Petite Treasures – May 2026.

1897, Sitia, Free of charge military envelope handstamped with "SITIA 15.Oct.97" cds., together with faint "8e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, Bataillon de Crète, Conseil Eventuel", sent to Paris, opened out for display, otherwise fine and scarce.

1899, Sitia Free of charge military envelope (embossed "Union des Femmes de France"), handstamped with clean "SITIA 20.Mars.99" cds., sent to Algeria via "La Canée", arrival mark Constantine on reverse. Additional naval h/s "Marine Française", rare and desirable, roughly opened, otherwise fine.

1900/01, Canea two covers franked with 1pia/25c Sage, sent to Scotland, tied with "LA CANEE 9.Nov.00" and "9.Mars.01", the second bearing the scarce "APRES LE DEPART" straightline. Minor faults but very unusual, ex. U. Schmitt.

1855, Crimean War cover with taxe “30” and content from an officer of the French army in Sevastopol, cancelled ‘Armee d'Orient Garde Imperiale 18.9.55’, on reverse Paris transit and Saumur 1.10.55 arrival mark, very well preserved. The content of the letter is very interesting: “Sebastopol, 15 September 1855. The mail leaves this morning, and the 4th Division of the siege army is heading to the banks of the Tchernaïa within an hour. The 13th is already there. The city has been taken, but it is burned. I was promoted to sergeant on the 12th, for something that I’ll tell you about in my next letter. All my comrades are well. Goodbye, my very dear father, and see you soon, no doubt. Your devoted son, A. Duveau Non-commissioned officer in the 43th Orient”

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.

1852, Entire letter cancelled "ALEXANDRIE EGYPTE 22/AVRIL/52" and handstamped “20” (decimes) for taxe to Marseille. 'NAZZIO & Co ALESSANDRIA' blue forwarding agent mark on top left, file fold, otherwise fine and scarce

1848, Entire letter from Constantinople to Amsterdam, on reverse showing oval ”Swan & Rampacher / Constantinople / Ship Brokers” sender’s cachet in blue and ”CONSTANTINOPLE TURQUIE 27/MARS/1848" c.d.s. on front, PURUFIE AU LAZARET MALTE and cholera slits, red ETRANGER 10/AVRIL/48 c.d.s. and on arrival AMSTERDAM 12+, fine and scarce

1854, Folded envelope from Gallipoli with taxe mark “25” via French field post (Crimean War) with K2 ‘Armee d Orient B'au. Sed're. 15.5.54’ to Marseille with arrival mark on reverse 25.5.1854

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

1904, Postal notification regarding a “valeur recouvrable” about 27 Fr.15 Cent., tied by CONSTANTINOPLE-GALATA 25.1.04 and oneliner, fine and very scarce

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.

1892, Allegory set of 13 complete postal stationery answering cards, including Mayotte, Reunion, Martinique, Guinee, Congo, Benin, Sultanat D´Anjouan, Indo-Chine, St. Pierre, plus two single cards, all unused, tiny paper adhesives on reverse, otherwise fine.

1889/1931, collection on old album leaves, starting 1889 "INDO-CHINE 89/5/R D" black surcharge on 35 c. unused signed Schl., Cochinchina including 1888 "15" on half of 30c brown on bister, unsevered pair, few doubtful Annam & Tonking overprints, some different, mainly fine.

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.

1924/40, Syria & Lebanon collection on old album leaves, starting french surcharge issues, air mails and postage due, few complete sets, mainly fine.

1946/54, Air France : 10 air mail covers including first flights to Nouvelle Caledonie registered, anniversary flights to Buenos Aires, Jean Mermoz and Clermond-Ferrand anniversary, A.O.F., Senegal, plus two Card Max and 1949 Centenaire cover, mainly fine.

1892/1907, Two complete sets allegory up to 1 fr. olive, all unused and fine.

1915, 1c-2fr. complete set with additional franking tied by cds. "DULALA 27.3.17" to four registered cover with censor label to Basel, small part of address cut out, some transportation wear, otherwise fine and scarce

1915, 5c. single in combination with 10c. vertical strip of three, fresh colors and mostly good perforation, all tied by cds. "DUALA 20.4.16" to front and reverse of opened out registered cover to France with arrival mark, fine and scarce

1915, 5c. horizontal pair in combination with 25c., all good perforation and fresh color tied by cds. "TRESOR ET POSTES AUX ARMEES CAMEROUN 18-2 16" to registered cover to Lyon with transit and arrival mark, light vertical and horizontal fold not affecting adhesives, otherwise fine and scarce

1968, Albatross, 20 fr. slate, olive and orange, mint never hinged, very fine (Scott 28)

1891, 1 c. black, surcharged "Congo Francais / 5c.", unused, well-centered, very fine

1891, 25 c. black, surcharged "Corgo Francais / 5c.", variety “r” instead of “n” in Congo, unused, well-centered, fine (Yvert 4 var.)

1891, two stamps 25 c. black, surcharged "COngo Francais / 10 c.", and vertical surcharge "Congo Francais / 15 c.", both unused no gum, tiny perf faults, otherwise fine pair. (Yvert 5, 7b)

1892, 20 c. black, surcharged "Congo francais / Timbres poste / 5 c." in red, imperf wide margins, unused, very fine, signed. (Yvert 9)