Essays. 1865 Prevost Essays of Paris: 10pa with black overprint, three singles including black on white paper, red on white paper and pale brown on green paper, fine and scarce (3). (Image)

1865 Prevost Essays of Paris: 10pa red, without overprint on a miniature card, fine and scarce. (Image)

1865 Prevost Essays of Paris: 10pa red, with black overprint on vignette, white envelope, fine and scarce. Note: Unlisted in the Nile Post (Image)

1865 Prevost Essays of Paris: 10pa red, without overprint & with additional 1pi overprint below vignette on a blue tinted envelope, fine and scarce position of 1pi ovpt. (Image)

1865 Prevost Essays of Paris: 10pa blue, without overprint & with additional 1pi overprint at left on a white envelope, fine and scarce. (Image)

1865 Prevost Essays of Paris: 10pa red, without overprint & with additional 1pi overprint at left on an off-white envelope, fine and scarce. (Image)

1865 Pellas Brother Essays of Genoa: 10pa bright yellow, upright watermark, imperforate single showing "10pi ovpt instead of 2pi" error, clear to large margins, very fine and rare. (Image)

1865 Pellas Brother Essays of Genoa: 20pa blue, unwatermarked, imperforate single showing "1pi ovpt instead of 20pa" error, large to very large margins, very fine and rare. Expertise: C.F. Hass. (Image)

1865 Pellas Brother Essays of Genoa: 1pi mauve, upright watermark, imperforate single showing "10pa ovpt instead of 1pi" error, large to very large margins, some stains, rare. Expertise: C.F. Hass. (Image)

1865 Pellas Brother Essays of Genoa: 1pi mauve, upright watermark, imperforate single showing "10pa ovpt instead of 1pi" error, large to very large margins, very fine and rare. (Image)

1865 Pellas Brother Essays of Genoa: 5pi blue, unwatermarked, imperforate single showing "1pi ovpt instead of 5pi" error, large to very large margins, very fine and rare. Expertise: Signed C.F. Hass. (Image)

1865 Pellas Brother Essays of Genoa: 10pi blue, unwatermarked, imperforate single showing "1pi ovpt instead of 10pi" error, large to very large margins, very fine and rare. Expertise: Signed C.F. Hass. (Image)

Issued Stamps. 5pa Grey, perforation 12½, inverted wmk, mint with full gum, block of four, some age spots. A magnificent and exceptional multiple of this stamp, exhibition showpiece. Provenance: Emile Antonini & Samir Fikry. (Image)

5pa Greenish grey, perforation 12½, inverted wmk, vertical pair neatly tied by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / ALESSANDRIA/1.AUGO.66 cds, with similar alongside, on printed matter circular, very fine and an extremely rare usage as no more than five covers are known. (Image)

10pa Brown, perforation 12½, inverted wmk, unused reconstructed block of four, showing double perforation in lower pair. An important perforation error. Provenance: Royal Palace Collection (Lot 27) & Samir Fikry. (Image)

10pa Brown, perf. 12 1/2, two vertical pairs used on 1866 large part folded entire to from Cairo to Alexandria, cancelled by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / CAIRO / 3.AGOS.66 cds in black, with arrival POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / ALESSANDRIA in black alongside, left stamp is from position 155 showing a broken Arabic "mim", cover flaps missing, very attractive usage. Provenance: Lars Alund. (Image)

10pa Brown, three singles & 1pi claret, perforation 12½, all tied by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / GALIUB / 16.GEN.67 cds, with similar alongside, on cover to Cairo, with boxed AFFRANCATURA / INSUFFICENTA alongside, arrival bs, cover tears and creases through the stamps, an attractive & extremely rare usage from Galiub during this early period. (Image)

20pa Blue, perforation 12½, upright wmk, mint, block of ten, with large part gum, light creasing, and hinge remains, plus age spots. A magnificent and exceptional multiple of this stamp, being the largest known block of this value, exhibition showpiece. Provenance: Royal Collection (Lot 33), Emile Antonini & Samir Fikry. (Image)

20pa Blue, perforation 12½, upright wmk, mint, left sheet marginal block of four, with large part (FRAN)COBOLLI imprint gum, light creasing and age spots. A magnificent and exceptional multiple of this stamp with marginal inscription, exhibition showpiece. Provenance: Abdullah Mishrick. (Image)

20pa Blue, perforation 12½, tied on small neat envelope from Cairo to Assiut in Upper Egypt, by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / CAIRO cds in black, very fine and an extremely rare single franking. An important and extremely rare usage. Provenance: Peter Smith. Note: The single rate was normally 1 piastre between any of the sixteen or so Vice -Royal Post Office open in Egypt at the time, mails to town on the Nile in Upper Egypt were charged according to distance in weight stages at 1 dirhem = approximately three grammes and was conveyed by the Mohammed Ali State Courier Post. (Image)

20pa Blue and 1pi claret, perforation 12½, tied on 1866 (20.10) folded letter sheet from Cairo to Alexandria, by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / CAIRO / 20.OTT.66 cds in blue, with similar alongside. Underpaid by 1/2pi and struck with framed AFFRANCATURA / INSUFFICIENTE in black and "2" has and additional manuscript "1/2" for amount due. Charged double the rate or 4 piastres less prepayment of 1 1/2 = 2 1/2 piasters. An important and extremely rare usage. Provenance: Emile Antonini, Peter Smith (Illustrated in colour in his book) (Image)

1pi Claret, perforation 12 1/2, unwatermarked, unused, lower right corner sheet marginal inscriptional block of twenty, positions 136-140/156-160/176-180/196-200, showing flaws on position 140 with "broken frame and white flaw as base", position 198 "damaged pearls" at the bottom left and on left frameline, position 199 with broken Arabic character in overprint. The second largest known block and the largest corner marginal block known, an important exhibition showpiece. Provenance: Royal Collection (Lot 39), Peter Smith. (Image)

1pi Claret, perforation 12 1/2, unwatermarked, unused, block of four, showing imperforate vertically resulting in two imperf. between pairs. Three such blocks have been recorded, an important exhibition showpiece. Provenance: Cotta, Royal Collection (Lot 40), Emile Antonini & Samir Fikry. (Image)

2pi Yellow-orange, perforation 12½, tied on 1867 (28.1) folded letter sheet from Cairo to Alexandria, by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / CAIRO /28.GEN.67 cds in blue, similar alongside, arrival bs, very fine, and an attractive single franking. Provenance: Maurice Burrus. (Image)

2pi Yellow-orange and 20pa blue, horizontal pair, perforation 12½, all tied on 1866 (6.9) folded letter sheet from Alexandria to Tanta, by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / ALESSANDRIA / 6.SET.66 cds in blue, similar alongside, arrival bs in black, cvr crease and slight hinge reinforcement, very fine and an attractive franking. (Image)