386th Auction

1865/67, Leopold 20 centimes blue, tied by dotted “12” with adjacent “ANVERS  25 JANV. 70” to entire letter to Wiltz, Luxembourg. Very fine.

1883, King Leopold II., De La Rue archive appendix sheet with 10 imperforate colour proofs (10 c. rose, 20 c.  olive green, grey, cobalt-blue, emerald, aniline scarlet, orange and chocolate brown, 50 c. violet-blue and 1 fr.  bright purple) and a cut-down sample label in pale brown; all annotated in manuscript for the new values in the UPU colour scheme, required in the Congress of 1878. A most attractive and unique item.

1873, postcard 5 centimes violet, uprated with 5 copies 1869, 1 centimes green, tied by cds "BRUXELLES 9 MAI 1875" to Maastricht, Netherlands. Some minor toning in the perforation. A most attractive and rare franking to abroad. 

1873, postcard 5 centimes violet, uprated with Telegraph stamps 1871, 25 cents green, tied by cds “ST. JOSSE-TEN-NOODE (BRUX) 17 SEPT 74”, with adjacent large “EXPRES” handstamp, sent locally. Light stain and very minor creasing. 

1879/80, postcard 10 centimes from "ANVERS 19 NOVE 1884" to Napier, New Zealand, with transit mark of New York and adjacent “RETURNED FOR POSTAGE” since there was no postal card rate, so letter rate had to be paid.

1882, letter card 10 centimes red with additional frankling 1869/80, 5 centimes yellow-brown and 10 centimes gray-green, from “MONTZEN 28 DEC. 1882” to Wulferstedt, Germany, with arrival mark. This is the earliest recorded use of a letter card of any country to a foreign Destination.

1871/1927, 8 used postal stationery cards and one letter card used in 1898, with 5 centimes violet card with additional 20 centimes light blue adhesive sent as registered card in 1874, 10 centimes card with company perfin “A.H.” used in 1880, also double card International Commercial Fair 1927 with red meter mark 20 centimes to USA and postal stationery card Belgian Congo 15 Centimes used in 1899, fine group

POSTAGE DUE: 1909,"TAXES" in blue on "CONGO BELGE" 3 francs 50 centimes and 1910, pictorials 5 francs, with blue cds "BOMA 27 MAI 1911"  on large registered wrapper, sent locally with 1910, 25 centimes blue & black, tied by black “BOMA 26 MAI 1911”. Most likely the wrapper contained correspondance and therefore charged at letter rate. Central light horizontal filing fold, well clear off adhesives and 5 fr. tiny corner cut, otherwise very fine. A rare high-value postage due charge. (OBP TX24,39)

1916, General issue 5 francs, tied by c.d.s. "USUMBURA 4 X 24" to registered express cover to Brussels, with arrival mark. Vertical fold not affecting the stamp. A rare express shipment to overseas.

1882, 50 stotinki deep blue/violett tied by bilingual cds. “VARNA 18.VII.89” to registered cover to Prag with arrival mark, cover with small faults at the bottom, otherwise fine

1879, postal stationery card 10 centimes red used from “PHILIPPOPELI 26.I.87” to Dedeagach with Turkey 1 piaster blue, tied by violet bilingual cds. “DEDEGATCHE”, card lightly toned and with few spots, otherwise fine. Bulgarian stamps were not recognized by the Ottoman Empire after the annexation of Eastern Rumelia by Bulgaria in 1885, a rare mixed franking

1875, 8 öre grey/red, as additional franking on postcard 2 skilling blue, as correct 12 öre-franking from “KJÖBENHAVN 13 5 1875” to Trysil, Norway, with transit marks on front. Some marginal faults. A very rare mixed currencies combination and the only recorded postcard to Norway at this rate.

1884/1902, Coat-of-Arms 20 öre blue, tied by c.d.s. "RIBE 3.-7.99" to official letter of enquiry for a registered letter to South Africa, also a privately initiated enquiry, correctly franked with 20 öre for the enquiry fee, obviously excepted from the Postal Administration since it shows the similar recordation handstamps as the official form. A very rare and most interesting ensemble.

1855/1945, 9 cards, covers and postal stationeries including Postal receipt for parcel and Dänish West Indies 6 cents unused card, some better items with 1864, 4 skilling on entire letter (placed against regulation at lower left) with postage due tax “2” in red crayon, postal stationery card 10 öre with additional franking 8 öre from “VIBORG 22.1.(91)” to Singapore with arrival postmark and underfranked letter card 8 öre from “KOSOR 9.5.94” to Norway, mostly fine

1877, 12 cents red-lilac & yellow-green, tied by c.d.s. "ST. THOMAS 19/1 1879" to small mourning cover to the Lord Bishop at Antigua, with frontside arrival mark. A scarce and a lovely intra-Caribbean transitional rate single franking. (Scott 11)

1905, Christian IX., 5 bit, 10 bit and 25 bit, , tied by c.d.s. "ST.THOMAS 2/2 1907" to envelope to Bluefields, Nicaragua, with transit- and arrival marks. A fine and scarce colour franking.

1902, 1 c. blue, marginal strip of three, tied by cds. "ST. THOMAS 20/1 1905" to commercial, unsufficiently prepaid postcard from "KJØBENHAVN 31.12.1905" to St. Thomas. One stamp tiny applied over the edge of the card, still very fine and scarce.

1875/84, Coat of Arms 8 penni dark blue-green, two copies, together with 32 penni carmine, tied by c.d.s. "EXPEDITION HELSINGFORS 4/8 1877" to commercial 2nd rate cover to London with red arrival mark on front, partly tying the franking. A rare and very fine franking. Signed Bloch.

1875, Foreign postcard 8+8 penni green, with c.d.s. “FINSKA JERWAGENS POSTKUPEEXPED. 26 8 1877” to Badenweiler, Germany, with transit mark of St. Petersburg on revers. Very fine and scarce. 

1871/93, seven used cards including double card issue 1885 10 penniä and unused card issue 1875 8+8 penniä, also card with 1875/82 32 penniä rose used with “FINSKA JERNVAGENS POSTKUPPE EXPED. No.3 6.12.1877” and 1889 25 penniä cancelled upon arrival “LONDON JY 17.00” on envelope with backside “FOUND IN THE RETURNED LETTER OFFICE WITHIN THE FOLDS…”  , mostly fine

1862, Napoléon 20 centimes blue, horizontal tête-bêche-pair within a strip of four, together with horizontal pair and four singles, all in fresh colour and with fine perforation, tied by GC “2046” to entire letter to London. A fine and spectacular franking. Signed Roumet and J.F Brun. (Yvert 22)

BALLON MONTÉE: CÉLESTE: 1862, Napoléon 10 centimes bistre horizontal pair and a single, tied by cds “PARIS 29 SEPT 70” to private post card with embossed side margins, sent to Spa, Belgium (interestingly addressed to an “American Citizen”), with transit cds “FRANCE MIDI 3 OCT”, boxed red “PD” (crossed out) and arrival mark “SPA 3 OCT 70”. Minor transportation marks. (Yvert-Nr. 28A)

1870, Cérès 10 centimes yellow-brown tied by Paris dotted star “1” to small postcard with adjacent cds “PARIS (PLACE) DE LA (BOURSE) 3 JAN 71” alongside, sent to St Bonnet-Elvert, very fine (Yvert no 33)

1871, Cérès 2 centimes red brown and 4 centimes grey, fresh colours, tied by cds “LE HAVRE 1 JANV. 76” to newspaper wrapper to Belgium, except for a couple of short perforations very fine. Thought to be the only known printed matter item mailed on France’s first day in the GPU. Also Cérès 15 centimes tied by Paris dotted star to formular card dated on reverse 1st January 1876 but posted on 31th December 1875, sent to London with red two-line “AFFR. INSUFF P 24”, later striped in pencil and recognized as correctly franked, fine. A very scarce duo illustrating the hazards resulting from tariff changes

1871, Cérès 5 centimes green and 15 centimes yellow brown, fresh colours, tied by GC “246” with cds “AUTUN 20 FEVR. 76” alongside to forerunner postcard to Boston with arrival red cds “BOSTON MAR 7 PAID”, a corner crease affecting the 15 centimes, otherwise very fine. A most unusual early UPU transatlantic postcard, correctly franked at the very scarce 20 centimes rate