FRANKED MAIL TO EUROPE; Range with 1854/66 E's to Netherlands franked 20c + 40c imperf or perf ex Le Havre or Marseilles, 1859 E to Baden franked imperf 20c + 10x ex Marseilles, 1861/63 E's to Scotland & England franked 20c (2) or 40c (single or two - both with unofficial roulettes and ex Paris) tied by roller dotted cancels, 1870/72 EL's to Athens franked 40c + 20c ex Tain or Chomerac, 1871 E to Germany franked 80c ex Lille with other related examples. (12 covers) Cross Reference : NETHERLANDS, GERMAN STATES, GREAT BRITAIN (Image)

COLLECTION OF NAPOLEON III EMPIRE ISSUES - 3 pages of the typographed perf. & imperf. c.1853 to c.1869 used sets and part set, inc. 5f grey-violet of 1869 which is nicely presented but has a tiny thin. Imperfs. are well centred with good margins. (c.33 stamps) Cross Reference : STAMPS & STAMP PROOFS (Image)

DEPARTMENT NUMBERED TOWN HANDSTAMPS 'BUREAU DE DISTRIBUTION'; Range on leaves inc. 1825 EL to Nice with "60/Epinay/ST DENIS" and "NIZZA di MARE" h.s. on front, 1825 EL to Paris with "58/Ribecourt/COMPIEGNE"h.s. on front, 1831/34 EL's to Ghent with "64/Garlin" and either "L.F.R.5" or "C.F.5.R" (5th rayon) markings on front, 1837 EL to Valognes with fine "71/Le Grand-Luce" and framed "P.P." h.s. on front, 1838 E to Orleans with "40/Chaumont-sur/Tharonne" h.s. on front, 1838 EL to Copenhagen with "63/St Sauveur" and "C.F.5.R" (5th rayon) h.s. on front and Hamburg transit d.s. on rear and other related examples. (36 covers) (Image)

1850/51 CERES 25c BLUE SINGLE & DOUBLE FRANKINGS - Sep. 1850 EL (signed at lower right) to La Rochelle franked with fine four margin pair tied by diamond grid cancels and PARIS cds with red 'COMPTOIR NATIONAL' cachet at left. 1850/51 ELs each franked with fine four margin single, Lyon to Marseille & Toulon to Barjols. (3) Cross Reference : FORWARDING AGENTS (Image)

MAIL TO ITALIAN STATES / ITALY; Pair with May 1856 E to Rome franked 80c + 20c (variable margins) ex St Germaine-en-Laye tied by diamond numeral cancels and with St Germaine-en-Laye cds and framed "PD" on front and Nov. 1863 E to Naples ex Paris franked 20c (2) tied by dotted roller cancel and with Paris cds and framed "PD" h.s. on front. Unusual pair (2 covers) Cross Reference : ITALIAN STATES, ITALY (Image)

1862-69 GROUP OF MAIL - perf Empire issues inc. 1865/7 ELs (2) franked with 20c blue or 10c bistre pair and with black boxed 'APRES/LE/DEPART' on the front, 1863-c70 group with small circle 'OR' (origin rural) or 'C' (rural post) marks on 20c blue frankings plus 'D' on c1870 15c bistre Ceres franking; 1869 env. to Paris franked with 30c deep brown laureated pair tied by 309 numerals and with superb BARBEZIEUX cds and red CHARGÉ on the front and framed reg. and weight on the back, etc. Also 1869 whole newspapers (2) with 2c mauve or 2c blue perf newspapers stamps. (13 items) Cross Reference : NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES, POSTAGE DUE STAMPS & COVERS, REGISTERED MAIL, POSTAL FISCALS (Image)

1849-52 CERES - 25c BLUE & 40c ORANGE - 25c three used, good to fine appearance, one thinned; 40c one fine with large margins and signed, plus three others with faults/cut into. SG £2000+. (7) (Image)

1849-52 CERES - 20c BLACK - an unused example with thin (& possibly the bottom margin added?), plus four used examples, of which two are v fine. SG £810 minimum. (5) (Image)

1853 EMPIRE IMPERF - 1f CARMINE USED - (17 Aug 1853) - good to fine used four margin example. RPSL Cert (2002). Very scarce; SG72 £4000. (Image)

1853-61 EMPIRE IMPERF - 1c, 5c & 10c USED GROUP - 1c olive/bronze (3), 5c green (3) and 10c bistre (9, shades). Generally good to fine. (15) (Image)

1861 EMPIRE - UNOFFICIAL PRIVATE PERFORATION (Perf 7, rouletted & pin perf group) - 20c blue - perf 7 (2) & 40c orange (2); and 1c, 5c, 10c, 20c & 80c values all rouletted or pin perforated. (9) (Image)

1862 EMPIRE PERF & 1863-70 LAUREATED USED GROUP ON PAGES - 1862 values inc. 1c olive/bronze (3) and 80c rose (3). 1863 values inc. 2c red-brown (4), 4c grey (4), 30c brown/deep brown (5) and 80c rose (4). SG c£1300. (65 items) (Image)

1869 5f LILAC LAUREATED USED - good used example very fine appearance and signed, though possibly reperfed at left. SG131 £1300. (Image)

1870 BALLON MONTE TO LE MANS: 1870 (30 Sept.) small EL flimsy franked 20c tied by Paris star "1" to Le Mans endorsed in ms 'Par ballon monte' with 3 page letter, flown (on one of the earliest flights out if Paris, piloted by well known balloonist Gaston Tissandier) from Paris by balloon during the Paris siege in the Franco-Prussian war Cross Reference : AIR MAIL COVERS, BALLOON MAIL, AIRSHIPS/BALLOONS (Image)

1870 BALLON MONTE TO GOURNAY-EN-BRAY: 1870 (6 Oct.) EL flimsy franked 20c tied by Paris star "1" to Gournay-en-Bray endorsed in ms 'Par Ballon Monte.' with 3 page letter, flown from Paris by balloon during the Paris siege in the Franco-Prussian war Cross Reference : BALLOON MAIL, AIR MAIL COVERS, AIRSHIPS/BALLOONS (Image)

1870 BALLON MONTE TO TOULOUSE: 1870 (24 Dec.) EL flimsy franked 20c tied by Paris star "20" to Toulouse endorsed in ms 'Par Ballon Monte.' with 3 page letter, flown from Paris by balloon during the Paris siege in the Franco-Prussian war on the 50th flight of 'Le Tourville' Cross Reference : BALLOON MAIL, AIR MAIL COVERS, AIRSHIPS/BALLOONS (Image)

A SMALL GROUP of essays and proofs, inc. a set of Newspaper stamp essays on moire paper c.1870 said to be instigated at the request of the Prince Imperial. Also a selection of copper plate essays engraved by Albert Barre detailing 'ESSAI 1858', a 'Projet Bordes' group c.1860s and a very fine, second republic, 20c Black proof on grey paper c.1849. (9 items) Cross Reference : STAMPS & STAMP PROOFS (Image)

1871 BALLON MONTE TO LONDON: 1871 (4 Jan.) EL flimsy (splitting along some folds with archival tape repairs) franked 20c tied by Paris star "37" with London receiving cds on rear dated 7 Jan., endorsed in ms 'Par ballon monte.' with 3 page letter, flown from Paris by the balloon 'Le Newton' during the Paris siege in the Franco-Prussian war Cross Reference : BALLOON MAIL, AIR MAIL COVERS, AIRSHIPS/BALLOONS (Image)

THIRD REPUBLIC UNADOPTED ESSAYS - Proposals prepared by Gaiffe c.1876. Lithographed Ceres essays on plain paper (normal and thin). Also two with & without effigy, c.1876 by an unknown designer. (Qty.) Cross Reference : STAMPS & STAMP PROOFS (Image)

TELEPHONE STAMPS - a good selection and range of used examples (c.1885 to c.1906) with no duplication. Inc. examples with different legends for the Postes & Télégraphes, a surcharge example & 3 with blue cancellations. (17 stamps) Cross Reference : STAMPS & STAMP PROOFS (Image)

CAMEROUN 'SPITFIRE' FUND OVERPRINTS ON COVER: 8 Dec. 1940 local cover from Ebolowa, Cameroun bearing the set of four stamps (Banyo Waterfall) optd. "+ 5 Frs/SPITFIRE" SG 187/190. Boxed "JOURNEE DU SPITFIRE" cachet alongside. Cat £500 as used set, but scarce on cover with big premium. Very attractive. (Image)

** COLLECTION OF COVERS from the 4th, 5th & 6th regular issues, c.1941 to c.1951, to various countries & destination showing a range of usages, markings & cachets. Inc. officials. Written up & researched. Of particular interest is a cover posted in 1947 and found 'delayed' in Bristol in 1957! (19) (Image)

** 4m BISECT - on piece. Gibbons D2a, used at Shemdi. Comes with APS certificate (Oct 2013) & described as 'genuine in all respects'. Rare. (Image)

** COVER FROM FRANCE CHARGED 4m POSTAGE DUE ON ARRIVAL: 1912 env from St Valery to a member of the Egyptian army at Khartoum franked with "Sower" 10c pair (under rated) with triangular framed "T" struck below, 2m postage due pair tied by "KHARTOUM" cds on reverse "SHELLAL HALFA/T.P.O./No 1" c.d.s. (ex Hass). Cross Reference : FRANCE, EGYPT (Image)

** FIRST GRAF ZEPPELIN FLIGHT - SUDAN TO BRAZIL - very fine and rare item flown on the Graf Zeppelin's first South American flight (as listed by Sieger). Flown from Wadi Halfa, (25.1V.33 cds) to Friedrichshafen via Berlin then carried onwards to Santos via Sao Paulo, Brazil. Blue flight cachet and Berlin connecting flight cachet, backstamped Santos, slight wrinkles and staining to the cover otherwise very fine. Comes with APS certificate (Oct 2007) and complete certificate notes. (ex Fishbain). Cross Reference : AIRMAILS, ZEPPELIN MAIL (Image)