386. Auktion

“DVINSK POLIGON VITEB. 4 VII 1911” DVINSK ARTILLERY POLIGON temporary cds. tying a 4 k., to postcard to St Petersburg, a further strike alongside, one negligible perf toning, still very fine and rare, latest date of usage recorded

“PARAKHODA. OBSCH. R.V.A.P. z 17 7 08” (STEAMSHIP OF EAST ASIATIC STEAMSHIP COMPANY), fine strike on 4 k., repeated alongside to postcard to Bern, Switzerland, fine and very scarce

“PARAKHODA. OBSCH. R.V.A.P. z 19 4 09” (STEAMSHIP OF EAST ASIATIC STEAMSHIP COMPANY), fine strike on 2 k. (2) to postcard to Shanghai, China with arrival cds “SHANGHAI POSTE RUSSE 6 5 09” and Chinese PO “SHANGHAI 6 MAY”, very fine and attractive. A very scarce combination

“KYAKHTA ZABAIK(AL) OB(LAST) TEL(EGRAPH) OFF(ICE) 26 XI 1908”, blue cds. on 4 k. repeated alongside on photocard to the Great Northern Telegraph Corporation in Shanghai with adjacent arrival cds. “SHANGHAI POSTE RUSSE 21 12 08”, the card with one minor peripheral tear of no importance, very fine, also an unused scenic postcard of the city of Kyakhta. Located at the Mongolian border, the post office of Kyakhta was supposedly transferred to nearby Troitskosavsk, and continued solely as a telegraph office. An extremely rare item

“TROITSKOE TEMP(ORARY) P. OT. SYR. DARYA. OBL(AST) 12 7. 12” cds. on unfranked postcard to St Petersburg with oval postage due handstamp “DOPLATIT TROITSKOE" for 6 kopek, some minor toning, still fine and very scarce temporary office postmark from a small settlement in the area of Tashkent

“TROITSKOSAVSK ZABAIK(AL) OB(LAST) 4 IX 19-10” cds. (Hellrigl type 1b), repeated alongside and tying a 3 k. to postcard to Kyakhta, extremely fine, also an unused scenic postcard, scarce duo

“TROITSKOSAVSK 12 8 13 g” cds. (Hellrigl type 2), tying Romanov 7 k. pair (one stamp teared at top before posting) to reverse of a registered envelope to Chita with arrival cds., on front a superb departure strike and the very rare registration label in Russian “Z N°660 Troitskosavsk Zabailkalskoy Obl.” (Hellrigl type 5), still fine and rare, the serial “g” on the postmark is unrecorded by Hellrigl

“SIMFEROPOL TAVR. 6 18”, two fine strikes, one tying Russia 50 k. to registered envelope addressed to the “Kais Deutsches General Consulat” in Kiev with reverse arrival cds “KIEV 20 6 18”, fine and scarce registered mail from Civil War Crimea

1918, Rostov 25 k. on 2 k. perforate, vertical bloc of twelve and pair tied by cds "VESHENSKAYA -1 2 1919" to money order card to “KARGIN 17 II 1919” for the sum of 298 roubles (correct 1% rate with 3 roubles paid), money not collected by the recipient and returned to sender, upon arrival and refund the stamps were invalidated by cissors cut, some imperfections but of no importance in regards to the scarcity, still attractive

“ROMANOVSKAYA KUB. OBL. 26 3 18”, superb strike on Russia 3,50 r. and 5 k. on parcel card to “ARMAVIR KUB. 29 3 18”, undelivered and readdressed to Stavropol without success, finally returned to sender with cds “ROMANOVSKAYA KUB. OBL.11 5 18”, usual vertical archival fold, very fine and attractive. A scarce and well travelled card, the Kuban People´s Republic declared independance from Bolshevik Russia on February 16th, 1918 thus leading to numerous military actions and much upheavals in the region during the following months

1918, Kuban 1 r. on 3 k., Type II, two vertical strips of five, tied by oval “NOVOROSSIISK VOKZAL -2 10 20” to money order card to “USTRETSTSKOI VOLOG(DA) 16 10 20” for the sum of 500 roubles, correct 2% rate, some faults but very scarce

25 r. on 3 k. vertical strip of four, tied by cds “ROMANOVSKA KUB. OBL. 5 7 20” repeated alongside to an improvised parcel card (initially cash on delivery) to “TURKI SAR(ATOV) 17 8 20” for a sending of 38 funt, correct 100 roubles rate (sending 95 roubles plus registration 5 roubles) reverse additional manuscript note of receipt by addressee dated “21 VIII 1920”. The card with the vertical archival crease, fine. A very scarce Soviet usage of that issue as Trophy, the card being endorsed “Red army” at top and the whole of Kuban being occupied by the Bolsheviks from 27 March 1920

“MINERALNYI VODY 139 KISLOVODSK”, two fine strikes to envelope from a Denikin´s Volunteer Army soldier addressed to Station Kavkavsk in Kuban, franked on reverse with Russia 20 k. and 15 k. paying the 35 kopek rate, reverse arrival cds “ROMANOVSKAYA KUB. 28 4. 19”. The envelope with a light horizontal crease at bottom, fine. A rare Postal Wagon usage

1919, United Russia 5 k. yellow imperforate, a single and a bloc of six, tied by cds “MARIUPOL EKATERIN. 2 7 19” to reverse of an envelope to Rostov on Don, sent underfranked at the previous tariff (new 70 kopek rate coming into force two days earlier), on front scarce postage due oval mark “DOPLATIT MARIUPOL", as 70 (k) due, reverse arrival cds, some minor imperfections, very scarce

10 k. imperforate, horizontal strips of four and three, tied by cds “MARIUPOL 20 6 19” to reverse of registered envelope to Rostov on Don, framed registration cachet and arrival cds “ROSTOV 22 6 19”, the envelope roughly opened at left, of no importance, very fine. A scarce mailing at the 70 kopek rate (1st weight step 35 k. plus registration 35 k.)

35 k., two horizontal pairs tied by cds “KERCH 16 9 19” to registered envelope to Novorossyisk with reverse arrival, correct 1,40 roubles rate (Tariff of July 1st, 1919: single weight step 70 k. plus registration 70 k.), fine

70 k. imperforate, two singles and a pair, all tied by cds “VORONTSOVSKOE-NIKOLAEVSK STAVR. GUB. 1 1 19” to envelope to Rostov on Don with arrival cds, paying the correct quadruple weight step at the 2,80 rouble rate, very fine, scarce

3 r. strip of five, neatly tied by cds “ROSTOV ON DON 20 4 20” with additional 2 r. to parcel card for 17 funt to “SERDOBSK -5 20” (November 1919 Soviet tariff), endorsed at top “Red Army certified 1026”, the card with a central light archival crease of no importance, very fine. A dramatic testimony of the red army lootings during the civil war, Rostov was seized by the Bolsheviks on 10th February 1920 and the White Army stamps used as Trophy 

5 r., horizontal pair tied by cds “ROSTOV VOKZAL 23 5 20” to reverse of registered local envelope with reverse several arrival cds inclduing the special three-triangle postmark “ROSTOV DON 26 5 20”, 10 rouble Soviet rate (1st weight step 5 r. plus registration 5 r.), fine. A scarce Soviet usage of the United Russia adhesives as Trophy

10 r. two horizontal strips of five tied by cds VARVAROPOLYE 13 11 19" to registered money order card to Kharkov regarding the transfer of 5,000 roubles, arrival cds “KHARKOV 17 11 19” (correct 2% rate), transfer unpaid and returned upon arrival to the sender as Kharkov felt under the Bolshevik rule meanwhile, final arrival dated “VARVAROPOLYE -3 4 20”, about five months later. Some toning and minor imperfections as to be expected, scarce

Russia 1 r. imperforate bloc of four, used with cds “CHITA” 28 1 20" to reverse of registered envelope to Stockholm, Sweden with red transit “LONDON” and arrival cds “STOCKHOLM 30. 3. 20”, the envelope somehow creased and with wrinkles, still fine, together with Russia 1 r. imperforate horizontal strip of three tied by cds “CHITA 17 11 19” to reverse of envelope to Washigton, USA, with archival holes. A most appealing duo, showing the Kolchak rates in the Transbaikal region both during the Kolchak (November 1919) and the superseding Semenov (January 1920) regimes 

KOLCHAK REVENUES: 20 k. horizontal strip of three and 75 k. pair, all tied by pen cross cancellation to a folded extract of birth certificate from the church of the village Innokentiev in Irkutsk diocese, dated on the inside 31 January 1920 (Old Style), some aging and minor imperfections. A most unusual usage

1919, Kolchak issue 35 k. on 2 k. perforated, vertical pair and single, together with Coat of Arms 3,50 r., tied by small cds. “VLADIVOSTOK 8 5 20” to reverse of registered envelope to New York, USA, with arrival cds., slightly overpaying the 4 roubles rate for foreign registered mail, fine and scarce

1919/20, Kolchak 70 (k). on 1 k. yellow-orange pair and 5 singles with Russia 5 r. (3) and 10 k. tied by cds. “IRKUTSK 10 3. 20” to money transfer card concerning the sum of 2,000 roubles to the village Ledengsk Vologda with arrival cdss. “LEDENSK VOL. 24 4 20”, correct rate at 1% (equals 20 roubles franking), some minor imperfections as usual, still fine. A very scarce usage of the Kolchak issue as Trophy, Irkutsk having been taken by a Bolshevik Committee at the begining of the year

1920, Ataman Semyonov issue 10 r. on 70 k., two pairs and a single, tied by cds. “CHITA -8 7 20” to registered envelope to Tientsin with arrival cds. “TIENTSIN RUSSKAYA POCHTA 14 7 20” alongside (late usage, the Russian Post Office at the Treaty Port being closed at the end of 1920), correct 50 roubles Semyonov rate (25 roubles first weight step plus 25 roubles registration), some usual aging and minor envelope wear of no importance, very fine. An extremely rare and important cover, being probably the only known registered and one of less than ten covers recorded, all types of mail combined, from the Semyonov issue

1921, Chita Issue 1 k. three pairs and two strips of three, together with 3 k., 5 k. and 20 k. all neatly tied by cds, “BLAGOVECHENSK 30 3 23” to reverse of registered envelope to Switzerland with transit westbound via Moscow arrival cds. “”ZURICH -2 V. 23", very fine and eye-catching 40 kopek rate cover

5 k. vertical lower sheet margin strip of three, neatly tied by cds. “OSINOVKA PRIMOR(SKOYE) 1 - 2. 23” to reverse of registered envelope to Vladivostok with arrival cds., endorsed on back flap “Selo (village) Osinovka”, cover with light vertical bend one 5 k. with minor fold of no importance, still very fine. A very scarce usage at the 15 kopek rate from a small locality

10 k. two singles tied by cds. “CHITA 15 7 22” to registered envelope to Kharbin, China, sent free-franked with reverse blue seal of the Military Industrial Soviet Commission, the adhesives paying for the registration fee only, front three-line book register handstamp and framed registration mark "CHITA N° 705", reverse arrival cds., minor usual soiling of no importance, fine and very scarce

1921, Chita issue 10 k. bloc of four and single, fresh colours, neatly tied by railway postal station oval “CHITA VOKZ. 17 6 23” to registered envelope to Berlin, Germany with reverse arrival cds., on front scarce rreddisch register handstamp along with the label, fine and scarce

1923, Gold Kopek 2 k. two singles together with Chita issue 3 k. strips of four, five and three singles, tied by cds. “VLADIVOSTOK 16 8 23” to registered envelope to Tientsin, China with arrival cds. alongside, fine and scarce

“PORT ARTHUR 266 KHARBIN v 3 10 (19)05”, superb strike on stampless envelope to Kiev, sent under the free frank status as the sender was a military personal, very fine and rare 

KHARBIN PORT-ARTHUR railway line, superb strike of the postal wagon cds “POCHTOVYI WAGON N°265 5 X 1903” on postcard to Compiègne, France with Kitai 1 k. and 3 k. tied by cds “PEKIN 2 X 1903” with arrival cds, fine and scarce, signed Holcombe

1899, Kitai 3 k. rose-red, two blocs of four and an horizontal pair, fresh colours, all neatly tied by cds “PEKIN 7 VI 1903” to reverse of registreed envelope to Soisy sous Montmorency, France, with regsitration white label on front, reverse travelling post office transit cds “POCHTOVYI WAGON N 260 2” (MANCHURIA-CHITA) and arrival cds. One adhesive with a few short perf, the envelope with some minor toning, still fine and attractive, very scarce

“R.O.P.I.T. * AGENTS. MERSINA 1 JAN (18)83”, greenish oval handstamp on printed form with heading “COMPAGNIE RUSSE DE NAVIGATION A VAPEUR ET COMMERCE” concerning the dispatch of a cotton cargo from Mersian to Triest, slight peripheral toning, fine and very scarce

1868, 10 pa. rose/blue and 2 pia. blue/rose, good to large margins all around, tied by illegible dotted rectangular to lettersheet from Aleppo to Beyrouth, endorsed inside “Aleppo" by the sender and merchant´s cachet on front, the adhesives probably cancelled upon arrival at destination port. One back flap missing and the cover tatty, still fine. The rare convergence of a most unusual combination franking and an elusive port of origin

“SHAMKINA” (SHAMKINSKAYA, Shemkino volost), framed two-line Zemstvo postmark dated “11 AUG. 18(80)" on registered petition envelope to Simbirsk with 1 k. black/yellow and 20 k. blue/orange tied by cds “BUINSK 13 AUG. 1880”, reverse Imperial post despatch cds “BUINSK 14 (AUG 1880)” and arrival small cds “SIMBIRSK 15 AUG. 1880”, with endorsements “per. 28 k.” and ”petition given to the elder Piotr Bognyavlenski". The envelope with some minor toning and back partly excised, still fine and very rare, only a few covers known from the Buinsk Zemstvo