360 / Mai 2015 London

OTTOMAN POST OFFICES: 1868, 20 pa. green horizontal pair, tied by double-ringed arabic "SCUTARI" (Coles & Walker fig. 3) to folded lettersheet via Triest to Venezia, upon arrival taxed with Italy postage due 1869 10 c. and 1870 60 c., 60 c. postage due small corner fault, address partly erased, otherwise fine, rare.

1915: War Charity Booklet, Red Crescent second issue, complete example with all with the full 20 panes intact, 12 panes in perfect quality and just a eight panes stuck together but intact. One of just 3 or 4 Booklets recorded and most probably the finest known example in brilliant condition for this rarity Mi = € 1'300 for mounted pane = € 20'000+ / Isfila # K7/K12 = 8'000 T.Lire = £ 2'100 for each pane, 16 panes = £ 33'600.

1863: Postage Due 5 pi. black on brown thin paper, a superb 'head to head' vertical tête-bêche pair, with error of Control ban at base (in red instead of blue), huge margins all round and tied to cover to Deraliye by neat strikes of the dotted 'Battal' in black. Front of cover marked 'Erreur' in manuscript ink. An extremely rare cover. Cert. Isfila (2014).

1869: Postage Due Duloz 20 pa. deep brown & pale brown and 1 pi. deep brown & pale brown, rough perf. 5-11, used on 1874 (May 6) entire letter to Tirnovo tied by DEERSADET 3 / 1290 circular handstamps in black (Zia & Bulent # 21, unrecorded on cover). Reverse with Stamboul datestamp in black. A wonderful entire in perfect quality.

Syria: 1868, Duloz 20 pa. green, 2 ghr. brick-red strip of three, a pair and a single and 5 ghr. blue two singles tied by arabic rectangle "HALEP" (Coles & Walker fig. 5) to reverse of cover from Marseille franked with five singles 1862 Napoleon 80 c. rose, reverse franking some stamps cut due to opening, nevertheless a rare and attractive high value franking, signed Sorani.

Syria: 1869, Postage Due Duloz 20 pa. and 1 ghr. brown tied by arabic rectangle "HALEP" (Coles & Walker fig. 5) to reverse of cover from Marseille franked with 1853 Napoleon 80 c. carmine and 1862 Napoleon two 20 c. blue and 40 c. orange, front with blue two-line "POST FRANCAISE D'ALEP", one vertical fold through French stamp, some other imperfections, nevertheless a scarce and attractive cover.

Yemen 1909: Turkey 1 pi. blue used on 1912 cover from Lahye tied by bold strike of bilingual LAHIÉ datestamp in violet (Coles & Walker fig. 95 / Zia & Bulent 2, unrecorded on cover). Superb and of great rarity.