386th Auction

1885, 1pi black & blue, perforated 13.5, overprint Type III inverted, cancelled by multiple partial strikes of c.d.s., upper right corner fault, but a rare variety.

1885, 5 piaster red and light blue, boxed type I overprint showing circular "o", unused with original gum, very fine and fresh, one of the major rarities of this area. Signed Fulpius, Thier and Hassel

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, 5 pa. lilac on dull lilac perf 13½, mint never hinged block of 25, some usual gum crease and bottom corner crease, otherwise very fine and fresh, signed Hassel Basel

1885, South Bulgaria issue 5 pa. lilac on dull lilac, perforated 13.5, overprinted Mi. Type II, affixed to postal card, cancelled by circular bar grid in green blue with POSTE BURGAS datestamp 27/9/85 alongside, tiny toned, otherwise fine

1885 (September 22), 5pa lilac on pale lilac, perforated 13.5, overprint Type IV, horizontal pair, tied to postal card to Plovdiv by blue Poste Slivno c.d.s., with next-day c.d.s. arrival backstamp, a fine example paying the 10pa inland postcard rate, handstamped “Rossl”

1885 (September 14), 10pa green on light green, perforated 11.5, overprinted Type IV in black, tied to postal card by green Tirnova Seimen c.d.s., to Plovdiv, without backstamps, small marks on upper back corners from prior mounting, a fine early usage from a provincial town, which received its supplies of the overprinted stamps several days after they were made available in Plovdiv.

1885, 10 pa. green on dull green, horizontal pair showing inverted overprint, unused, signed Köhler

1885, 10 pa. green on dull green, inverted overprint, unused, signed Kosack and Thier

1885, 20pa black on rose, perforated 13.5, overprinted Type IV, tied to small piece of postal card overprint, adhesive with perf flaws at lower right, an unusual example illustrating the occasional consequence of stamps behind handstamped with the Lion Provisional after having been affixed to card.

1885, 20pa black on rose, perforated 13.5, overprinted Type IV, affixed to unused postal stationery card, an uncommon usage of overprinted 1880/1 issues, fine.

1885, Type II overprints, set of four stamps, 5 pa. lilac on dull lilac perf 13½, 10 pa. green on dull green, 20 pa. black on rose, 20 pa. rose on dull rose and 1 pia. black on blue (this heavy hinged), all unused and otherwise fine, signed Kosack, Thier, Köhler

1885 (September 27), 20pa rose, perforated 11.5, overprint Type I, tied to registered postal card to Sofia by blue Poste Slivno c.d.s., faint blue “Recommandee” straight-line, a fine and rare usage, Bulgaria then being subject to the 10pa inland postcard rate following the revolution of September 6.

1885, 20 pa. rose on dull rose, red overprint OZ (Specimen). Unused, vertical crease, otherwise fine, signed Hertsch

1885, 5 piaster red and light blue, boxed type II overprint showing oval "o", unused with part gum, two corners tiny short perfs, otherwise fine and fresh, one of the major rarities of this area. Signed four times and Cert. Zumstein (1954)

1885, 5 piaster red and light blue, boxed type II overprint showing oval "o", unused regummed, otherwise fine, a rare stamp. Signed Kosack