherwise large margins, tied by dotted ‚A.O.C.‘ lozenge to cover, showing „ARMEE D’ORIENT / BAU C 15 NOV. 1854“ datestamp and ms. „Varna“. Greg Todd opinion (2015)

Provenance: Francois X. Piat (2015)

French Forces in transit to / from the Crimea: 1853, Empire 20c. blue, large margins but closed tear at top, tied by dotted „A.O.B.S.“ to cover showing faint „ARMEE D’ORIENT / SED.RE 24 NOV. 54“ datestamp (Bureau Sedetaire) and ms. „Varna 24 Novembre 1854“ to Lons Le Saulmier. Sigend Brun and Greg Todd opinion (2015)

Provenance: Francois X. Piat collection (2015)

French Forces in transit to the Crimea: 1853, Empire 10c. bistre, vertical pair, three large margins, just grazed at top, tied by dotted „A.O.Q.G“ lozenge to cover showing „ARMEE D’ORIENT / QUART.GAL 9 OCT. 54“ , with full contents from Varna to Paris. Greg Todd opinion (2015)

Provenance: Francois X. Piat (2015) 

French Forces: 1853, 20c. blue in pair with large margins, tied by dotted „AOQG“ lozenge to envelope (faults) showing „ARMEE D’ORIENT / QUATR. GAL. 7 SEPT 54“ datestamp at lower left. Rare 40 centimes Soldier’s concessionary double rate. The French Fleet sailed from Varna towards an as yet un-agreed landing site in the Crimea on September 7, 1854, the date of the letter. Greg Todd opinion (2015)   

French Forces: 1854, entire letter written on board the french ship ‚HENRY IV‘ off Varna, „ARMEE D’ORIENT / QUART.GAL 1 SEPT. 54“ datestamp and handstruck ‚30‘ centimes due marking on front, the entire somewhat battered. The ‚HENRY IV‘ later took part in the bombardement of Odessa and finally sank in a storm off Eupatoria in Nov. 1854. Greg Todd opinion (2015)

Incoming Mail: 1854, 1d. red-brown and 2d. blue, plate 4, Wmk. Small Crown, perf. 16, tied by ‚PLYMOUTH AU 22 1854‘ spoon to envelope (part of flap missing), addressed to the 20th Regiment. The date of arrival, probably within 12 days, places the the 20th. Regiment at Varna, Bulgaria, some aging and usual envelope faults, rare. The addressee Captain William Radcliffe was present with his Regiment of the Battles of Alma, Inkerman, Balaklava and Sebastopol.  Greg Todd opinion (2014)

Provenance: „The Radcliffe Correspondence“ (Spink 2014)

RUSSIAN-OTTOMAN WAR: 1877, Romanian postcard 5 bani brown, with long text, written by a  soldier of the Romanian expeditionary force, dated "Verbica (= Varbitsa,Bulgaria) 1877 Octombriu 24" and send via "BUCURESCI 9 NOV.77" to Campulung with blue arrival mark. Some not disturbing marginal staining, otherwise fine. This is the only recorded item from a Romanian military in the Russian-Turkish war. An item of great historical interest. Certificate Penev (2021)

AUSTRIA: 1861, entire letter from Vienna to Ruscuk, franked with 1861,  2 copies 15 kr. blue, tied by sender's cachet and Vienna cds. . One stamp short corner perf. and some minor imperfections.

AUSTRIA: 1864, entire letter from Vienna to Ruscuk, franked with 1864,  2 copies 15 kr. brown, tied by cds.  "WIEN 23/9" cds.. Very fine and scarce incoming mail. Opinion Todd AIEP

FROM GERMANY: 1871, envelope from „GARDELEGEN 4 7 71“ to “.  the famous chief engineer of the Ottoman Empire, Bluhm Pasha at Ruscuk and re-adressed to Schumla, franked with 1869, 1 gr. rose and taxed upon arrival with „15“ kreuzer; on reverse transit mark „BIZIASCH 7/7. Very fine cover with a very rare destination. Opinion Todd AIEP.

FROM GERMANY: 1889, 2 envelopes from Wiesbaden to Sofia, franked with 20 pfg. resp. 2 copies 10 pfg.

FROM GREAT BRITAIN: 1877, cover from London to the British Embassy at Constantinople, franked with 1 d. red; re-directed to Varna with red Constantinople cds. and „LLOYD AGENZIE CONSTNTINOPOLI“ on reverse; charged upon arrival with „20“ soldi. Little roughly opened, otherwise fine.

FROM HUNGARY: 1880, entire printed matter to Ruse, franked with 1874/76, 2 f. lilac in vertical pair, tied by clear „BUDAPEST TEREZVAROS 30/5 80“; arrival mark of the Austrian PO. Very fine and scarce.

FROM ITALY: 1863, entire letter from Brescia to Sistov, franked with 1862, 10 csmi. orange brown and 40 csmi. lilac-rose (tiny touched at bottom base), tied by clear „DA MILANO A DESENZANO 3 GIU 63“ with adjacent „BRESCIA“ straight-line. The letter was franked for the third Austrian distance instead of the Danubian rate of 85csmi., thus rated with“13“ soldi. reverse transit marks of Pesth and Alt-Orsova. A very attractive and rare letter in very fine and fresh condition. Certificate Bottacchi (2015)

FROM ROMANIA: 1880, cover to Varna, franked with 1879, 25b. Blue, tied by clear „BRAILA 28 JUN 80“; on reverse arrival mark of the Austrian PO

FROM ROMANIA: 1880, unpaid envelope with clear „BUCURESTI GARA TIRGU-VESTEI 8 MAI 80“ to Plovdiv (at that time Eastern Roumelia) with transit marks off Constantinople and arrival marks of the Austrian PO, charged with 20 kreuzer upon arrival.

FROM ROMANIA: 1884, postcard 5 b. with additional franking 1879, 5 b. green, tied by „BUREAU AMBULANT DUNA….No.1/ 22 OCT 84“ to Sistov, showing on reverse bilingual arrival mark next to „Danubian travelling post office No.1“. Stamp slightly damaged at top, otherwise fine and scarce

FROM ROMANIA: cover front with one backflap to Ruscuk, franked with DDSG 1867, 17 kr. red, tied by clear blue „CZERNAWODA 27/5“. Very fine. Opinion Todd AIEP

FROM RUSSIA (UKRAINE): 1867, lettersheet from „NIKOLAYEV 8 ABR. 1867“ to Varna with Vienna transit mark and arrival double line postmark of Austrian PO, charged upon arrival with „40“ soldi; very scarce

FROM TURKEY: 1863, cover to Sofia, franked with nice margined copies of Tughra, 2nd printing, 20 pa. on yellow and 2 pia. on blue, tied by dotted blue battal handstamp. Very fine and fresh. Opinion Todd AIEP

FROM TURKEY: 1863, entire letter to Filibe, franked with very nice margined copies of Tughra, 2nd printing, 1 pia. on lilac-grey and 2 pia. on blue, tied by dotted battal handstamp. Very fine and fresh. Signed A. Diena and Calves, opinion Todd AIEP

FROM TURKEY: 1864, entire letter from Deraliye to Filibe, franked with very nice marginal copy of Tughra, 3rd printing, 1 pia. on lilac-grey, tied by battal handstamp with adjacent additional strike over an empty space, where another stamp, most likely mistakenly, had been applied. Very fine and unusual entire. Opinion Todd AIEP

FROM TURKEY: 1880, small registerd envelope from Constantinople to Sofia, franked with 1876, 10 pa. and 2 copies 1880, 1 pia., tied by blue cds..Since the cover was undeliverable, returned with nice strike of rare small kyrillic blue „SOFIA „ cds.. A fine and rare cover. Ex Hitzler

Bulgarien: 1933, 1. Südamerikafahrt mit Anschlussflug Berlin, R-Brief von "SOFIA 3.V.33" mit Flugpostmarken nach Recife mit Ankunftsstempel, leichte Beförderungsspuren, einwandfrei

Bulgarien: 1934, 8. Südamerikafahrt mit Auflieferung Friedrichshafen, R-Brief von "SOFIA 12.IX.34" mit Flugpost-Frankatur nach Recife mit Ankunftsstempel, leichte Beförderungsspuren, einwandfrei

„Ahi Celebi 303“, all arabic single circle, superb strike on 1892, 1pia. grey on piece, very fine and rare, ex Hitzler

„Ahyolu“, all arabic single circle, superb strike on Duloz 1 pia. yellow, very fine and rare; no entires with this cancellation have been recorded, ex Hitzler

Reference: illustration copy in Isfila handbook

„AKHTABOLOU cds. with date bridge (arabic date),  clear on 1908, 20 pa. on piece, very fine, unrecorded by Isfila, ex Hitzler
 
 

„Asiklar“, all arabic double framed oval, clear full strike on Duloz 1 pia. yellow and 20 pa. grey-brown on small piece, very fine and rare, no entires with this cancellation have been recorded, ex Hitzler

„Aydos“, all arabic double circle, fine strike on Duloz 1 pia. yellow and 20 pa. green on small piece, very fine and rare, no entires with this cancellation have been recorded, ex Hitzler
Reference: illustration copy of Isfila handbook
 

„BAROTINE 20 5 905“ cds. with date bridge,  large part strike clear on 1901, 20 pa. in horizontal pair, little toned, still fine, unrecorded by Isfila and no complete strikes recorded, ex Hitzler
 

„Balcik“, all arabic double circle in blue on entire letter to Constantinople, franked with Duloz 2 pia. red and 20 pa. green, transported via "VARNA 29 AOUT 70" and cancelled upon arrival with framed „Ujreti Alinjaktir“, very fine and scarce early usage of the postmark, ex Hitzler

„Balcik“, all arabic double circle in blue on entire letter to Constantinople, franked with Duloz 2 pia. red, 1 pia. Yellow, 20 pa. green and 10 pa. lilac, cancelled upon arrival with framed „Ujreti Alinjaktir“, very fine and scarce, signed Nakri, opinion Todd AIEP

„Balcik“, all arabic double circle in blue, 2 strikes on Duloz 2 pia. red and 20 pa. green on entire letter to Constantinople, some minor toning, otherwise fine and scarce, opinion Todd AIEP

„Balcik“, all arabic double circle in blue, clear strike on entire letter, franked with 5 copies Duloz 1869/70, 20 pa. green to Constantinople. Fine and scarce letter with special black sea littoral port to port rate . Certificate Nakri AIEP
 

„Belogradcik“, all arabic single circle in blue, superb strike on Duloz 1 pia. yellow, very fine and rare, ex Hitzler