Albania. 1904 (Feb 24) Italy 60c stationery parcel card from the Italian Consul at Shkodër to Genoa, cancelled by "Scutari d'Albania/(Poste Italiane)" cds on dispatch , which was not applied on the additional franking made up of Albania "Floreale" 35pa on 20c vertical pair, highlighted with blue crayon in Italy but uncancelled as it was not a domestic franking, with Brindisi cds below; some faults, but a scarce usage. (Image)

1904 (May 3) Cover (reduced at bottom) from Janina to Athens, franked by Albania "Floreale" 40pa on 25c single and strip of five, tied by "Janina/(Uff. Postale Italiano)" square cds's. An interesting high franking. Signed Enzo Diena. (Image)

1908 (Oct 8) Registered commercial envelope from Janina to Milan, with the corners cut off following the postal rules as it was carried at printed matter rate, bearing Italy 2c in combination with Albania "Floreale" 10pa on 5c, tied by "Janina/(Ufficio Postale Italiano)" cds's, with registration marking at base and arrival on reverse. A rare usage. (Image)

1908 (Nov 5) "Lirija" newspaper from Durres to Italy, franked by Italy "Floreale" 2c tied by clean "Durazzo/(Uff. Postale Italiano)" cds, repeated at right together with Palazzo Adriano arrival. Rare. (Image)

1909 (March 10) Registered cover from Durres to Vienna bearing Albania "Floreale" 80pa on 50c, tied by "Durazzo/(Uff. Postale Italiano)" square cds, showing "Wien" arrival on back, very fine. Signed Sorani. (Image)

1910ca Envelope from Saranda (Santi Quaranta) to Berlin, bearing Janina 1pi on 25c with private overprint "SANTI 40", tied by negative "Poste Italiane/Santi Quaranta" circle handstamp with coat of arms. (Image)

1914 (Jan 16) Registered express envelope from Vlorë (Valona) to Paris, bearing Valona "Michetti" 2pi on 50c with marginal imprint "Fra", and Levant express 60 pa on 30c, tied by "Valona/Ufficio Postale Italiano" cds's with inverted year, Brindisi and Paris backstamps. Cert. Carraro (2013) (Image)

1915 (May 8) Express envelope from Shkodër to Genoa, franked by Scutari 30pa on 15c and Levant express 1pi on 25c, tied by "Scutari d'Albania/(Poste Italiane)" cds's on dispatch, ten strikes of various transit and arrival cds's. A scarce express usage. (Image)

1919-20 Stampless registered cover and Italian postage-free postcard to Italy, the former bearing violet "R.Poste/149° Regg. Fanteria" oval and black "Poste Italiane/Premeti" cds (Përmet) with associated registration marking, the latter with superb "Poste Italiane/Delvino" cds (Delvinë). A scarce duo. (Image)

1917-20 Group of seven items including mail from the Italian attaché to the Prefecture of Argirocastro (Gjirokastër) carried by diplomatic pouch, military mail with "Ufficio Staccato/Intendenza Speciale" cachet, "Comando Distaccamento R. M./Porto Palermo" circle, two postcards from the American Red Cross Hospital in South Albania, with Italian Red Cross postage-free postmark, Italian Valona (Vlora) cds, etc, as well as four view postcards. (Image)

1921 (May 4) "Taraboshi" newspaper from Scutari to Palermo, franked by 1920 2q marginal single and pair, tied by "Shkoder" cds's on departure, showing transit of Tirana below, entering the Italian military mail over 20 days after in Durres with P.M. 50, where they also taxed this document with the "RR/Poste/T.S." circle hs and charged with "2" at left, exceptionally transiting through this office instead of going through the P.M. 116; Albania was not part of the UPU then, and the Italian military mail provided its service to forward incoming and outgoing correspondence. Very rare. (Image)

1922 (Aug 26) Postcard sent by an Italian officer from Korce and addressed to Shkoder in Albania, redirected twice within Italy, with "R.R.Poste/Agenzia /Consolare Italiana/Corizza" Consular oval handstamp in violet to forward the mail through diplomatic bag inside Albania and to Italy, from Shkoder readdressed to Boscolungo (Pistoia) and later to Rome, with the franking of "Leoni" 5c & 10c being tied at the port of arrival in Italy with Brindisi cds. An extremely rare usage (it is unknown the purpose of the presence of this Italian officer with a mission in this period in Albania, but he was probably involved in a boundary commission). (Image)

1923 (May 23) Postcard from an Italian surveyor in Korce with manuscript mention in French "Commission pour la délimitation des frontières de l'Albanie" (Boundary Commission between Albania and Greece), sent to Florence, franked by Albania 1922 2q tied by dispatch cds; in addition one photo displaying five officials belonging to this commission. Extremely rare. (Image)

1923 (Oct) Registered cover sent by the Italian General Tellini, the Commander of the Boundary Commission between Albania and Greece from its location in Albania, addressed to his family in Florence, the envelope showing heading "Commission Internationale/De/Delimitation des Frontières de l'Albanie", with matching three-line handstamp and red wax seal on reverse, but reading in Italian "Commissione Internazionale/Delimitazione Confini d'Albania/Delegazione Italiana"; the cover was franked on origin by the sender with "Floreale" 1L pair, but tied in transit at Brindisi when entering Italy on 16.10. A unique and fascinating usage. Note: The General Tellini will be assassinated in the execution of his duty with this Commission while he was in Janina (Greece) and Santi Quaranta (Albania). In relation to the murder of the General and his assistants, in August 1923 Italy will occupy for almost one month the Island of Corfu (see the corresponding section "Corfu 1923" in this auction sale); this occupation will only end when the guiltiness will be acknowledged by Greece and the related compensation will be paid to Italy as requested. (Image)

1928 (June 19) Registered cover from the Italian Legation in Durres to Bergamo, carried by diplomatic pouch to Italy, with "Regia Legazione D'Italia/In/Durazzo" three-line cachet in violet (matching circle on reverse) and registration label with "Leg. Durazzo" in manuscript on departure, entering the Italian regular mail at Bari, being previously franked with 1926 50 c. and 1927 1,25 l., tied by Bari cds's, backstamped on receipt. Very rare. (Image)

Durazzo: 1902-14 Group of 13 covers/cards bearing nine different frankings including local and general surcharges, with one scarce incoming mail with receiving cds, four registered covers, single 1pi on 25c locally surcharged on cover to United States, other destinations being Austria and Italy, as well as additionally two money order receipts. (Image)

Janina: 1901-14 Group of 14 items, including two forms with handstamps of the Italian P.O. at Janina with one concerning a shipment of stamps and stationery to the Vice Consulate in Vallona, overprinted and non-overprinted stationery cards used, different frankings on three covers; additionally two very rare money order receipts with the square cds, fragment bearing Janina 1pi on 25c tied by partly visible "Agenzia Santi Quaranta" framed blue hs and two fragments with high postage-due denominations. (Image)

Scutari: 1904-14 Assembly of ten covers/postcards from Shkodër, of which one unused postcard depicting crew on the steamship of the Italian Post on the Lake of Scutari, the other nine bearing seven different frankings mainly surcharged locally, including 2pi on 50c single (signed Raybaudi) and 1pi on 25c pair on two registered covers to France, registered cover to Austria bearing 2pi on 50c and cachet of the Italian Vice Consul in Antivari, and addressed to Italy two single frankings on postcards and, as well as overprinted stationery Umberto & V.E.III. (Image)

Valona: 1911-15 Eight covers from Vlorë to Italy, Switzerland and Constantinople, one sent stampless with free-postage handstamp of the Vice-Consul of Italy, the rest bearing different frankings mainly with "Valona" surcharged values. (Image)

1900-08 Group of nine Royal Decrees, few of them extracted from a book, including the announcement of the establishment of a P.O. in Janina, the increase of the service in Albania of the "Puglia" Nav. Co. (included also a postcard from Cattaro-Kotor with a cachet of this company), new issues of stamps and stationery in Albania, as well as three announcing new issues for parcel-, express-, regular stamps and stationery cards for the Levante, and the Italian type "Leoni" issues of stamps and stationery cards & covers.

Anatolia. 1919 (April 5) Postcard from Adalia to Turin franked by Rhodes overprinted "Leoni" 10c, tied by "Posta Militare Italiana/Adalia" double circle, showing at left "31° Battaglione Bersaglieri" unit cachet; the stamps and the handstamps were applied in Adalia and the correspondence was forwarded via courier to Rhodes for onward transmission to Italy. The earliest usage recorded of this cancellation, which was used during almost two months only. (Image)

1919 Cover to Trebaseleghe (Italy), bearing two examples of Rhodes overprinted "Leoni" 10c, both tied by "Posta Militare Italiana/Adalia" double circle (this type features slight differences compared to the type presented in the previous lot), with "31° Battaglione Bersaglieri" unit cachet at left, both being superb neat strikes in blue, with receiving cds on back; the stamps and the handstamps were applied in Adalia and the correspondence was forwarded via courier to Rhodes for onward transmission to Italy. Very rare and most appealing. (Image)

1919 (May 5) Postcard from Konia to Gualtieri (Italy) sent by an Italian soldier, transmitted to Constantinople were it was censored with Italian cachet, posted at the Turkish .O. of Galata where the 1pi franking was tied by cds, probably a unique mail from the troops in Konia posted in a Turkish P.O. in Constantinople previously passing the Italian censorship. (Image)

1919 (May 18) Cover to Italy with contents where the sender indicates to have arrived to Scalanova on 15 May, this mail being forwarded one week later through the P.M. 162 in Leros with the corresponding franking and cds. (Image)

1919 (May 24) Cover from Anatolia forwarded through the P.M. 162 military P.O. which was in that period in Leros (Dodecanese), consequently bearing Leros overprinted "Leoni" 10c tied by P.M. 162 cds, insufficiently franked by 15c and taxed on arrival with postage dues 5c & 10c (Image)