Romania - 1858 Bull’s Head 108pa, glass support cliché in deep-red dated “4/48” with additional production notation at base indicating two minutes and thirty seconds of exposure to light, together with a glass cliché for a Jassy circular date mark obliterator in red. A fascinating duo of stamp and obliterator, with fewer than ten recorded. (Image)

Romania - 1858 108pa Bull’s Head, cliché on celluloid in black and with image reversed; an exceedingly rare reproduction of the popular Romanian classic, with nothing similar represented in the “Ultimate” collection or the Postal Museum in Paris. (Image)

Romania - 1858-59 Bull’s Head 80pa, master negative on celluloid, extensively painted in black around the design. This unique master, being the basis for producing the clichés, must be considered as the most significant element of production for this rare value. (Image)

Romania - 1858-59 Bull’s Head 80pa, glass support cliché in red/vermilion and with reversed image, dated “4/32”; an exceptionally appealing production item. One of the four glass clichés recorded. (Image)

Romania - 1858-59 Bull’s Head 80pa, glass support cliché in black with reversed image and retouched with paint, dated at top “4/32”. One of the four glass clichés recorded. (Image)

Romania - 1871-72 King Carol 10ba, master negative on celluloid, with painted surround to highlight the design when producing the clichés, with some handwritten production comments at top. An example of the highest importance, with no matrices or clichés known to the B.P.A. or the Postal Museum in Paris. Unique and the key item to initiate the process of production. (Image)

Romania - 1871-72 King Carol 10ba, glass support cliché with reversed image in a bright yellow-orange, dated “7/30”, the bluish tinge of the glass and the resplendent orange create a most spectacular cliché. Less than ten recorded for this issue. (Image)

Romania - 1871-72 King Carol 10ba, glass support cliché with impression in black showing reversed image on light turquoise, dated “2/41”. Fewer than ten glass clichés known in this issue. (Image)

Romania - 1871-72 King Carol 10ba, glass support cliché with reversed image in Sperati’s preferred vermilion colour which he found to create the best contrast, dated “2/43”. (Image)

Romania - 1871-72 King Carol 10ba, cliché on celluloid in black with reversed image, dated “7/42” and with interesting production notations “22° x 5% x 30’'', indicating a light exposure at 20 degrees for 30 seconds (unusually short for a Sperati manufacture) and with 5% of a chemical substance well known to the producer. An exceptionally rare, fascinating and articulate cliché. (Image)

1858, 108 parale blue on horizontally ribbed pale pink paper, unused, good to huge margins, two ink stains, vertical crease, slightly oblique horizontal crease, corner crease outside of the stamp design, good impression and colour, a fine example of this rare stamp, especially with such ample margins with very few unused 108 parale values (Image)

1858-1975, Small group of Moldavia early issue stamps including five items, a 40 parale blue on white paper unused with part original gum, a used 6 parale red and 30 parale blue, a forged strip of three 40 parale, a mint block of four 1866 2 parale black on yellow, with a 1975 Romania year of protecting monuments, a useful lot. (Image)

Austrian Occupation of Moldavia & Walachia: 1850-1854, Austria 9kr blue, a four margined example used on 1855 disinfected cover to Vienna endorsed "Krajova", tied by "K. K. ÖST. F.P. KRAJOVA" Field Post Office datestamp (Feb 6) in black (Tchilinghirian fig. 735). Reverse with very fine strike of circular "GEREINIGT .B.K.K.RASTELAMTE / ALT ORSOVA" disinfection cachet (Feb 7) in black and Wien arrival cds (Feb 12). Trivial imperfections but a very rare and most attractive cover. Austrian field post in Moldavia & Walachia franked with postage stamps and bearing a disinfected mail handstamp are major rarities. K. F Meyer describes in his handbook only two comparable covers (see page 44). (Image)

1864 entire letter from Ploesti to Leipzig bearing four examples of Lombardy-Venetia 1863 Arms 5 kr. dark rose, perf. 14, all with fresh colour, well tied by Austrian Fieldpost "K.K. ÖST. F:P. PLOESCHTI 20 / 9" (Tchilinghirian fig. 767) cds in black. Reverse with Hermannstadt transit and Leipzig distribution (25/IX) cds. An astonishing franking with this very rare late usage of a Crimean War Fieldpost cancellation during the Consular Period. We record only five covers showing this rare postmark on stamps: two of the Crimean War period (franked with Austria’s First Issue) and three during the Consular P.O period; this cover being the most spectacular of them all. Note: Illustrated in the Ferchenbauer handbook part IV on p. 474. Expertise: Signed Colla. Cert. Ferchenbauer (2004). Provenance: Collection Dr. Anton & Elisabeth Jerger, Corinphila sale 140, May 2004, lot 887. (Image)

D.D.S.G. Post Offices. 1868 (Sep) envelope endorsed "Galatz" at top right, sent by Danube DDSG mail and franked with Austrian Levant 10s pair, cancelled on arrival in Vienna by the "1" concentric circle cancel, underpaid by 2s but no postage due applied on arrival, a very rare Danube ship mail cover from Romania. (Image)