U.S. & Worldwide Stamps & Postal History
March 20-21, 2018

ImagesDescriptionCurrent Bid
Lot #972
ITALY ITALIAN LEVANT Air Post
1922 15 PIASTRE on Expresso 25c rose, overprinted "SERVIZIO POSTALE AEREO / PIASTRE 15" in thin black font, unused, centered to lower left, large part original gum, excellent color, typical slight ageing (mentioned for accuracy only), fine and exceptional rarity. Only five (!) examples recorded (one of which is housed in the British Library collection, ex Fitzgerald). Certainly a major rarity of Aero-Philately and the rarest stamp of the Italian collecting area, signed Bolaffi, Colla, Diena and Sanabria, with 1966 Giulio Bolaffi and 2007 Giorgio Colla certificates. This stamp was prepared in Constantinople for the planned CIDNA flight from Bucharest to Paris. Due to pressure from the French Embassy in Constantinople and the Lausanne Conference calling for the closure of all Foreign Post Offices within Turkey, the issue was aborted and nearly all examples of this stamp were destroyed and burnt (In 1924, the fourth edition of Champion Air Mail Stamp Catalog reports on page 295: one air mail stamp was prepare
*

Catalog Value €300,000
Unsold

Previous Country/Group Auction Index Next Country/Group

Back to Top