Petite Treasures – May 2026.

1905, KORITZA : “GUERIDJE” bilingual cds. (Coles-Walker no.50) in violet clear on 10 pa. green, tied to postcard to Sarajevo, scarce imprimes rate, fine.

1868, ‘BOSNA 81’ all arabic cancellation in blue on envelope written in ladino (hebrew) bearing Turkey 1868 postage due stamp 1 piaster brown, margin strip of three, from Sarajevo to Tuzla, local used, attractive and very fine.

1910, "SENITZE 13.7.910" cds. (Coles-Walker no.39) clear on postal stationery card 20 para rose with transit USKUB cds. on reverse and arrival mark Belgrad, creases and spots, otherwise fine and scarce Turkey and Serbia forerunner.

1841, folded envelope with content, manuscript "ISLIMIYE" on front (today Sliven) to Constantinople with deep blue arrival mark "AN CANIB POSTANE-I DERALIYE 257", in PROFI archive is this the earliest mail from Sliven, very fine.

1872, LIVA TIRHALA HÜKÜMET POSTASI (GOVERNMENT POST): Letter from Pharsala dated May 11, 1872, addressed to the French consul in Larissa (Yenisehir). These two localities are in Thessaly. The letter was sent unpaid, instead of a postage-due stamp a locally produced “vignette” paper on which fine vertical and horizontal dividing lines were drawn in pencil, forming a frame within which a negative handstamp was pre-printed affixed and cancelled by two crossing pen strokes. The dividing lines prove that several such vignettes were produced on a single sheet and therefore must have been used on multiple occasions. This “vignette” may therefore be regarded as a true provisional postage-due stamp, unrecorded until today. This letter is authentic and without tampering; it represents a major item in the postal history of Turkey, Greece and of Thessaly in particular. (Certificates du Vachat BPP 2003, Isfila 2002).

1871, Piskokefalo: "PESKOKEFAL" oily bluish-black hexagonal all arabic postmark, on free of charge entire folded letter written in Greek (dateline Tourtouli Sitias 22.Sept.1871, nowadays Agios Georgios) sent to Neochorion Meramvelou (nowadays Neapolis). Rated RRR by isfila, fine and very scarce. (in PROFI archive are five covers recorded).

1884, Lasithi: "Telgraf ve postahane-i Lasid" blue all arabic postmark, 20 pa. rose black light cancelled on entire folded letter written in Greek (dateline Lasithi, 10.dec 1884) used local with Lashid address. Inside blue oval cancel ‘Sub-office (deputy office) of the Court of first instance of Greece no.39 / Lasithi Crete’ with ms. date. Fine and very scarce.

1890, "KANDIYA" (Coles-Walker no.6, 7 RR) all arabic cancellation on cover franked with 1 pia. blue, "CANDIE TURQUIE 16 OCTOBRE 1890" cds. longside, Istanbul arrival mark on reverse, fine and fresh

1894, THESSALY: "ELASSONA Fevr.7.94" (incorrect month, usual for this Post Office) cds. tying 1 pia. 1892 to envelope sent to "Stamboul Arrivee Mai.15.94", stamp oily from the wax seal, otherwise fine and very rare.

1895, LEMNOS official letter from the island with all arabic negative administration mark (unrecorded) at top right, alongside a bilingual Turkish postmark LEMNOS (Isfila no. 5, RR), sent to Constantinople with a small negative boxed ‘Tahrirat-i Muhimme’ (important registered) and a registration number in red ms., rare and unlisted in the handbooks.

1897, Canea Soldier's mail: 1 pia. lettercard 1897, with dateline "Kissamo 27.3.97" written in German, canceled with "HANIA 28.Mars.97" cds, sent to "POLA 2.4.97", very scarce origin (Blockade of Crete), fine.

1898, "MECHOVA Mars.6.98" (Metsovo) canceling a 20 pa. postal stationery card 1892, sent to "München 15.Mars.98" with arrival cds., very rare. Not rated by isfila on document, only two items recorded (both from U. Schmitt collection), fine.

1899, RHODES (Isf. no.5) cds. on registered envelope bearing five 20 para dull violet, shortened on two sides, border cutout, arrival mark Istanbul, only few registered covers from Rhodos before 1900 are recorded! Very decorative, fine and scarce Turkey forerunner!

1900, Kastoria "KESRIE AVR/26" cds.,cover sent to Karwin with arrival mark, 1 pia. violet-blue, rated RRR by isfila, fine.

1903, "POLYGROS 3.9.903" excellent strike, tying a revenue stamp to registration receipt, very scarce and fine.

Türkische Post in Montenegro PLJEVLJA : “TASHLIDJA” all arabic boxed type (Coles-Walker no.40, A&P no.2, R) on envelope bearing Turkey block of six 10 pa. brownish-lilac, five clear cancellations, addressed to Sarajevo, 1½ piaster rate for distance 106 hours, tiny toned, otherwise fine and scarce.

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.

1863, first print 5 piaster rose left margin with characteristic color missing and extraordinary margins on all sides with dividing lines, clear cancelled blue "FILIBE" in dots (Brandt-Ceylan Type IIA-4, Plovdiv / Bulgaria), little closed at bottom left corner, otherwise very fine. First printings of Tughra issue with city cancellations are great rarities of this issue and less than five from all cities are recorded

1866, „RUSCUK 81“, all arabic double circle, two clear strikes, tying horizontal pair Duloz 1865 issue, 20 pa. ochre to envelope, addressed to Shumnu Headquarter of Second Army. A fine and rare cover. Opinion TOPS Max Mayo.

1864, 1 pia. on red brown, fresh colour, full to wide margins, tied by fine dotted 'battal' (Coles-W.no.60) to entire letter from Kazgan (Razgrad, Bulgaria) to Rustschuk, usual file folds, otherwise very fine, opinion Todd AIEP (2014).

1911, 20 pa. rose-carmine on Sultans Voyage special imprint postcard used from ‘SALONIQUE 1’ to Pankaldi Istanbul with arrival mark, very rare and fine.

1875, 20 para green and 1 pia. yellow tied by clear "GOLOS" (Isfila no.1, RR) triplering cancellation to Constantinopel with arrival mark on reverse, light vertical crease and shortened on two sides, otherwise fine and a rarity of classic Greece & Turkey. PROFI archive has three covers with this cancellation recorded.

1899, 20 para violet vertical strip of four performing 2 Pia. rate for a registered cover tied by "MONT ATHOS" cds. in blue, "RUSSIAN ILYINSKY MONASTRY AT ATHOS" mark in blue alongside, transit mark Odessa and retour from Russia with transit mark of russian post office Konstantinopol, some crease and vertical fold, fine and scarce route.

1906, 20 para red tied by bilingual "KOMANOVA" cds. (Isfila no.3, R) to picture postcard of Komanova, sent to Uskub, fine Macedonia & Greece postal history!

1909, 20 Para rose postal stationery card used from Stroga to Austria with violet "ISTROGA" cds. (Isfila no.2, RR) transit bilingual "PALANGA" cds. alongside, ms. "inconnue Polizei" at destination and “retour”, scarce Greece & Turkey postal history!