WORLDWIDE COUNTRY COLLECTIONS continued...

Premier collection of about 125 postal history items here, representing 1914 to 1945, beginning with WWI prisoner of war mail on Russian postal stationery with cards from Vrutka in Russia to Alsace, with the collector identifying the different war time offices, followed by a study of postal control during the war with the recognition that much mail to France went outside of the military system. Certain examples such as the post Armistice 11th November 1918 withdrawal of the Germany army from the territory and the French army replacing it, yet clearly in transition as reflected by the delightful double oval postmark Stadt-Theaters Muelhausen, in German, uncensored. Further interesting covers with a 1918 registered letter from Wesserling to Berne with censor band, accompanied by double oval censor mark 55 and Belfort 21st October 1918 and Berne back stamps. Also seen superb propaganda caricature with cartoon of  "some specimens of the 400,000 Boches, hirsutes and Vagrants who have invaded Alsace since 1871"!  Yet another cover in the section relating to front lines being established in WWI, this time with 5cts letter to Paris from Moosch, sent out on the 14th June 1915 with seals of Mairie de Moosch, Bergermeister Moosch and the Commune de Moosch Alsace, making a most visual impression. Also most unusual German local court stationery used by the occupying French with a letter from Dammerkirch, for the government Commision of the 57th reserve division. Another great item is a registered letter from Pera in the Ottoman Empire to Metz with very visual Turkish censor marks and further large red censor sealing label on reverse in Arabic, accompanied by Ubewachungstelle cancel, specifically for military security opened under war regulations, full of character. Yet further material includes red cross letters, military express letter from KD Feldpost in Rumania to Huningen with boxed St Luwig PK cachet and unit briefstempel cachet on reverse Huningen (Obrels) cancel 25th February 1918, etc, etc. Just seen an exceptional card from German prisoner of war held in Japan, initially at Ninoshima camp, sent to Marienheim, Alsace on the 5th May 1917, accompanied by all kinds of Japanese characters. There is also good material in between the two world wars with a 14th April 1927 parcel card from Schitigheim to Nancy, franked with 4.65fr plus a 50ct fiscal used postally with Avricourt transit cancel and Nancy Ville receiving mark the next day, possibly unique. More interwar through to the late 1930s/1940s with American troops stationed In Alsace including advertising mail, letters from the Mayor’s office in Kindweiler to Strassburg, patriotic postcards, card sent by a British Sub Lieutenant serving with the French 158th Infantry occupying Alsace, picture postcard from Bad Nordach to Mulhausen with unusual "forwarding forbidden return" strike etc. The German Occupation section begins with a postcard from a childrens evacuation camp at Auningen by Metz, registered letter to the Special Commission of the OKW in Metz from the Mergemeister, Freisdorf with handwritten provision registration label and boxed provisional cancel etc etc. A truly wonderful and irreplaceable collection.

Well over 200 items of postal history with much 19th century, as well as many stamps again 19th century through to WWII, the latter with an excellent range of different burelages etc. There are many good covers, especially the 19th French stamps used in the area, as well as the German shields of the same period, again with a wide variety of cancels. Every item here is a primary source with much focusing on the historical circumstances of this bi-lingual area. The pre-philatelic begins with Cernay (1812) and Thann (1835) both to Rheims, followed by Ceres heads 25cts first issue imperforate 4 margined used in St Germaine sent to Limonest, further perforated Napoleon heads sent from Boubais with combination 25cts and 10cts on company logo cachet to Markirch with horseshoe cancel, similarly corporate letters from Paris, the Napoleon heads with return correspondence from Metz, Mullhausen, Colmar etc to various parts of France. Then a section devoted to Germania definitives, often accompanied on postcards including postage due, as well as unusual cancelations and a variety of attractive illustrations in the postcards themselves dedicated to Mulhausen including Seinbachgarten, Gerechtigkeitsstrasse, the market place and of course panoramas including tryptychs of Mulhausen, etc, etc. Then the collection unfolds with 1870 regular definitives with over a dozen different covers of these, again with many attractive postmarks including circular, box, oblong and color strikes, then German yet again, often with good horseshoe cancelations, etc. Next are a selection of the regular 1870 definitives stamp themselves with mint, used and on piece examples, as well as multiples, followed by more postal history of that period including combinations, German postal stationery, feldpost, advertising mail, undelivered mail, etc etc. Finally there is a selection of fronts of Napoleon heads, as well as later registered packet cards featuring Hitler Heads and Alsace overprinted combined on various Hindenburg definitives etc, not every day items. Fantastic, once you have viewed this, you will want to own it.

Several dozen items, mostly postal history, somewhat chaotically presented, representing the balance of an outstanding Alsace-Lorraine consignment. Many of these items were waiting to be incorporated into the main line exhibition collection. Items include postal history from 1834 with crisp Ste Marie les Mines (Markirch) pmk to Raon, an impressive earlier red straight line Mulhausen 1814 strike to Hagenau, various Napoleon heads perf and imperfs starting with the second republic 20ct black Ceres head single usage from Kayserberg to La Putroye. Also seen, again out of order, is a "B"  under neck Napoleon head 25ct blue single usage from Mulhouse to Lyon, all the way through to Franco-Prussian war 1870/71 with various  occupation stamps through the Armistice period, including rare mixed frankings shield and eagle types, this time with 2gr shield and 10pf eagle from Weissenburg to Switzerland, later usage in Metz, all the way through to WWI and beyond including printed postcard from German POW in Strassburg, re-directed to Lenzhirch with blue Uzes censor cachet and black oval Strassburg censor which is unlisted, etc. So much more here, even outstanding collateral including very visual "Workers Insurance Card" 1895/6 with 52 stamps 20pf and 50pf through to similar, this time 1902/3 again with 52 stamps with 20,24 and 30pf denominations,  accompanied by the Kaiser’s eagle from the Buergermeister’s double oval eagle strike, clearly showing were their loyalties lie! This outline description is only the tip of the iceberg, a great balance, please inspect.

Pre- philatelic postal history, a well written up collector’s collection with several dozen items with all in good condition, starting with an attractive cover sent out 15th September 1729 from Rappoltweiler to Strasbourg with Colm cancel, then 1787 Louis XVI sent from Lorraine to Barcelona with straightline Strasbourg strike, then similar 1789 cover from Frankfurt to St Die in Lorraine via Strassbourg this time with D’Allemagne strike. Then a fascinating 1796 cover from the Commander of the 139th Demi Brigade at St Omer to the commissar of the Executive Directory in Rouffach, with the collateral requesting the arrest of two deserters! There are also many more interesting covers of the early 19th century, particularly for these cancels and differing rates that the collector has highlighted through to the 1830s, on to the restoration of the monarchy including a Sarregemuines to Beaune cover, culminating with Hamburg to Nantes with Hamburg I.A. pmk via North German Confederation, as well as Paris a Bordeaux TPO Nantes arrival mark and even an 1866 Riga (then part of Russia) to Paris and stampless 1865 Grossschonau, Saxony  to Havre etc. Well worth spending time on, a delightful collection to view with a few very rare covers present accompanied by maps, individual histories etc. A marvellous collection of its type.

sorted by Scott numbers in 2 books full of stamps, with a great deal of better stamps, incl; 23 part o.g., 66 o.g. (2), 89 o.g., 700-05 o.g. (2), 1138a NH imperf space triptych, a few better "R.F." liberation issues, J2, J7, and so many $10-$100 sets, a nice group with many useful items for replenishing stock, some mixed condition, overall VG-VF, owners Scott value from several years ago over $6,000+ .