365 / September 2017

1715, entire letter from Luxemburg with manuscript "franco port payé" and 'paraphe de franchise' "W", to Bruxelles, fine and rare, only one similar letter known

1754, "Luxemb.", readable strike on entire letter from Metz to Trier with manuscript "fro port payé" and paraphe "W"; a rare letter

1795, entire letter dated "Armée devant Luxembourg ...29 germinal 3ieme année" to Bar Sur ornin with good strike "55/THIONVILLE", text inside countersigned by General Debus; a fine and scarce military letter

1807, "DEB. LUXEMBOURG", almost complete strike on reverse of entire letter from Angers to Luxemburg and re-directed to Metz, fine and scarce

1831, "Wellin", manuscript on entire letter with red cds. "MARCHE 1 MAI 1831" to an address poste restante at Marche, scarce

1852, Essay 10 c. black showing ivory head on reverse, horizontal pair with large margins, left stamp tiny thin in the upper margin only, fine and scarce, sign. F.S.P.L.

1708 (?), "de Luxemg" in manuscript on entire letter to Nancy; a scarce early letter

1827, "NEUFCHATEAU FRANCO", double line in black on entire letter to Liège

1852, 10 c., proof in bluish-black on paper with ivory head on reverse, ample to large margins, used by circle of 9 bars of Luxemburg; very fine and rare, only very few used proofs are recorded, certificate Demuth BPP (1985)

1 sgr. proof in black on carton, horizontal block of 6, the central upper stamp slight hinge thin on reverse, otherwise very fine, a scarce multiple, certificates Demuth BPP (1987) and Raybaudi (1975)

1852, William III 10 c. black, watermark reversed, with good to large margins, fresh colour, used without gum, very fine, manuscript signature Goebel and certificate Böttger BPP (prifix 1e)

10 c. black with large margins, cancelled by 'Colosse' of 46 bars, very fine, certificate Demuth BPP

10 c. grey-black with "Grande Retouche" no. 9, good to large margins, neatly cancelled, leaving the face almost completely free, very fine, certificate Demuth BPP (1985)

10 c. black with inverted watermark, fresh colour and large even margins, neatly cancelled by target; extremely fine copy of this rare variety, certificate Demuth BPP (1985)

1876, 3 reprints of Pierre Brück of the single die

1904, official reprint of 10 c. black before cleaning of the plate, complete sheet of 200 stamps on ungummed paper, folds partly through the stamps; mounted in glass frame

1 sgr. carmine-red, horizontal strip of three, wide to large margins, used with circle of bars, fine

40 c. red-orange, nice fresh colour and ample to large margins, neatly cancelled by circle of 9 bars to small piece, extremely fine, certificate Demuth AIEP

1865, colourless rouletted: 1 c. red-brown, vertical block of 30, unused with large part original gum, some stamps unmounted mint; the rouletting split and strengthened by hinges in places; few small faults and minor staining in some places, but generally fine and fresh; a rare multiple, most likely largest known, (Mi. for single stamps without gum 7.500,-)

1865, colourless rouletted 4 c. green and coloured rouletted 1 c. red-brown (2), 12½ c. rose and horizontal pair 25 c. blue, tied by cds. "LUXEMBOURG P.D. 2 3 74" to sealed envelope with declared value (somewhat reduced at top) with adjacent "Chargé" to Berlin; one 25 c. with rounded corner and one 1 c. light corner crease, otherwise all stamps and envelope in fine condition; one of two recorded 4 colour frankings of this issue; sign. Goebel and certificate Böttger BPP

25 c. ultramarine, block of 4 with sheet margin at left, nice fresh colour, rouletting slightly irregular at top, otherwise complete, unused with fresh original gum, the lower pair unmounted mint; fine and rare multiple, largest recorded unused block in this colour, certificate Böttger BPP Provenance: Isac Seligson (1982), 'Melusina' (2009)

30 c. lilac, horizontal strip of 5 with sheet margins at top and left, unused with original gum; largest recorded multiple of this stamp and famous show-piece; certificate Böttger BPP Provenance: Isac Seligson (1982), 'Melusina' (2009)

1874, Coat of Arms imperforated 4 c. blue-green, block of 4, fresh colour and large margins, unused o.g., very fine

10 c. grey, horizontal block of 8, unused o.g.; some light toned spots and the right vertical pair with some perforation faults, still fine and attractive; the largest known unused multiple of this stamp, sign. Goebel and certificate Böttger BPP (2016) Provenance: Boudenberg (1967), 'Melusina' (2009)

25 c. blue, unused, fine, signed Goebel and certificate Böttger BPP