360 / Mai 2015 London

R.O.P.I.T. issues: 1866, 10 pa. rose/blue, fresh colour, full to large margins all round, cancelled by oval "Compagnie Russe Kerassunde de Navig. & de Commerce" (Tchilinghirian 107) in black, very rare, signed Mikulski with certificate. Provenance: 'Cihangir' Collection (Corinphila, 2001)

1868, Steamer and Eagle 2 p. blue/rose, fresh colour and good margins all round, tied by bluish green oval "PP" to folded lettersheet to Constantinople, reverse with cds. "PORT SAMSUN 18 JUL 1867" (inverted day slug), very fine. Provenance: Julius Steindler (Robson Lowe 1972)

2 p. blue/rose, fresh colour and large margins all round, tied by oval "Compagnie Russe Kerassunde de Navig. & de Commerce" (Tchilinghirian 107) in black to folded letter to Constantinople, very rare usage of the pre-philatelic handstamp cancelling an adhesive, few age spots, otherwise fine. Provenance: 'Cihangir' Collection (Corinphila, 2001) Joseph Hackmey

2 p. blue/rose, fresh colour and wide margins all round and Russia 1865 10 k. brown/blue tied byRetta in blue to folded letter, with matching "ROPIT KONSTANTINOP. AGENT". cds on reverse, via Constantinople to Taganrog, a very rare and attractive mixed Imperial Russia and classic Ropit franking, very fine, signed Diena and Holcombe with certificate. Provenance: Joseph Hackmey

1868, Steamer and Eagle 2 p. blue/rose, fresh colour and good margins all round tied by cds. to folded lettersheet to Beyrouth, lettersheet strengthened otherwise fine

Imperial Post: 1872, 1 k. brown horizontal pair and 10 k. carmine/green tied by dotted numeral "783" BEYRUT with additional penstroke to folded lettersheet to Aleppo, reverse with Turkey Duloz 1868 1 ghr. yellow horizontal strip of three tied by turkish cancel, reverse also showing despatch mark of Beirut harbour and large ornamental framed "ALEKSANDRETA AGENTSTVO 4 VI" (Tchilinghirian Fig. 201), letter strengthend and 10 k. slight abrasion, otherwise fine, a very rare and attractive cover, certificate Mikulski.

1872: Levant 3 kop. green on horizontally laid paper, minor tone spot on top perf., used in combination with Russia 1866 20 kop. orange & blue on 1874 letter endorsed 'via Odessa' from Constantinople to Livorno tied by cyrillic KONST POLSK Constantinople datestamp in blue (Feb 11). Odessa transit cds in black at right (Feb 13). Reverse with Russian 'Postal Wagon 47-48' TPO datestamp in black (Feb 14), 'Amb. Cormons-Venezia' TPO datestamp (March 1, gregorian) and Livorno arrival cds. A rare and most attractive mixed franking.

1876, 8 on 10 k. carmine/green, a pair and three singles together with 1872 1 k. brown tied by blue cds. "MERSINA 15.3.77" to cover to Constantinople, three stamps small faults, one vertical fold through cover, an attractive and rare cover, certificate Mikuslki. Provenance: Maurice Burrus (Robson Lowe, 1964) Joseph Hackmey

1879, 7 k. carmine/green, vertical pair tied by large ornamental framed "SUKHUM-KALEH / AGENTSTVO" in blue (Tchilinghirian 705), another clear strike on reverse, to Trebizond, the cover was most likely written on board of a Ropit ship going from Batum to Odessa and propably dropped in its letter box and upon arrival at Sukhum-Kaleg the Ropit Agent must have discovered that it was travelling in the wrong direction and taken it for delivery to a Ropit ship going south and cancelled it with his own canceller, backflap partially missing and some small holes, otherwise fine, described in Tchilinghirian, part 6, page 505, certificate Mikulski. Provenance: 'Cihangir' Collection (121 Corinphila Auction 2000) Joseph Hackmey

2 k. black/rose, horizontal strip of three tied by cds. "ALEKSANDRETA 18 JAN" to cover to Aleppo, reverse with Turkey Duloz 10 p. lilac block of six, two strips of three, a pair and a single tied by cds. "ALEPPO 2 FEVRIER 1880", fine and rare cover.

1899 (Aug 31): 2 k. green, tied by Constantinople cds (Tchilinghirian fig. 17) to complete newspaper 'Servet' with wrapper still attached and sent to Verona, Odessa transit cds (Sept 3) on reverse. To our knowledge the only recorded complete newspaper with Russian Levant stamp. Provenance: Collections Liphshutz and Cihangir, 121. Corinphila Auction (2000), lot 397.