388th Auction

ITALY CAMPAIGN: 1859, folded lettersheet to Alexandria, Egypt, written in Triest and transmitted via forwarding agent to France (instead of the Austrian Lloyd, the eastern postal route being severed due to the military operations), franked at the triple rate with Napoleon 10 c., 20c. 40 c. and 80 c. (cut in) all tied with PC “1896” (Marseilles) and handed over to the ship “Simois” from the Messageries Impériales, reverse arrival cds. “ALEXANDRIE EGYPTE 22 MAI 59”. Interesting text in Italian “the departure of Austrian steamships is prohibited … my correspondence, having to take indirect routes, will arrive late and irregularly”; some minor transportation traces and a vertical archival fold away from the adhesives, fine and rare. A delightful item and poignant testimony to the Risorgimento vicissitudes

1852/60, Collection on eight album pages with good parts Papal States, Modena and Sicilia, only few reprints, mostly fine. Sicilia with good unused part, ½ gr. to 20 gr. denominations represented, though note a handful of multiples, with myriad shades for the specialist to further study. Many stamps signed G. Bühler, Raybaudi and Diena, some faulty or dubious examples to be expected, but good quality to what is often found, many four-margin examples among the imperforates, overall fresh and fine or better. 

1856, 50 b. blue with 2 b. olive green tied by overlapping diamond cancellations on a complete, freshly preserved collector's folded letter with full content, alongside local ‘ROMA 3.1.1856’ cds., ‘ROMA FRANCA’ and red decorative oval ‘A FRANCA’, addressed to Luciano Serra/ Duca di Cardinale/ Palazzo Paliano/ Napoli with red arrival mark on reverse. 50 b. tiny closed at bottom, otherwise absolutely flawless, fantastically fresh with part of the neighbouring stamp on the right in an equally effective and rare combination. Certificate E. Diena (1989)

1859, 80 c. bistre-olive, fresh colour, good to large balanced margins, unused without gum, very fine, opinion Colla (2025)

1851, King Emmanuel II 40 c. lilac rose, two fresh examples of this rare shade, margins shaved or touched to large, each tied by mute cancel to folded entire to Thann, France with alongside departure cds. “TORINO”, red “P.D.” and transit cds. “PONT DE BEAUVOISIN 6 MARS 1853”, reverse transit via Lyon and arrival “THANN 9 MARS 1853”. One 40 c. with a strong paper crease, still a fine, very rare and attractive franking, slightly overpaid at the previous 1844 postal convention, certificate Bottacchi AIEP (2024) (Sassone-Nr. 3d)

1933, Italienfahrt, Rückfahrt italienische Post, Karte ab Rom nach Wien mit 3 L. Zeppelin in MiF, die gesamte Frankatur mit Zeppelin-Hand-SST 29.5. entwertet, Transit-SST Rom rs., türkisgrüner Flugstempel und Ank.-SST Friedrichshafen 30.5. vs. (Longhi 470, 600 €)