Petite Treasures – May 2026.

1840, forwarding agents folded envelope from a missionary in Constantinople with red boxed "P.P", transatlantic mail cover send to NEW YORK, USA, on reverse ms. arrival Paris ms. 29 Juin 1840, on front transit mark Paris 30 Juin 1840. Forwarding agent is “J.B.GREENE HAVRE”, this agent paid the postage due and re-mailed it to its final destination with "BUREAU MARITIME HAVRE 1 JUIL 1840" red cds. and on reverse arrival ms. 20.Aug 1840, usual file fold, otherwise fine. An early very unusual cover from Turkey to the USA, two covers from this corrospondance are recorded.

1857, Lettersheet from Smyrne to Marseile, cancelled French cds. „Smyrne/Turquie 11.2.57“ and boxed „P.P.“ in black, framed "PAQUEBOTS DE LA MEDITERRANEE" in red alongside, taxe “5” and arrival mark on reverse, file fold, otherwise fine and scarce ship mail

1854, Entire letter from Smirna to Syra, rated 40 lepta in red crayon, reverse with SYRA arrival cds. The cover shows carantine slits for disinfection. A fresh and fine entire.

1919/40, Alexandretta collection on old album leaves, complete sets including postage due and mournig set, enclosed some Hatay, Alaouites and Cilicie, mainly unused and fine.

1902, LATTAQUIE JUIL/24/902 cds. on envelope bearing 1 pia. violet-blue, commercial lokal imprint, to London with arrival mark on reverse 5/AU/02, fine and a scarce forerunner.

1908, Jericho picture postcard franked with Ottoman, French Levant, Port Said and Egypt adhesives cancelled Jaffa, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Port Said, used in combination with Russian Levant 20 Para on 4 kop. carmine, tied by violet datestamp "R.O.P.I.T  JAFFA", unaddressed but very attractive, fine four-country combination, with the rare Jaffa Ropit cancel.

1870, Napoleon 80 c. carmine pair and 40 c. vermilion on folded envelope performing 2 fr. rate, tied by GC 2240, alongside Marseille 8/10/70 c.d.s. via port Alexandrette Syrie 20/10/70 c.d.s. on reverse, to Alep 21/10/70 c.d.s., pre UPU postal fee for Turkey 6½ piaster, so additional pair postage 10 pa. brown, postage due 1 pia. brown and 5 pia. olive brown was affixed and cancelled by all arabic ottoman HALEB 81 box type cancellation, tiny border crease, spots and ms. otherwise fine. An outstanding and marvelous cover. Cert. du Vachat 2010

1919, “DEIR ATTIE (NEBIK) 26.11.19” octogonal late used Turkey cancellation (Coles-Walker unrecorded) on cover bearing pair EEF 5 m. yellow-orange, “NEBIK 29.11.919” cds. alongside (Coles-Walker no.107), on reverse transit mark PORT-SAID 3/DE/19, addressed to Denmark, tiny border crease, otherwise fine and a very attractive Syria forerunner.

1913, letter written from Rochefort, signed at base by Pierre LOTI (1850-1923), French Naval Officer and writer of 'Madame Chrysanthème', a novel of Japanese manners that is a precursor to Madame Butterfly and Miss Saigon, Le Roman d'un enfant (The Story of a Child), a somewhat fictionalized recollection of Loti's childhood that would greatly influence Marcel Proust; Ramuntcho (1897), The Last Days of Peking (1902); in later years he was a fervent pro-Ottoman supporter during the Balkan Wars, fine.