384. Auction

1885 (June), cover franked with two 5pa perf 11.5, one each of 10pa, 20pa, and 1pi, perf 13.5, tied to reverse of registered cover to Kehl by circular grid cancels in blue, front with partial Plovdiv despatch c.d.s. and clear strike of boxed “U.P.U. / ROUMELIE / ORIENTALE / R”, reverse with Gabrovo (Jul 2) and Russe (Jul 5) transit backstamps, multiple Kehl c.d.s. receivers (Jul 20), three mostly intact wax seals remain, piece torn from upper right corner, 1pi adhesive discolored, but a most remarkable franking, paying the 2pi registered foreign letter rate, a late usage of the 1880/81 10pa and 20pa denominations, and an exceptional and iconic rarity of Eastern Rumelian postal history.

1885 (July 4), 10pa green & light green, two singles, perforated 11.5, tied to postal card to Plovdiv by green circular grid cancel, Stanimaka c.d.s. despatch alongside, reverse with Sofia transit c.d.s., Plovdiv c.d.s. receiver in blue on front, an attractive example of the 20pa foreign postcard rate, showing strikes in the two typical ink colours used in Eastern Rumelia in this period.

1885 (August 5), 10pa green & light green, perforated 11.5, tied to inland postcard from Slivno to Stara Zagora, with green c.d.s. arrival backstamp (Aug 8), a fine example of this less-common c.d.s from Stara Zagora.

1885 (August 7), 10pa green & light green, perforated 11.5, tied to postal card to Plovdiv by blue circular grid cancel, Poste Slivno despatch c.d.s. alongside, showing the inverted “7” date slug, light blue c.d.s. arrival backstamp (Aug 8), tone spots, but a scarce example of this cancellation variety, recorded only between August 5 and 7, 1885.

1885 (August 23), post office document from the Tatar Pazardjik Post & Telegraph Office, to the Post Office in Sliven, struck with double Post Horn negative seal “East Rumelian Post / T. Pazardjik”, light filing folds, else fine.

1885 (August 28), three 1pi black & blue, perforated 13.5, two on reverse, all tied to registered cover to Arthur Maury in Paris by blue circular grid cancels, neatly-struck “Poste Yamboli” despatch c.d.s., black Constantinople transit backstamp and multiple Paris c.d.s., a scarce cover paying the 2pi foreign letter rate for the second weight class with 1pi registration fee, most attractive.

1885 (September 2), 5pa lilac & pale lilac, perforated 11.5 (4), 10pa green & light green, perforated 11.5 (2), and 1pi black & blue, perforated 13.5, tied to back of cover to Hannover, Germany, by circular blue grid cancels, front with blue Plovdiv despatch c.d.s., next-day Gabrovo transit, indistinct black c.d.s. arrival backstamp, some staining mostly confined to reverse, adhesives with some small faults, but a striking 1880/1 and 1884 mixed-issue franking, paying the foreign letter rate for the second weight class, sent only days before the Revolution, one of only a small number of covers recorded from this period.

1885 (September 2), 10pa green on light green, perforated 11.5, tied to cover from Stara Zagora to Plovdiv, with green c.d.s. despatch and blue c.d.s. receiver (Sep 5) both struck on front, fine and attractive.

Incoming Mail: 1885 (September 27), newspaper “Tirnova Constitution”, No. 171, franked with 1st lilac Lion of Bulgaria, tied by Sofia c.d.s., to Plovdiv, with c.d.s. receiver (Sep 29) alongside, a scarce incoming newspaper to Eastern Rumelia from shortler after the Revolution.

1885 (December 15), cover to a member of the Eastern Corps in Sarambei, franked with 20pa rose on pale rose, tied to official cover by circular grid cancel on black, postmarked with neatly-struck Plovdiv c.d.s., alongside blue intaglio handstamped Lion cachet of the Plovdiv Military Command, some staining, but a unique franking, the only example recorded of the unissued 20pa.

Note: While Bulgarian stamps had already been issued by December, 1885, the sender franked the envelope with an Eastern Rumelian adhesive, which was nevertheless accepted.

1885 (August 16), 5pa lilac & pale lilac, perforated 11.5, horizontal pair, tied to postal card with circular grid cancel, Kazanluk despatch c.d.s. at left, to Kotel, with blue c.d.s. arrival backstamp (Aug 20), sender’s message on reverse related to the U.S.S. Quinnebaugh’s arrival in Constantinople, and its  encounters with Bulgarian gunboats, some toning and light creasing, yet of historical interest.

1886, three postal stationery covers to Freiherrn Adolph von Gissa in Plovdiv, with a 7k stationery cover from Libau (June 4),  a 10pf uprated Bavarian stationery cover from Bamberg, and 10pf Crown & Eagle stationery of Germany uprated from Dresden, the first two with Constantinople transit and c.d.s. arrival backstamps, the last transiting via  Orsova and Sofia, the Bavarian cover opened on three sides for display, a pleasing group to an important figure in the early study of the postal history of the period.

1885, 5pa lilac (2 singles and one pair), 10pa green, (2), 20pa black on rose (1), and 1pi (1), all overprinted Type I in black or blue, used save for one 10pa example, a small study showing contrasting overprint impressions caused by the use of standard or aniline inks, some small perf flaws, else a fine reference group for the specialist.

1885, 5pa black on olive, Type I, overprint in blue, affixed to postal card for local usage, with attached reply card, both unused, ink stain at lower right, else fine, handstamped Zagorsky, with his 1995 certificate.

1885 (September 18), 5pa black on olive, perforated 13.5, overprint Type I, tied to local postal card by Poste Slivno c.d.s. in blue, a most unusual and scarce usage of the 1881 5pa value overprinted, fine; with 2022 Hitzler certificate noting the franking as “extremely rare.”

Note: the 1880/1 5pa was no longer available at the Post Office at the time the 1885 Provisional Lion overprints were prepared. However, individuals and commercial firms could continue to bring their stamps to the Post Office to be overprinted.  Usages of the 1880/1 5pa overprinted issues are correspondingly rare.

1885, 5pa lilac (2) and 10pa green (2), perforated 11.5, overprint Type I in blue, with one of each denomination showing regular and aniline ink varieties, the odd trivial perf flaw, else a fine and useful reference.   

1885, 5pa lilac and 10pa green, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type I in blue, aniline ink varieties, each affixed to an individual postal card, the 10pa with attached reply card, a fine duo.

1885, 5pa lilac, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type I in blue aniline ink, affixed to postal card for local use, cancelled in Plovdiv, unaddressed, handstamped Georg Buhler, fine.

1885 (September 9), 5pa lilac on pale lilac, overprinted Type I in blue, cancelled on the first day of issue by clear Plovdiv c.d.s., without backstamps, the address post-contemporary, small hole at upper right corner of card, yet a rare strike.

1885 (September 24), 5pa lilac, perforated 11.5, overprint Type I in blue, tied to local postal card by Plovdiv c.d.s., the message on reverse inviting the recipient to a meeting of the Revolutionary Committee, a fine local usage, handstamped Friedl.

1885, 5pa lilac on pale lilac, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type II in blue, showing a dramatic double strike, postmarked with neat partial Plovdiv c.d.s., well clear of overprint, a fine and fresh example.

1885, 5pa lilac, perforated 11.5, overprint Type II in light blue, with dramatic double impression, on unused postal stationery card, striking and scarce, particularly desirable with the combined second overprint strike and use of inferior, Type I ink.

1885, 5pa lilac, perforated 11.5, overprint Type II in light blue, on unused postal stationery card, a fine example showing this distinctive overprint shade of the earlier Type I inks.

Note: The Type II handstamp was delivered on September 10, the same day as the requisitioned high-quality ink was received at the post office in Plovdiv, intended to replace the poorer-quality inks of Type I.  Only a small number of examples of the 5pa are recorded using the earlier, inferior inks.

1885, 10pa green, perforated 13.5, overprint Type II in black, affixed to unused postal card, a particularly clear strike of this overprint, fine and rare, the only example recorded by Hitzler of the 10pa 1880/1 overprinted issue on stationery card; with 2022 Hitzler certificate.

1885, 10pa green on light green, perforated 11.5, overprinted in blue, showing a scarce double overprint variety, cancelled with neat oval grid cancel, a few slightly blunted perfs at foot, adhesion to reverse, yet a rare example, pencil signed on reverse.

1885, 10pa green on light green, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type I in blue, tied to postal card by crisp Aitos (Aytos) c.d.s. in blue (Sep 15), reverse with clear Poste Slivno c.d.s. in blue (Sep 18), a choice example of the 10pa inland postcard rate.

1885 (October 1), postal card to Russe, via Gabrovo, franked with 10pa green, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type I in blue, aniline ink, cancelled by circular grid, postmarked with Poste Kasanlik c.d.s. in green, with neatly-struck transit and arrival marks in blue, adhesive with trace of perf toning noted for strict accuracy, a visually-appealing and rare card, used the day following the official end of validity of these issues; handstamped Zagorsky.

1885, 10pa green on light green, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type II in blue, showing a crisp double overprint, clean black grid cancel, fine and scarce.

1885, 20pa black on rose, perforated 13.5, Type I, overprinted in blue, affixed to unused postal card, with attached reply card, a scarce usage of the 1880/1 printing.

1885, 20pa rose on pale rose, overprint Type I in blue, on postal card from Freiherrn von Gissa, postmarked with Plovdiv c.d.s. (Sep 13), to Hemer, Westphalia, with Sofia transit c.d.s. (Sep 15), a fascinating card providing insight into the philately of the period, further enhanced by its being franked with the rare Type I blue overprint. 

1885, 20pa rose, perforated 11.5, Type I overprint in blue, affixed to unused postal card, a fine example of this postal stationery with the later 1884 overprinted stamp.

1885, 20pa rose, perforated 11.5, overprint Type 2, two used singles, one each overprinted in black and blue, both neatly-cancelled in blue, a fine duo.

1855, 20pa rose on pale rose, overprinted Type II in black, showing a striking double overprint, unobtrusive corner cancel, the odd short perf at right, else fine and scarce.

1885, 5pa black on olive, perforated 13.5, overprinted Type IV, affixed to unused postal card, a few trivial marks to card, an extremely scarce Type IV overprint on an 1880/1 issue, which were not officially overprinted, and could only be overprinted if brought to the post office privately; signed Zagorsky, with his 1996 certificate.

1885 (September 21), 5pa lilac, perforated 13.5, overprinted Type III in black, tied to  postal stationery card by Plovdiv c.d.s., addressed to the Consulat-General of Austria-Hungary, inviting the recipient to dinner that evening, a fine local usage.

1885, 5pa lilac on pale lilac, perforated 13.5, overprint Type III, the overprint tying adhesive to unused postal stationery card, an uncommon result when individuals brought postal cards franked with 1880-1 issues to the Post Office to be struck with the Lion Provisional overprint, or when Post Office officials pre-franked stationery before handstamping, fine.