388. Auktion

1875, unpaid letter sheet from "GALATZI 20 APR" via Vienna and Triest to Corfu, taxed "100" lepta and paid with postage due 1875, 1 dr., tied by dotted "106". The stamp stamp was lifted for inspection, otherwise very fine and fresh. A very rare and attractive pre-UPU cover. Certificate Simmermacher BPP (2004)

1872, Paris print 10 b. blue, 15 b. deep brown and 25 b. yellowish bistre (2), tied to envelope from "BACAU 7 JUN 75", endorsed "via Varna", to Athens, paying the full tariff for mail to Greece of 75 bani (the cover was presumably held at the P.O. awaiting full payment, as the 10 b. is cancelled a day after the other three stamps). On reverse transit marks of Bucharest, Galatz, Constantinople and Piraeus. Charged for local delivery with postage due 1875, 40 l. tied by dotted "1". An exceptional and most unusual pre-UPU cover. Certificate Heimbüchler (2012).

Provenance: Fritz Heimbüchler (Corinphila 2013)

1858, Handstruck 40 parale blue on thin blueish paper, showing clear and rare "Double Print" of the entire design in an under-inked pale shade, cancelled FRANCO PIATRA in black, full margins, very fine and scarce

1847, "JASSY 22 FEB." on entire letter (part outer lettersheet on reverse missing) endorsed "Via Vienna e Trieste" to Corfu, Ionian Islands, with arrival mark on front. Rare and most unusual.

1917, Arad Airport first air force cancellations on Austrian fieldpost card: "K.u.K. Militärbauleitung am Flugfelde ARAD" in circle with coat of arms and twoliner with same text in violet. The airfield was based on the area where Aurel Vlaciu, a pioneer in Romanian aviation, constucted hanger and buildings with grass runways, vertical crease, otherwise fine. Unrecorded and important early aviation marks.

1918, 5 st. postal stationery card Bulgaria used during occupation of Romania, cancelled SILISTRA 8.4.18, blue german censor mark ‘GEPRÜFT 12.4.18 Postüberwachungsstelle’, black “T” in circle for taxe and blue crayon “10” alongside, addressed at first in latin script than in ottoman to ‘Braila 6th turkish army 15th unit’, so that we can assume that it was transported by the Turkish field post. Text complete written in old ottoman script by a Turkish officer, vertical fold and border faults, otherwise fine. An extremely scarce item of occupation period with turkish and german fieldpost and of great interest to the postal history of Bulgaria, Romania, Germany and Turkey 

1863, Folded envelope cancelled CONSTANTINOPLE 31/8 in blue (Tchilinghirian fig. 387) and FRANCO alongside, endorsed 'via Kustendje' (Constanza), sender cachet ‘Freres Simoff Constantinople’. The route of the cover is very interesting, from Constantinople by Lloyd ship to Kustendje, per Danube and black sea railway DBSR to Cernowoda and by DDSG to Roustschouk, file folds and tiny toned, otherwise fine. Nice postal history.

1877, GALATI 13.AUG.77 cds. in black on 5 b. postal stationery card used uprated with two 5 b. ochre, registration mark “Ra=17/77” in black and ms."R23/8" alongside, addressed to “Speditions Abteilung des Österr. Ungar. Lloyd in Triest”, transportet via Danube and black sea with Austrian ship, arrival mark TRIEST 16.8.77 on reverse, tiny border crease, otherwise fine and a very scarce registered usage

1896, Ship Mail complete set of three values with violet overprints tied on envelope by, a used example to Bucharest cancelled by wreathed "Posta Romana / Cospoli 20.Apr 896" datestamps in violet, on reverse oval framed Ship Mail handstamp "EXPRESS / CONSPOLI-OSTENDA / CONSPOLI-CONSTANTA-BUCURESCI 20-Apr-1896" and Bucharest (April 21) arrival mark alongside. Tiny vertical crease, otherwise fine and Scarce - this is not an Orient Express usage: the Romanian Postal Agency was moored on an RSC vessel in Constantinople.

1863/64, Austrian Levante 15 s., tied by clear c.d.s. "GALATZ 22/2" (1866) to entire letter to Syros, franked upon arrival with 20 l. blue, tied by c.d.s. Fine and rare combination franking.

 

Provenance: 'Cihangir' (Corinphila, 2000)

"MACIN", all arabic double-circle, clear and complete strike in blue on 1869/71, 20 pa. green. Extremely rare. Certificate Nakri AIEP(2019). Ex Mellon.

ISMAIL: 1846, “ISMAILA OTPRAV MARTA 8 1846” Cyrillic two-line despatch handstamp, excellent strike to reverse of a free frank official letter from the Azov military regiment to Tavabeyuev, vertical archival fold of no importance. Very fine, and very rare

1861, entire letter with blue c.d.s. "GALATZ.." (beneath Greek stamps), via Triest to Athens, here franked with 1861, First Athens printing 5 l. and 4 copies 40 l., tied by no. "1". One 40 l. faint horizontal crease, still fine and fresh. A rare and attractive franking.

ISMAIL: 1843, “ISMAIL APRIL 2() 1843” Cyrillic two-line despatch handstamp (unrecorded in Tchilinghirian), fair strike on reverse of entire letter to Odessa with alongside cachet from the Vice Consul from Sardinia, dated inside “Ismail lo 14 Aprile 1843”, fine. Very rare

1876, unpaid entire letter from Galatz via Triest  to Athens, with circular "T" and Greek black handstamp "60", paid with postage due 1876/90, 60 l., tied by dotted "1". Entire letter roughly opened, otherwise very fine and fresh. 

1875, unpaid entire letter from "GALATI 18 JUL 75" via Bucarest and Syros  to Corfu, with circular "T" and Greek black handstamp "60", paid with postage due 1875, 60 l., tied by dotted "1". The stamp with very slight toning in the perforation, otherwise very fine and fresh. A scarce cover with the 1st postage due issue.

JASSY: 1851, Russian PO printed Receipt for a registered letter, struck with oval negative seal handstamp inscribed "From the Post Office Abroad at Jassy" with Eagle above, struck in black. Very rare.

BUCHAREST INCOMING MAIL: money letter with undated framed “BALTA” (Kamenets Podolsk province) despatch on reverse, sent to Bucharest and regarding the sum of 30 silver roubles and 90 kopeks, extremely fine. A very scarce usage 

1854, entire letter from Braila, privately carried to Triest and from here posted to Syros, with arrival mark. An interesting and scarce entire during the Crimean War.

1846, “V GALATZ 1846 MAIYA”, Cyrillic two-line (Tchilinghinrian Type 2, Dobin-Nr. 1.01), a very good strike in red on the reverse of a large part lettersheet to Bucharest, red crayon “30” rate marking; despite the minor part missing still fine Russian abroad mail from this Moldavian port on the Danube. A very rare handstamp with only a few recorded

1857, entire letter from Sulina, carried by private ship to Syros, with arrival mark. Taxed upon arrival with "10" lepta. Small ink erosion on front, still fine and very scarce.

SULINA: "5099", GC in blue, clear on Napoleon lauré 40 c. orange, light bend
 

"MECIDIYE", all arabic double-circle, clear and complete strike on 1870, postage due 20 pa. Extremely rare. Certificate Nakri AIEP(2019). Ex Mellon.

TULCEA: "5102", GC in blue, clear and central strikes on Napoleon perforated 10 c., 20 c. and 40 c. Small faults, 40 c. re-perforated.

1826, "BUKAREST" Cyrillic straight-line (Tchilinghirian Type 1), an exceptional strike on reverse of an entire letter written in Greek and addressed in French to “madame Alexandra de Soulzo la postelnitzesse à Kisnowe”. The letter disinfected with rastel marks, very fine. Probably the earliest recorded used of this elusive postmark, predating the Russian occupation of the city, and an early disinfected cover from the Danubian Principalities. Outstanding and very rare.  

Provenance: `Cihangir´ (121th Corinphila auction, 2000)

TULCEA: 1883, “R.O.P.i.T TULCHINSK. AGENTSVO 28 II (83)” (Tchilinghirian Type1), two fine strikes in blue on Russian Levant 1 k. black/yellow and 7 k. carmine/green to small mourning envelope to Livorno, Italy, with reverse transit cds. “ALEXANDRIE” and arrival. Envelope with missing black flap, small reinforced tear at top and minor soiling of no significance; the 7 kopek with one round corner. Overall very fine and attractive. A truly extraordinary cover of great rarity, being one of only three recorded from the Russian Post Office in this small port of the Danube Delta  (Michel-Nr. 12x, 14x)

Provenance: `Kurt Adler´ (455th Robert Siegel auction, 1974)

`Cihangir´ (121th Corinphila auction, 2000)

BRAILA: 1853, entire letter endorsed on front “Braila” and “Galazi”, written in Braila and routed via “GALATZ 1853 APRIL 8” (Tchilinghirian Type 4; Dobin-Nr. 1.03) to Odessa with double-framed “POLUCHENO 10 APR:” arrival marking. A very fine and attractive entire; the letter refers to the accompanying remittance of 1,500 Ducats (!) and kindly asks the recipient to wait for the next post for the remainder of the payment. A delightful entire showing the convergence of a rare origin and an uncommon Galatz postmark used as a transit marking 

CONSTANZA: 1875, entire letter with full content endorsed in Greek script on the inside “Constanza 15 sept. 1875”, sent by steamer franked with Russian Levant 3 k. green and 5 k. blue as (horizontal pair) all struck on arrival with cds “ODESSA 17 CEP. 1875” repeated alongside; the entire with light vertical archival fold of no significance, very fine. Extremely rare, signed and certificate Holcombe (1992)  (Michel-Nr. 7x, 8y)

Provenance: Cherrystone auction (2009)

JASSI INCOMING MAIL: 1842, lettersheet with two-line “KISHINEV 15 DECEMBER 1842” despatch marking on reverse and addressed to Jassi, fine. A scarce destination

KUSTENDJE: "5139", GC in blue, clear and central on Napoleon lauré 40 c. orange. Light horizontal crease. Signed Calves

SCULENI: 1856, Postal receipt issued by the “SKULYANI POST OFFICE" for a sending to St Petersburg. Lightly folded, with some minor faults and toning, otherwise fine. Following its cession to Russia under the Treaty of Bucharest, Skulyani was the principal border post and key locality for mail exchange between Bessarabia and the Danubian Principalities. Rare

JASSY: 1862, Postal receipt issued by the “JASSY POST OFFICE" for a money letter with an insurance value of 74 roubles and 2 kopek, dated 15 January 1862; light vertical archival fold, still very fine. A rare example of the small format receipt used in Romania

BUCHAREST: 1857, Postal receipt from the “BUCHAREST POST OFFICE" for a parcel sent from the Imperial Russian Consulate to Novocherkask, dated 29 November 1857; the receipt lightly folded as usual, very fine. Rare

JASSY: 1844, Postal receipt from “JASSY POST OFFICE" for a brief sent to Bucharest, dated 10 February 1844, alongside black negative official seal. The receipt lightly folded as usual; very fine and rare, signed and certificate Mikulski AIEP (1994) 

GALATZ: 1869, “GALATZ 19 MAI. 1869” (Tchilinghirian Type 6) in blue, fine strike (repeated on reverse) with additional blue dotted lozenge tying a Russian Levant 10 k. carmine/green to lettersheet to Taganrog via “ODESSA 20 MAYA. 1869”. Minor peripheral toning of no significance, very fine and visually appealing. Very rare and desirable combination, featuring both the Galatz cds. and the Retta cancel, from the known Svorono correspondence (Michel-Nr. 5)

Provenance: `Cihangir´ (121th Corinphila auction, 2000)

GALATZ: "5085", GC in blue, on Napoleon perforated 10 c. bistre, 20 c. blue, 40 c. orange and 80 c. carmine, on entire letter, written in Ibraila, with adjacent blue dotted c.d.s. "GALATZ MOLDAVIE 17 MARS 66" via Constantinopel to Athens. 80 c. with small corner fault (backed) and 40 c. light corner crease, otherwise fine and attractive. A rare colour franking.