Italian Post Office in Tientsin 1922: Registered cover from Tientsin to Illinois, USA franked by 1918/19  ½ c. on 1 c. brown and further example on 1 c. pale brown (extremely rare in this shade), 1 c. on 2 c. red brown, 8 c. on 20 c. orange and 10 c. on 25 c. deep blue, all tied by R.R.POSTE ITALIANE / TIENTSIN-CINA datestamps (16/9) in black and by 'Affrancatura Secondo Tariffa' handstamp in violet. Reverse with Turin transit cds, Chicago cds's in violet (Nov 15) and Greenville arrival cds in black. For a further rare cover from this correspondence see Corinphila sale 186 (May 2014), lot 201. An exceptional and attractive usage.

2 ch. blue and 3 copies 7 ch. brown (incl. 2 marginal copies) tied by Tauris cds. to reverse of postal stationery envelope 6 ch. as registered letter to Modena, Italy, little toned, scarce

Roosevelt souvenir sheet with handstamp "Groszy", used with cds. "WROCLAW 11.12.50", fine, certificate Wezranowski (Mi. 2.200,-)

1927, De Pinedo Air Mail 60 c. black, tied by machine cancel "ST. JOHN'S. NFLD. MAY 20 1927" to cover to England with adjacent Trepassy date stamp of May 20 and Rome arrival mark of June 22; a fine and rare cover, signed Calves and Enzo Diena certificate

3 Kreuzer auf hellblau im waagerechten 5er-Streifen, oben angeschnitten, sonst voll- bis überrandig, sauber entwertet mit Nr. "95" BENSHEIM, seltene Einheit

Chicagofahrt, R-Brief mit DR-Zusatzfrankatur, u.a. Zeppelin 1 M. bis Rio, Kabinett Chicago flight, registered cover with DR additional franking (including Zeppelin 1 m.) to Rio, very fine

1957, Europe 20-35fr., Epreuve d'Artiste in 12 different colours or design stages on sunken cards, some signed, fine

1931, Red Cross 2 and 10-20 s. imperforated proofs, mint never hinged, fine

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, die I, alphabet II, plate 194, TL, imperforate lower right corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚194‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Earl of Crawford Collection (1913)
Col. A.S. Bates Collection, Harmer, 3-5 December 1934, ex lot 535
Phillips, 26 October 1995, lot 242
‚Chartwell‘, Spink, 12 December 2012, ex lot 499

1840, "LEEWARD ISLAND F" in green, clear strike on reverse of entire letter (the contents proving that it is coming from St. Thomas) to Edinburgh with clear London arrival mark of June 18, charged on arrival with "6/-"; some vertical folds, still fine and very scarce

1872/88, 2,50 g. rose/blue, nice fresh colour, unused with part o.g., fine

1870, folded letter dated "Buenos Ayres 17/1870" endorsed "p. Vapor Pampa" addressed to Genoa, taxed 4 d. on arrival and postage due 40 c. applied, with clear red strike of boxed ship mark "PAMPA" and black "VIA DIE MARE (E)" alongside, fine. A very rare entire of this short lived Italian passenger company with only two covers known with the ship mark "PAMPA"

1920, Telsiai Postmaster Issue 30sk. with upper sheet margin, used, rare, fine

1853, Parcel accompanying letter with blue cachet of forwarder Recking and cds. "TRIER 29 5" to Düsseldorf with arrival mark; one of few registered letters just with the Recking cachet (without Wirtgen)

2d. Valdivia Specimes, imperforated, 7 different colours, all from the upper right sheet corner, mint never hinged, one stamp with light crease, otherwise very fine

1760, "Luxembg", manuscript on official printed document printed at Luxemburg, as official letter to Lissen

25 c. blue, tied by cds. "LUXEMBURG 24 5 80" to cover to Paris with transit and arrival marks, fine, signed Goebel and F.S.P.L.

Italian Post Office in Tientsin 1922: Registered cover sent Express from Tientsin to Illinois, USA franked by 1918/19  2 c. on 5 c. green, 4 c. on 5 c. rose-red (two very different shades), 10 c. on 25 c. deep blue and 1918 Express 12 c. on 30 c. red & blue, all tied by R.R.POSTE ITALIANE / TIENTSIN-CINA datestamps in black and by 'Affrancatura Secondo Tariffa' handstamp in violet. Reverse with Turin transit cds (Dec 19), Chicago cds's in violet (Jan 5, 1923) and Greenville arrival cds in black. For a further rare cover from this correspondence see Corinphila sale 186 (May 2014), lot 201. An exceptional usage.

5 ch. lilac, vertical strip of 3 tied by violet Teheran cds. to reverse of triple-rate envelope to Ispahan, fine

POST IN THE LEVANTE: 1919, 3 f.-5 m. with overprint "LEVANT", unused, 25 f. small crease, otherwise very fine, Kronenberg certificate

1930, Miss Columbia 50 on 36 c. sage-green, mint never hinged, very fine, extremly rare, signed Sanabria and PF certificate

3 Silbergroschen grün im senkrechten 6er-Block, an 2 Stellen leicht berührt, sonst voll- bis überrandig mit Nr. "300" auf Briefhülle von Hamburg 1862 nach Pforzheim; der Block war ursprünglich um die Kante des Briefes herumgeklebt, zwei durch die Einheit senkrecht verlaufende Büge wurden geglättet; größte bekannte Einheit dieser Marke, letztmals angeboten auf der 189. Köhler-Auktion, sign. Opitz und Pfenninger

R-Brief mit DR-Zusatzfrankatur, u.a. Chicagofahrt 2 M. (ganz leichte Schürfstelle im Markenbild) nach Chicago Registered cover with additional DR-franking (including Chicago flight 2 m., little rubbed) to Chicago

1957, Europe 20f. as complete imperforated sheet of green color proofs, the last row bi-colored, the others one color, mint never hinged, fine

1931, Red Cross 2 + 3 S. imperforated proof, block of four with upper sheet margin, mint never hinged, fine (Hurt/Ojaste  G:1)

1d. red-brown, Imprimatur, die I, alphabet II, plate 197, TA, imperforate lower left corner sheet marginal with inscription and plate number ‚197‘, large margins all round, very fresh.

Provenance: Leonard H. Clark Collection, Robson Lowe, 29 May 1946, lot 170.

1857, Entire double rate letter from "CHRISTIANSTED 28/7 1857" to Copenhagen, transported via Danish and British PO at St. Thomas, London and Hamburg, charged with a total of 119 skilling (noted on reverse), a scarce letter

Cracow issue 90 h., plate I, field 71, used, very fine, scarce, signed Marynicz VÖB with certificate (1970) and certificate Petriuk PZF (2019) (Mi. 1.100,-)

1871, folded letter dated "Buenos Ayres Giugno 9 1871" endorsed "p. Italo-Platense" addressed to Genoa, routed via french PO, taxed 10 d. on arrival and postage due 1l. c. applied, with clear red strike of boxed ship mark "ITALO-PLATENSE", slight discoloration at bottom, otherwise fine. A very rare entire of this short lived Italian passenger company with only two covers known with the ship mark "ITALO-PLATENSE", signed and certificate Sorani (1993)

1708, "de Luxemg" in manuscript on entire letter to Nancy; a scarce early letter

10 c. deep-black with clear to large margins, centrally cancelled by blue target of Wiltz, small slightly thin spot at top margin and natural pin hole due to cancellation, still fine and scarce, certificate Böttger BPP (2016)

HELY: 1922, 2d. as engraved plate proof, single impression in black in white paper (42X62mm) with reversed design, the essays printed later where only issued as lithographic prints, red lettering "1035" and top and bottom, extremely rare and attractive

1764, "LUXEMB." (large X), straight line on entire letter to Bruxelles

 Unissued 37 ½ c. yellow-brown, unused o.g., fine and scarce, certificate Böttger BPP

Levant 1922 (November): Provisional Express '15 / PIASTRE' on 30 c. red & blue, a fine mint vertical pair with upper stamp showing the 'P' of PIASTRE impressed by further handstamp in black, minor imperfections but a fresh and fine pair with an extremely rare (Sassone = unpriced) variety. Signed A. Brun, A. Diena. Cert. G. Colla (2013).

10 ch. black and 1 kr. orange tied by Ispahan cds. to reverse of registered cover to Teheran; the envelope with slight opening faults, original contents enclosed