386th Auction

1879, postal stationery card 10 centimes red used from “PHILIPPOPELI 26.I.87” to Dedeagach with Turkey 1 piaster blue, tied by violet bilingual cds. “DEDEGATCHE”, card lightly toned and with few spots, otherwise fine. Bulgarian stamps were not recognized by the Ottoman Empire after the annexation of Eastern Rumelia by Bulgaria in 1885, a rare mixed franking

"PHILIPOPLE 12/VI 84", blue c.d.s. on large-size official cover (reduced at top and left), addressed to the Grand Vizier at Constantinople, with arrival mark. Opinion Todd AIEP (2015)

1842, folded letter from Plovdiv to Pest, with choice strike of disinfection marking “Netto Di Fuora E Di Dentro”, affixed with wax seals of Aleksinats and Semlin alongside and largely intact, very fine; ex Hitzler.

1847, folded letter from Plovdiv to Pest, struck on reverse with circular “Netto Di Fuora E Di Dentro” disinfection marking, with red wax seals of Aleksinats and Semlin alongside, light horizontal fold, else fine; ex Hitzler.

1860 (June 22), folded letter from Plovdiv to Marseille, struck with Filipopoli despatch c.d.s., handstamped FRANCO in black and P.D. in red, French entry c.d.s. on front, reverse with Wien (28 Jun) and Paris (1 Jul) c.d.s., black Semlin disinfection handstamp, some minor staining in places, else fine; ex Hitzler.

1879 (December 9), stampless cover, from Plovdiv to Worms, via Constantinople, handstamped “FRANCO” in blue, with blue c.d.s. transit marks (Dec. 23) on front and back, some toning, yet a rare cover, one of only a small number of such examples recorded following the closure of the last Russian field post offices and transfer of civil mail responsibility to Eastern Rumelia, but before adhesive stamps had arrive from Constantinople in late 1880.

1880 (January), group of nine postal stationery cards, showing examples printed on thin light paper without “FRANCO” handstamp, thick grey paper without “FRANCO” handstamp, thin light paper with 30mm “FRANCO” handstamp, thick grey paper with 30mm “FRANCO” handstamp, thick grey paper with short-form (29.5mm) “FRANCO” handstamp, thick grey paper with long-form (31mm) “FRANCO” handstamp, “FRANCO” overprint doubled, and examples on both thick and light paper showing “FRANCO” in light blue and “Ostrumelische Post” in dark blue, usual corner creases and edge wear, a chiefly fine and ideal group for the specialist.

1880 (January 16), prepaid stampless cover to Constantinople, struck with blue Plovdiv c.d.s., straight-line FRANCO in blue below, with c.d.s. arrival backstamp (Jan 31), opening tear to back flap and some light creasing, else fine.

Note: responsibility for civil mails passed to Eastern Rumelian authorities in mid-1879, though adhesive stamps were not available until late 1880.  

1880 (March 11), registered cover from Tatar Pazardjik to Adrianopel, likely paid 1-1/2pi letter rate plus 1-1/2pi registration fee, struck FRANCO in black due to unavailability of postage stamps for prepayment, neatly-struck Plovdiv transit on front (March 11), reverse with faint c.d.s. arrival backstamp, some toning, cover reduced at right, yet a scarce example of registered mail from this short-lived period.

1880 (June 25), stampless cover to London, prepaid and struck with blue FRANCO straight-line, alongside fine Plovdiv despatch c.d.s. and Constantinople transit (Jul 9), reverse with second transit c.d.s. and London c.d.s. receiver (Jul 14), portion torn from back, clear of postmarks, cover opened on three sides for display, but a scarce usage to a foreign destination, with clearer strikes than often seen.

1886, three postal stationery covers to Freiherrn Adolph von Gissa in Plovdiv, with a 7k stationery cover from Libau (June 4),  a 10pf uprated Bavarian stationery cover from Bamberg, and 10pf Crown & Eagle stationery of Germany uprated from Dresden, the first two with Constantinople transit and c.d.s. arrival backstamps, the last transiting via  Orsova and Sofia, the Bavarian cover opened on three sides for display, a pleasing group to an important figure in the early study of the postal history of the period.

1881, 1/2pre on 20pa green horizontal pair, overprint “R.O.” inverted, centrally-struck with circular grid cancel in blue, nicely-centered and fresh colour, light central wrinkles not detracting from the pleasing appearance of this scarce variety.

1881, 1/2pre on 20pa green, overprinted “R.O.” in blue, vertical pair, cancelled with multiple strikes of circular grid cancel in blue, some small perf flaws as commonly found, else a fine and scarce pair; with 1996 Holcombe certificate.

1881, ½ pre. on 20 pa. green, 20 pa. violet green showing double “R.O.” both unused, additional two 10 pa. overprinted “R.O.” in blue and “ROUMÉLIE ORIENTALE” in blue, each no gum, usual rough perforation, otherwise fine, signed Schlesinger, Wallner a.o.

1881, 1 pre. on 20 pa. green to 2 pia., overprinted “R.O.” in blue, used set of three, additional 1881 10 pa. overprinted “R.O.” and “ROUMÉLIE ORIENTALE” in blue, usual rough perforation, each signed, overall fine appearance

1880/85, Ten stamps lot including three stamps showing “R.O.” overprints, each signed, nine stamps used, fine group

1881, 20pa “R O” overprint, three used singles, one each cancelled with blue grid, blue c.d.s., and red c.d.s., the odd perf flaw as often seen, else a fine trio illustrated the cancellation types in use during this provisional period.

1881 (May 25), 2pi overprinted “R.O.” in blue, diagonally bisected and tied to cover by blue circular grid cancel, neatly-struck Plovdov c.d.s. alongside, the bisect paying the 10pi foreign letter rate, large portion of piece missing from back, trivial given the cover’s exceptional rarity, the only recorded usage of a bisected RO overprint, certificate Hitzler (2022)

1881 (October 4), 10pa black & rose, overprinted “R.O.” in blue, tied by neatly-struck circular grid cancel in blue to bilingual newspaper “Maritza”, Vol. 3, No. 322, published in Plovdiv, adhesive with remarkably bright colour, the newspaper with trivial flaws but similarly fresh, a superb and late usage, an extremely rare example of a sound “R.O.” overprinted issue on a newspaper; with 2022 Hitzler certificate.

1880, 20 pa. violet on green, inverted blue overprint “R.O.”, unused, fine, three times signed

1880, 5 pia. rose on blue, blue overprint “R.O.”, unused, fine, signed Richter and Schlesinger

1881, 10pa black & lilac, overprinted “R.O.” and “Roumélie Orientale” , block of four, cancelled with several strikes of blue circular grid, some perforation flaws, small thin at top, yet a rare multiple, with few genuine examples recorded; with 2004 Hitzler certificate.

1882 (February 9), 10pa black & lilac, overprinted “R.O.” and “Roumélie Orientale” in blue, tied by neatly-struck circular grid cancel in blue to bilingual part newspaper “Maritza”, Vol. 5, No. 360, published in Plovdiv, adhesive with various small flaws, newspaper quite fresh, both a late usage and rare franking, one of only two recorded examples recorded by Hitzler of genuine “R.O.” overprinted issue on newspaper, and the latest recorded usage of any denomination of this issue, uncommonly found used after July, 1881; with 2022 Hitzler certificate.

1881 (November 27), 10pa black & lilac, overprinted “R.O.” and “Roumélie Orientale” in blue, tied by crisp circular grid cancel in blue to bilingual newspaper “Maritza”, Vol. 4, No. 340, published in Plovdiv, adhesive damaged, torn in half prior to being affixed to paper, the newspaper itself with trivial edge flaws, a late usage of any denomination of this printing, uncommonly found used after July, 1881.

1881, 10pa black & lilac, overprinted “R.O.” in blue, overprint “Roumélie / Orientale” omitted, lightly corner cancelled in blue, stained at left side, but a rare used example of this scarce variety.

1880, 5 pa. black on olive and 1 pia. black on blue, unused red overprinted OZ (Specimen). Fine and scarce pair

1884 (October 3), 5pa black & olive, tied to front cover of newspaper “Science” by green circular grid cancel, below struck with ornate crossed Post Horn negative seal “Eastern Rumelian Post Plovdiv”, trivial edge flaws as commonly seen, not detracting from the tremendous visual appeal of this scarce franking, illustrating the domestic printed matter rate.

1884 (September 5), 5pa black & olive, perforated 13.5, tied to cover by scarce green triangular Post Horn local cancel of Plovdiv, corresponding c.d.s. struck above, light vertical fold, else a desirable franking of the 5pa local post rate for printed matter, and demonstrating the recurrence in 1884 of the triangular handstamp originally introduced in 1880-81; with 2022 Hitzler certificate.

1884, 5 pa. black & olive, two single, perforated 13.5 on postal card, paying the 10 pa. inland postcard rate, cancelled with circular grid cancel, HADJI ELLES c.d.s. alongside and PLOVDIV arrival mark, only few recorded, corner faults, otherwise fine

1885 (February 24), 5pa black & olive, perforated 13.5, two singles affixed at either side of postal card, paying the 10pa inland postcard rate, 5pa paying only the rate for local delivery, tied by circular grid cancels, postmarked with Kazanluk c.d.s. despatch, to Tatar Pazardjik, two small tears and diagonal crease at upper right, else fine.

1883 (December 18), 5pa black & olive, tied by green grid cancel to December 15 edition of the “South Bulgarian” newspaper, with blue Plovdiv despatch c.d.s., the odd small edge tear to paper, a choice franking illustrating this inland newspaper rate. 

1880/81, 5pa black & olive, horizontal strip of four, cancelled with bold blue grid cancel and partial Yambol c.d.s., with 5pa black & green block of four and strip of four, each cancelled with neatly-struck green grid cancels, strip of six cancelled with light blue c.d.s. postmarks, a few trivial perf flaws, else a fine and scarce group of used multiples.

1880, 5 pa. black on olive, imperf corner margin block of 12, nine stamps mint never hinged, three unused, light vertical fold, otherwise very fine

1881 (January 9), 10pa black & green, perforated 13.5, block of four, tied to piece by blue Plovdiv c.d.s., trace of the odd toned perf, else of fresh colour and nicely-centered, a scarce multiple, being the early recorded use of the 10pa value. 

1884 (April 1), 10pa black & green, tied by circular grid cancel to March 28, 1884 edition of the “South Bulgarian” newspaper, with blue Plovdiv despatch c.d.s., to Tirnovo, typical small edge tears to news paper, the adhesive with some perf toning, else a fine example of the scarce foreign newspaper rate.

1883 (January 23), 20pa black & rose, tied to postal card by blue Pechtera c.d.s., year date incorrectly set to “82”,  sent via Constantinople to Tatar with Constantinople Yeni-Djani transit and blue c.d.s. arrival backstamp, a few trivial stains, but an uncommon cancellation.