Ethiopia. Rare routed Egyptian "no service" to Israel: 22-11-1955 surface mailed commercial cover from DIRE DAWA Ethiopia (no return address) to district police TIBERIAS , franked 20c & tied by 4 strikes of local postmark; backstamped next day ADDIS ABABA transit: at this time all mail from Ethiopia was sent only by surface, often by Suez Canal - here sent such, via PORT TAWFIK, where backstamped 4 DE 55 transit & manuscript-marked in red "No service return to origin" (pre-dates instructional handstamp, first used in 1956); routed via CAIRO (next day machine cancel on back) where marked by censor handstamp K-Type5 (#73) in red - this rare, and returned - oddly, not opened for inspection and possible reason for manuscript crossing out of cachet & postmark; backstamped 3-1-56 ADDIS ABABA arrival; rare PORT TAWFIK route used with less than 5 covers known. Original correspondence enclosed, dated 16 II 1956 in Addis Ababa, between Greek? Professor & Israeli collector regarding exchanging stamps; original seller (1980) said retured letter was placed inside another letter (written in Hebrew) & resent.
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This lot is being offered in a buy or bid sale format, whose initial buyout price is: $599. This price will rise by about 5-10% for every new bid received once the bid level passes the midway mark between the starting bid price and the initial buyout price. In such cases please check the latest buyout price on our homesite or contact us.
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Product Tags: Ethiopian, Egyptian, Israeli, Philately - Postal Covers, Arab-Israeli mail suspensions 1949-1956 and Postal History from Ethiopia, Egypt, Israel, and from 20th Century, 1950s which are Philately - Suspended Service mail, Philately - Significant Route, Philately - Surface Mail (contemporary), Philately - significant cachets & postal markings, Philately - Earliest/Latest, First/Last & Proving dates or places, Philately - Unusual Origin, Destination or Postal Link, Philately - Censored Mail,

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