388th Auction

1997, 1 nd., both stamps and both in gutter pairs, imperforated, without gum as issued, fine

1854/57, 8 sk. green, with 1864/70, 16 sk. olive, horizontal strip of 3 and three single stamps, and two copies 3 sk. lilac, tied by numeral "1" and partly by faint Kopenhagen cds., to lettersheet (side flaps missing) to St. Croix, Danish West Indies. A horizontal filing crease broken and thus one 3 sk. damaged, 2 further stamps small (filing) hole and some usual transportation marks. An outstanding franking.

1854, 16 sk. lilac, 2 copies, and 1858, 8 sk. green, one 16 sk. slightly touched, otherwise all clear to large margins and fresh colour, tied by no. "181" and duplex "182/SJAELL.POST.SPED.BUREAU 25/10 1859" to mourning cover to England. A fine and rare franking. Certificate Kaiser (1981)

1863, 16 sk. lilac in horizontal pair, with 1857, 8 sk. green and 1864, oval issue 4 sk. red, tied by no. "1" with adjacent c.d.s. "KJOBENHAVN 24 5 1864" to 2nd rate lettersheet to a prisoner of war in the fortress of Graudenz in Western Prussia. The right stamp of the pair with scissors cut at right, some minor transportation faults, still very fine and attractive. A very rare franking and interesting document of the Second Schleswig War. Certificate Nielsen (2016)

1864, Large oval type, 2 sk. blue and 4 sk. red, tied by no. "3" with adjacent "K.D.P.A. LÜBECK 27/7" to lettersheet to Horsens, Denmark. Some minor toning, otherwise very fine.

3 sk. lilac, two horizontal pairs, used on ship letter with manuscript indication of origin "Lübeck", the franking cancelled in transit with no. "1" COPENHAGEN. A fine entire with the special Lübeck-Sweden rate.

1864, 16 sk. greenish dark grey and 2 sk. blue, tied by no. "1" to lettersheet from "KJOBENHAVN 27 11" to lettersheet to Leiden, Netherlands. Some minor toning, still fine.

1864, 16 sk. olive and two copies 3 sk. lilac, all nice fresh colour, tied by duplex "39/KBH.JB.PSTCT 22 7" to letter sheet from Kopenhagen via Hamburg and Austria to Naples, Italy, at the special 22 sk. rate, effective September 1867 till September 1868. The left 3 sk. tiny crease in the upper left corner, otherwise very fine and fresh. A very fine and rare cover, according to certificate Moeller AIEP (2022) just one other letter at this rate has been recorded (with different franking) combination

1870/74, 16 sk. green/grey, two copies, with 4 sk. red/grey, tied by no. "51" with adjacent c.d.s. "ODENSE 18 2" (1872) to 2nd rate registered lettersheet (one side flap missing) to London, with frontside arrival mark. Tear in the stationary paper repaired, otherwise very fine. A scarce franking. Certificate Nielsen (1993)

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