388th Auction

1481, merchant's letter written in Mondon on 28. November 1481 via Lyon to Venice, early forerunner from France to Italy carried by commercial merchant courier service, Cert. Roumet (2021)

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR: “COMITÉ AUXILIAIRE DE STRASBOURG” Private formula card addressed to Mundolsheim with large red ornamented handstamp “SOCIÉTÉ DE SECOURS AUX BLESSÉS MILITAIRES / COMITÉ AUXILIAIRE STRASBOURG” (repeated on reverse) and blue cachet “PAROISSE DE ST PIERRE”, except for some peripheral toning, fine. A very scarce card, signed Calves and certificate Heckler (2016)

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR: “COMITÉ AUXILIAIRE DE STRASBOURG” Private formula card addressed to Eckbolsheim with large red ornamented handstamp “SOCIÉTÉ DE SECOURS AUX BLESSÉS MILITAIRES / COMITÉ AUXILIAIRE STRASBOURG”, dated in manuscript on reverse “le 21 septembre 1870”, some overall toning. Those cards have been printed by the Strasbourg Red Cross Auxiliary Committee during the siege of the city in August/September 1870. Signed Calves and certificate Heckler (2016)

“AUF MILITÄRISCHEN BEFEHL GEOEFNET”, blue two-line handstamp on small label (cut upon arrival) to envelope to Strasbourg with Napoleon 10 c. yellow-brown and Bordeaux 20 c. blue tied by GC “3981” with cds. “TOULON-S-MER 21 DEC 70”, endorsed “par Bale (Suisse)”, red “PD”, German blue crayon “30” and postage due “30”, reverse transit and arrival cds “STRASSBURG ELSASS 25 12 70”, fine. The attractive convergence of a rare military censor mark and an interesting route, signed Baudot and Scheller with the latter´s certificate (2025)

“AUF MILITÄRISCHEN BEFEHL GEOEFNET”, superb blue two-line military censor handstamp to reverse of an envelope from “DOUERA 24 DEC. 70”, French Algeria, to Obernay with 20 c. Napoleon blue, German postage due “30” and arrival cds. “OBEREHNHEIM 11 1 71”, fine and rare cover with a delightful origin, signed Scheller 

“VERSAILLES AUSWECHSELUNGS STELLE” in blue, excellent strike on entire letter from Paris with Cérès 20 c. blue tied by Dotted Star “18” and cds. “PARIS 10 FEVR. 71” alongside, sent to a French war prisoner in Hamburg, Prussia with reverse arrival cds., fine, scarce provisional censor mark, signed Roumet and Scheller

PAPILLON DE METZ: small flimsy letter dated “Metz, 28 septembre”, addressed to “NOGENT LE ROTROU” with arrival cds., from there redirected to Nogent le Roi with final arrival cds. “NOGENT-EURE-ET-LOIRE 10 OCT. 70”, fine. A quite extraordinary balloon from the so-called Corps Franc, possibly unique as redirected with two different postmarks, certificate Brun (2025)

ARCHIMÈDE, entire letter with Napoleon 40 c. orange and Cérès 10 c. yellow-brown tied by Dotted Star “27” (Gros Caillou) with cds. “PARIS 19 NOV. 70” alongside sent to a French General prisoner of war at Wilhelmshöhe in Prussia, each adhesive with a tiny corner fault, still fine and scarce balloon cover, signed Scheller

DENIS PAPIN (most likely), entire letter with Napoleon 20 c. blue tied by Dotted Star with cds. “PARIS 5 DEC. 70” alongside, sent to a French prisoner of war in Germany, endorsed “par la voie de Nerviers” (Belgium route) and “prisoner following the surrender of Metz”, tiny cover fault not distracting, still fine and scarce, signed and certificate Scheller (2025)

LE DAVY (most likely), entire letter with Napoléon 20 c. blue and 30 c. brown tied by Dotted Star with cds. “PARIS 17 DEC. 70” alongside, sent to a French prisoner of war in Bonn, Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine, no arrival as usual, fine and scarce, signed Scheller

POSTE DE PARIS, entire letter with Cérès 40 c. orange tied by Dotted Star with cds. “PARIS 15 JANV. 71” alongside, sent to a French prisoner of war in Düsseldorf and endorsed “par Bruxelles” (Belgium route), fine and unusual destination, signed Scheller

AGENCE HAVAS German edition, Siège 10 c. bistre-brown and 20 c. blue used on entire letter addressed to the "Badische Landes Zeitung" in Karlsruhe, Baden, lightly tied by Paris Star with adjacent "PARIS (60) 2 DEC 70" and red "P.D.", arrival mark of 3.1.71. Very fine. Also letter of the Havas-corespondence after the siege 29.1.1871 to Cairo.

PARIS COMMUNE: entire letter with full content written on board the prison ship Arcole by a Commune prisoner, franked with Cérès 20 c. blue (faulty) and 10 c. bistre and sent to the mayor of St Légiers in Switzerland, alongside censor handstamp “VU BON A EXPEDIER” and departure cds. “CHERBOURG 15 AOUT 1871”, reverse arrival, fine. Interesting text with the sender requesting a birth certificate and arguing that he was not member of the Commune; Cherbourg harbour was the departure place for the Paris insurgents to be exiled to New Caledonia

1914, Red Cross 10+5 c. red, in complete booklet with 20 stamps, mint never hinged, fine  (Maury No. 66)

ITALY CAMPAIGN: 1859, folded lettersheet to Alexandria, Egypt, written in Triest and transmitted via forwarding agent to France (instead of the Austrian Lloyd, the eastern postal route being severed due to the military operations), franked at the triple rate with Napoleon 10 c., 20c. 40 c. and 80 c. (cut in) all tied with PC “1896” (Marseilles) and handed over to the ship “Simois” from the Messageries Impériales, reverse arrival cds. “ALEXANDRIE EGYPTE 22 MAI 59”. Interesting text in Italian “the departure of Austrian steamships is prohibited … my correspondence, having to take indirect routes, will arrive late and irregularly”; some minor transportation traces and a vertical archival fold away from the adhesives, fine and rare. A delightful item and poignant testimony to the Risorgimento vicissitudes

Alexandretta: 1869, entire letter to Marseilles, franked on reverse with Turkey 1868 Duloz 20 pa. green and 1 pi. yellow, perf. 13¼, tied by Arabic framed “Haleb” in blue, mailed through the French P.O. in Alexandrette with 1862 Napoléon laureated 20 c. blue, two singles including one with plate flaw “Napoleon with horn”, tied by faint GC “5079” with adjacent red framed “PAQUEBOT DE LA MEDITERRANEE”, on reverse Smyrna French P.O. transit and Marseilles arrival (August 15) cds. The adhesives with negligible faults, still fine and scarce combination usage opened out for display, probably unique with the plate variety, signed Calves

1879, 25 c. black on red rose tied to envelope by CONSTANTINOPLE GALATA 29/OCT/79, bilingual cds., adressed to Aleppo, on reverse french blue transit mark ALEXANDRETTE SYRIA. Turkey 20 para green and 1 piastre yellow 1876 issue tied by all arabic POSTAHANE-I HALEP 1278 (with crescent, A&P #3) on reverse, tiny crease, fine and attractive, vertificate du Vachat (2010).

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1a. black on lilac, Type IV Setting B-F-H, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine. A rare stamp with a printing of only 12, signed Calves, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 33d)

1897, Sage 2½ a. + 25 c. on 1a. black on lilac, Type V, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 27 JUIL. 97” to small piece, extremely fine, very scarce, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 33)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1a. black on lilac, Type V Setting A-D-H, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 27 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine and very scarce, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 33)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1a. black on lilac, Type IX Setting B-D-J, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine. A rare stamp with a printing of only 18, signed Calves, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 33h)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1a. black on lilac, Type X Setting B-D-K, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine. A rare stamp with a printing of only 18, signed Calves, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 33j)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1a. black on lilac, Type XII Setting A-D-K, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine. A very rare stamp with a printing of only 6, signed Calves, certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 33I)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1½ a. blue, Type IV Setting B-F-H, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine and scarce, signed and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 34d)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1½ a. blue, Type IX Setting B-D-J, fresh colours, tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 26 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine and extremely scarce, only 24 printed, signed Kosack and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 34h)

2½ a. + 25 c. on 1½ a. blue, Type X Setting B-D-K, fresh colours, used, very fine. A very scarce stamp with only 24 printed, signed A. Brun and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 34j)

5 a. + 50 c. on 3 a. brown, Type II Setting L-H-P, fresh colours, neatly tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine and scarce, signed and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 35a)

5 a. + 50 c. on 3 a. brown, Type IV Setting L-I-P, fresh colours, neatly tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 27 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine. A very scarce stamp with only 36 printed, signed Calves and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 35c)

5 a. + 50 c. on 4 a. red-orange on salmon, Type I Setting L-H-O, fresh colours, neatly tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 28 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine and very scarce, only 48 printed, signed Calves and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 36)

5 a. + 50 c. on 4 a. red-orange on salmon, Type IV Setting L-I-P, fresh colours, neatly tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 29 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine. A rare stamp with only 18 printed, signed Calves and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 36c)

5 a. + 50 c. on 4 a. red-orange on salmon, Type VI Setting L-K-O, fresh colours, neatly tied by cds. “ZANZIBAR 27 JUIL. 97” to small piece, very fine and extremely scarce, only 24 printed, signed and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 36e)

1904, Sage 25 c. on 4 a. red-orange on salmon, Type I Setting L-H-O, fresh colours, used with cds. “ZANZIBAR 22 JUIL. 04”, very fine, signed and certificate Scheller (2025) (Yvert-Nr. 58)

1892, Allegory 1 fr. olive/red on yellowish paper, together with additional franking including Forerunner Dubois, each neatly tied by cds. “LIBREVILLE CONGO-FRANCAIS AVRIL 1893” to registered envelope endorsed “Par courrier francais”, alongside boxed “R” and red octogonal maritime “LOANGO A MARSEILLE 23 AVRIL 93”, reverse arrival “HAMBURG 13 5 93”, fine and very scarce

1941, Paris Exposition 5 fa. with "France Libre" overprint in blue on Souvenir Sheet tied to small piece by "Inde Francaise, Pondichery 21-1-1942" double-circle datestamp, small oil stain at bottom right, otherwise Very Fine, only 775 examples were overprinted and while the unused examples are scarce, we seldom see used examples, signed Roumet

1932, Paris-Noumea Flight  50 c. , unused, lightly hinged, vf, signed Scheller

1933/38, Landscapes 15 c. and 55 c., each in imperforated horizontal pair,  mint never hinged, vf (Yvert 130a,136Aa; 890,-)