Petite Treasures – May 2026

1948/60, King Faisal II 20 official stamps red surcharged "SPECIMEN" (Mi.D169 Spec.) additional 22 postage and official stamps red (20) and black (2) surcharged "SPECIMEN" (Mi.188-193, 176, D170-185 Spec.), all mounted with other stamps from 1960 on two printers archive card pages, very scarce and attractive

1958, 1 f. blue complete sheet of 100 with margins, positions 5 to 10 with surcharge type II (alternate row), scarce and attractive.

"BAGDAD" bilingual oval type cancellation on envelope bearing 1 Piaster blue 1901 issue, addressed to Sham / Damascus, tiny flaw on top, otherwise fine, attractive cover showing a beautiful cancellation

1850, BAGDAD "An Canib-i Postahane-i Bagdad" Tatarpost document Ottoman period showing all arabic cancellation, additional Postmark Harput, fine and clear mark

“BASRA” (Coles & Walker no.43, RRR*) cancellation on 1876 cover with 20 Para green / violet to Kermanchah / Irak with arrival mark on reverse, shortened on top and corner flaw, this cancellation is unknown on cover at Isfila, great rarity of Turkey & Iraq postal history 

"BATTAL" ("cancelled", Brand-Ceylan no.XVIII-12) clear double circle on cover bearing Turkey empire issue 20 pa. rose, used in Iraq and addressed to KUT (Kut el Amara), tiny shortened at left, very scarce and attractive

“KIAZIMIE 23/9/07” c.d.s. (Coles-Walker no.31) on 1908 cover with 1 Pia. blue to Teheran with arrival mark, fine and very clear Iraq forerunner

“KERBELA 1” bilingual blue c.d.s. (Coles-Walker unrecorded) on 1915 money transfer bearing 1½ piaster carmine black to Constantinople with arrival mark PERA 5 on reverse, tiny border crease, otherwise fine and unique Turkey forerunner

“KERYE BACHI (BAGDAD)” Turkish cancellation (Isf. no.2) on telegram form.  A scarce ottoman forerunner, very clear cancelled

1913, "MOUSSOUL 1" (Coles-Walker no.70, 20 pts.) on reverse of parcel card from Hungary cancelled "SOPRON 916 JUL 3", via Zimony, to the Bank Imperial Ottoman Mosoul, for parcel fee at arrival Turkey 10 pia. blueishgreen block of four affixed on reverse and clear cancelled, minor corner faults and flaw at border, otherwise fine, a scarce destination and very high parcel fee.

"MUSUL 81" black box type (Coles-Walker no.66) cancellation on 1891 official cover with rectangular "tahrirati mühimme" (important mail) and official seal "MOSUL EMLAK HÜMAYUN IDARESI" (Mosul Land Registry), to Constantinople with arrival mark, little roughly opened at top and some crease, otherwise fine, very scarce and unusual Turkey / Ottoman forerunner

1880 ca., NEDJEF ECHREF: “Necef” all Arabic octagonal negative seal (Isfila no.3, RR), extremely fine strike on 1 pia. on reverse of small envelope with adjacent bilingual Nedjef date stamp to Teheran with arrival marks; some crease and tiny flaw, otherwise fine and scarce.

1910, 1 pi. blue, 20 pa rose-carmine and 10 pa. green tied by “NEDJEF ECHREF” cds. (Coles 35, 15 Punkte) to envelope, transit marks KERMANCHAH 20.6.10, KOUM 24.6.10, ISPAHAN 28.6.10 and arrival mark YEZD 2/7, some border flaw and crease, otherwise fine and very attractive.

1876, 4 kr. deep yellow on vertically laid paper, full to wide margins, light part cancelled ZENDJAN, signed, very fine

1878, 1 shahi deep carmine rose on white paper, re-engraved issue, showing "fugative ink" variety, full to wide margins, part cancelled Tabriz, very fine and scarce  (Scott 33)

1878, 4 kr. violet-blue,type C, good margins, part cancellation CHAHROUK, fine, signed Sadri (Persiphila no.29D)

1878, Lion 5 kran gold, Type A, used with clear part cancellation of Teheran 27/1, beautiful fresh colour and good to large margins, top right corner crease, otherwise fine and a rare shade, signed (Persiphila 31).

1879/82, Nasser-eddin Shah Qajar 1 s. red brown and 50 c. grey black, plus five stamps Mitra issue, all unused, fine.

1886/97, Official overprinted set of five up to 18 ch. on 10 sh, all clear cancelled, plus four used stamps 1894-97, fine

1889, 1 kr. orange with 5 ch. lilac, tied by Bousher c.d.s. to reverse of  registered cover with  front side register label to Teheran

1889, Arabesque control handstamps issue, set of 14 up to 50 kr mauve, unused hinged, few small values missing, fine

1892-1923, Seven stampless covers showing fine cancellations, Ispahan, Schiraz, Kum, Isfahan No.2, Barfrouch and thimble type Sandok, fine group

1902, 5 Chahis on 10 ch. blue, tied by Teheran 2 c.d.s. to reverse envelope to Ispahan with arrival mark, very fine

10 ch., 2 single copies with large margins, tied by c.d.s. "ISPAHAN 26/5" to reverse of commercial registered cover, with frontside register label, to Shiraz.

1906, Shah Muzaffar ad-Din 2 kr. ultramarine with violet surcharge 2 CHAIS in a horizontal pair, mint never hinged, signed Mirza-Hadi.

1909/38, Three postcards all postally used including Kurdish man with rifle, Mosque Sefah SalarTeheran and Cars in Teheran 1938 air mail, attractive frankings, fine

1911/22, Ahmed Shah, 2 copies 4 Kr., 2 Ch. and 12 Ch., used on parcel bulletin from "DJOULFA 24.1.16" to Romania, with arrival mark. Crease affecting corner of 12 ch. and 4 kr. One tiny toned perf, otherwise fine.

1920, Gilan rebellion, 12 ch. blue, yellow and red, perf.11, used on large piece with complete Rebellion cancellation, fine and rare (Persiphila GN4)

1920, Gilan rebellion, 24 ch. brown and red, perf.11, used on large piece with complete Rebellion cancellation, fine and rare (Persiphila GN5)

1926, Shah Ahmed issue 2 x 3 ch. and 2 x 12 ch. on cover from Bender-Nassehi 19/4/26, violet “By OVERLAND MAIL BAGHDAD-HAIFA” mark, transit mark Mohammera 20/4/26 on reverse, addressed to England, tiny border faults, otherwise fine

1924/25, Ahmed Shah 10-30 kr. in blocks of 4, mint never hinged

1927, Regne de Pahlavi pair 1 kr. and 4 x 1 ch. on reverse of registered cover from Chiraz 5/8/26, on front red and black ms. and violet cancellation “OVERLAND MAIL BAGHDAD-HAIFA”, transit mark Baghdad 16/AUG/26, addressed to London with red arrival mark 30/8/26, tiny border crease and opened out for display, otherwise fine. 

1927, Regne de Pahlavi issue 9 sh. and 13 ch. on reverse of cover from Bender Nassehi, on front red imprint and violet cancellation “OVERLAND MAIL BAGHDAD-HAIFA”, transit mark Baghdad 9/MAR/27, addressed to England, tiny spots, otherwise fine. A scarce combination of imprint and cachet!

1927, Regne de Pahlavi issue pair 13 ch. on reverse of cover from Bender Nasseri, on front red imprint and violet cancellation “OVERLAND BAGHDAD-HAIFA”, transit mark Baghdad 19/MAY/27, addressed to England, tiny spots and toned, otherwise fine. A scarce combination of imprint and cachet!

1926, Regne de Pahlavi issue 1 kr. pair on reverse of Ottoman Bank cover from Hamadan 1/12/26, on front red ms. “By OVERLAND MAIL BAGHDAD-HAIFA”, registration mark Hamadan ‘564’, transit mark Baghdad 7/DEC/26, addressed to England with arrival mark 22/12/26, tiny toned, otherwise fine

1942, Three covers with different WW II Anglo-Soviet-Persian and Farsi censor sealing labels, including Pan American Air Mail Service label on and flown cover from Teheran to New York, franked with eight 3 Rilas Reza Shah and 50 d., two additional covers to New York and Switzerland, minor faults, otherwise fine and attractive