1901 (20 Oct) cover with official naval markings of the cruiser "Stromboli", sent via the French maritime "Australie, Paq.Fr. T.No.1", with 50c Type Sage, Registered and addressed to the "Ministerio Della Marina" in Rome, with arrival pmk on back, filing fold away from the stamp, fine and incredibly rare example of French franking of Italian Naval mail during the Boxer period. As official mail, this cover should have been sent through the ship's own post office at no charge. The only explanation for the unusual routing was that there was no Italian mail ship in North China at that time and the cover was sent from China to Colombo, where it was posted on the French packet "Tonkin". Postage was paid at the full international rate of 50c (25c postage and 25c registry fee). The "Stromboli" was deployed to the Far East, together with "Vesuvio" and "Ettore Fieramosca" to assist the Eight-Nation Alliance in putting down the Boxer Uprising in China (Image)

Est.US$500