386th Auction

1860, 1/2gr. carmine, Plate II, unused, with part original gum, hinge remnant, large even margins, deep colour,  an attractive stamp, signed Alberto Diena, small mark at upper right, else very fine. (Michel 2)

1859, 1gr carmine, Plate II, a large-margin horizontal pair, rich deep shade, tied to small piece by Arce c.d.s. (Sassone 12 Pts), a most attractive pair and uncommon cancellation, very fine.  (Michel 2)

1859, 1gr. carmine, Plate II, used in combination with 5gr. carmine rose, Plate II, tied together by boxed “Annulato” handstamp, affixed to registered cover front to Bari, handstamped with red straight-line “Assicurata”, postmarked with red “Partenza a Napoli” c.d.s. (3 Feb, 1861), fresh and attractive appearance, signed Cardillo. (Michel 2, 4)

1859, 1gr “carminio scuro”, horizontal pair, Plate II, with good to large margins, , pleasing deep shade, cancelled by neatly-struck Montemarano c.d.s., an attractive pair with an uncommon cancellation, fine. (Michel 4)

1858, 20gr brownish rose, superior margins all around, centrally-struck framed “Annulato” cancellation, fresh colour, backstamped Kohler, a lovely stamp, very fine. (Michel 6)

1858, 50gr brownish rose, good to large margins all around, fresh colour, cancelled with boxed “Annullato” handstamp, backstamped Senf Brothers, very fine. (Michel 7)

1858, 50gr brownish rose, large margins at top and foot, touched at left and right, good colour, cancelled with boxed “Annullato” handstamp, fine; with 2012 Colla certificate. (Michel 7)

1852, 5 c. yellow orange and 1855 25 c. brown red, mixed margins, tied to 1856 folded cover by indistinct c.d.s., red framed “P D” in red, reverse with Genova (21 Sep) and S. Pier d'Arena (21 Sep) c.d.s., light discoloration in places, else fine, signed Alberto Diena. (Michel 1, 8)

1852/3, 1852 10 c. black on white and and 1854 5 c. yellow orange, margins good to touched in places, tied by indistinct c.d.s. to folded letter to Parma, with contents datelined Piacenza, two disinfection slits to front, reverse with “Parma / 31 / Ottobre” arrival backstamp, remarkably fresh,signed Enzo Diena, with 1974 Alberto Diena certificate. (Michel 2, 6)

1852, 40 c. blue, large margins all around, unused, without gum, superior centering, very fine, signed Alberto Diena. (Michel 5a)

1853, 5 c. yellow orange, good to large margins, fresh colour, lightly cancelled, difficult in this quality, with 2014 Raybaudi certificate.

1853, 5 c. yellow, horizontal pair, mostly good to large margins, touched at top, centrally-struck with red mute grid cancel, rich colour, fine and attractive, with 2001 Sorani certificate. (Michel 6)

1853-57, 6 c. black on rose, good margins, unused with tiny toned original gum, signed Oliva

1859, 1/2b straw to 20b blue grey, set of nine, unused, most with part original gum, some with hinge remnants, all with good to large margins and with fresh bright colours, the 6b. signed Alberto Diena, a very fine group. (Michel 1-9)

1859, 1b. black on grey-brown (2) and 3b. black on dark green, each with four balanced margins, tied to undated folded cover to Rome by diamond grid cancel, reverse with partial red c.d.s. arrival backstamp, some light soiling and tone spots, but a scarce franking. (Michel 2, 4)

1859, 2b. black on yellow-orange, ample to large margins, tied to folded letter by diamond grid cancel, postmarked with Bologna c.d.s. (26 Jan), to Cento, with contents from the Salt & Tobacco Administration, a fine single-franking. (Michel 3)

1859, 3b. black on dark green, large margins on two sides, clear at left and touched at foot, tied to large part folded letter by diamond grid cancel, postmarked Bologna (14 Oct, 1859), two partial c.d.s. backstamps, minor stains at bottom on portion of outer sheet missing, else a fine single franking. (Michel 4)

1859, 4b. black on red brown, large margins on two sides, touched at left and upper left, tied to1860 folded letter to Como by diamond grid cancel, struck with bold “RAVENNA” straight-line with “22 GENNARO” struck alongside, reverse with Milano (24 Jan) and Como (24 Jan) c.d.s. backstamps, with printed contents of the Compagnia Drammatica di Claudia Miutti, supplemented by hand-written text signed Antonio Feoli, light wrinkles, vertical filing fold, else fine. (Michel 5)

1859, 20b. black on grey blue, block of four, large balanced margins all around, unused, with large part original gum, the top two stamps hinged, leaving the bottom pair mint never hinged, good colour, trivial spot in upper margin, an attractive block, very fine, signed Alberto Diena, Bolaffi. (Michel 9)

1851, 5 c. black, imperforate, mostly good to wide margins, touching frameline at right, cancelled by mute lozenge of dots in black, fine, signed Enzo Diena. (Michel 1)

1851, 5 c. black, imperforate, mostly good margins just touched at lower left, cancelled by mute lozenge of dots in black, affixed to small piece, fine. Cert. Colla (2013). (Michel 1)

1852, 20 c . light blue, horizontal pair, tied to folded cover to Bra by lozenge of dots, struck with Alessandria despatch at upper right (26 Oct), some toning including to pair, but a scarce franking, signed Alberto Diena, with note “frode postale” written alongside, accompanied by 2016 Biondi certificate noting that the adhesives were “fraudulently reused.”   (Michel 2var)

1852, 20 c. light blue, First Printing, clear to large margins, cancelled with black lozenge of dots, fine, (Michel 2var)

1853, 20 c. light blue, Matraire proof on thin, ungummed paper, large even margins, fresh and very fine. Cert. Dr. Avi (2009). (Michel 4 var)

1853, 40c c. rose, good margins on three sides, touched at left, neatly-tied to small piece by Genova (1 Jun 1854) c.d.s., negligible flaw at upper left, else fine, with 2011 Newiger BPP certificate. (Michel 6)

1854, 5 c. yellow green, horizontal pair, with large margins all around, showing portions of adjoining stamps in places, cancelled by “Nizza Maritta" c.d.s., trivial tone spot at lower right, very fine. (Michel 7b)

1854, Unissued printing, seven singles displaying a range of shades of the 5 c. green, 20 c. indigo, and 40 c. rose, all with part to large part original gum, generous balanced margins and fresh appearance, most with expert signatures such as Diena and Thier, the odd small imperfection, overall very fine and ideal for the specialist. (Sassone 10, 11, 12)

1854, 20 c. “celeste” (sky blue), good margins all around, centrally-struck with Sassari c.d.s., fresh colour, very fine. (Michel 8var)

1854, 20 c. light blue, four good to large margins, tied to 1855 folded letter to Genova by crisp Rivalta c.d.s. (27 Mar, Sassone 13 Pts), with same-day Torino and indistinct Genova c.d.s. backstamps, some light staining in places, but a pleasing franking and scarce cancellation, fine, signed Alberto Diena, with 2010 Colla certificate. (Michel 8var)

1854, Unissued, 20 c. indigo vertical pair from positions 7 and 12 of the pane of fifty, large part original gum, large even margins, a couple small pinholes, but quite scarce. Cert. Cardillo (2013) (Michel 8c)

1854, Unissued, 20 c. indigo block of four from positions 8-9 / 13-14 of the pane of fifty, showing the variety background colour print inverted, large part original gum, lower pair never hinged, large even margins, very fine and scarce. Cert. Colla (2009) and Cardillo (2015) (Michel 8c)

1854, 40 c. brick rose and dark brick rose, two singles, each with good or better margins on all sides, cancelled with c.d.s. postmarks, the dark brick with trivial thin spots in lower margin, else fine. (Michel 9a, 9b)

1862-3, 5 c. green and 40c rose carmine, typical mixed margins, affixed to 1863 cover front to Carrara, cancelled by  “PER CONSEGNA” straight-line (Sassone 13 Pts), with free strike at left, postmarked with Firenze c.d.s. despatch strike (2 Jan), a choice example of this scarce cancellation, with 1994 Raybaudi certificate. (Sassone 13Ea, 16E)

1859, 5c green, imperforate, used in combination with Kingdom of Italy 1862 10c bistre, tied to piece by fine strike of “Napoli Ancona Piros. Post” ship cancel (11 Feb, 1863, Sassone 12 Pts), some toning, else a fine mixed franking complemented by a scarce cancellation.

1857, 5 c. myrtle green horizontal pair and two 20 c. dark ultramarine singles, well-margined and tied to large part folded cover to Luc en Provenace, France, by Genova c.d.s. (3 Jun), handstamped P.D. in black and struck with red French entry c.d.s. (5 Jun), reverse with two c.d.s. transit backstamps and partial Luc en Provence c.d.s. receiver, portion of outer wrapper removed, stain at lower left, but a scarce franking of otherwise fine appearance. Cert. Cardillo (2016). (Michel 10, 12)

1855, 5 c. light myrtle green, horizontal pair, mostly good margins, slightly into design at foot, and 40 c. light vermilion-orange ("vermiglio arancio chiaro"), tied to 1857 folded letter to Marseille by Annecy c.d.s. (15 May), with red French entry c.d.s. and Chambery (15 May), Lyon (16 May) and Lyon a Marseille (16 May) c.d.s. backstamps, the stamps with some light rubbing, else fine and scarce, signed Alberto Diena, with 2009 Enzo Diena certificate.