1901 (12 Jan) cover (opened for display) franked with 20c Umberto, tied by "Ra. Nave Fiera-Mosca" naval cancel, addressed to Livorno, with Japan 4sen rose added on reverse, tied by a private boxed seal in red, with additional Italian markings and Livorno arrival (19.2.01), fine and unusual combination, with Holcombe certificate ("the only explanation for the Japanese stamp without a Japanese cancelation is that the sender thought the letter would have to go through the Japanese postal system if the ship was at that time in a Japanese port and therefore paid the 4sen to cover the internal Japanese postage") (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 (20 Nov) registered cover sent through the Imperial Chinese Post Office in Peking, franked with 2c, 4c and 5c C.I.P. Coiling Dragons, tied by oval Peking departure markings and large "R", with framed "R Peking" registry box below, addressed to the Italian Flagship "Marco Polo" at the Italian Consulate in Shanghai, with large "COMANDO BATAGLIONE MARINAI" seal on back, Shanghai Registered Nov.28 arrival pmk, filing fold away from the stamps, faint toning, fine (Image)

Est.US$300

1902 (10 May) registered cover to Italy, franked with 5c Eagle and 20c (3) Umberto, tied by "R. Nave Puglia" pmks, with R.No. at bottom, boxed "Piroscafi Italiane", Rome (29.6.02) arrival pmk on back, fine. At the outbreak of the Boxer Uprising, the only Italian forces in China were four ships of its East Asia Cruiser Squadron, including the "Puglia", which had its own on board post office (Image)

Est.US$250

1902 (Feb) cover to Viareggio, Italy, with Italian pair of 5c green and 10c red brown, tied on back by blue "COMANDO BATAGLIONE MARINAI" (with Savoy Coat of Arms seal), arrival (1.3.1902) on back, fine and scarce usage, signed Diena, with his 1988 certificate (Image)

Est.US$250

1903-04 registered cover and card to Italy, each with Italian franking, first one (opened for display), with 20c and 25c Umberto, canceled by "Comando Truppe Italiane in Cina" (14 Jan 1903) departure, with large "R No." (actual number in pen), "Regie Truppe Italiane in Cina Comando" backflap and arrival pmk (27 Feb), the latter franked with 10c and 25c Victor Emmanuel, tied by "Comando Truppe Italiane in Cina" (15 Apr 1904) departure pmk, Registry label (previously unrecorded) at left, Firenze arrival pmk (29.5.04) at bottom, cover and card tears, fine and extremely rare pair of Registered items from Italian forces in China (Image)

Est.US$500

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