Rare Stamps & Postal History of the World
March 8-9, 2022
This 1,338 lot sale features collections formed by the late John Abrams, Dr.M.K. Blumenthal and other prominent collectors. We begin with United States and Possessions, featuring 19th & 20th Century single rarities, graded items, proofs, essays and back of book material. A-Z countries include specialized Bulgaria, Ottoman Bosnia & Herzegovina, China with Liberated Areas covers, Germany with a focus on WWII Occupation Issues, Great Britain and British Commonwealth, including Boer War postal history. There are numerous rarities from Italy, Old States and Italian Colonies, as well as classic covers and individual rarities from South and Central America. This auction concludes with solid section of Large Lots and Collections ranging from single country albums to specialized collections, multi-carton worldwide groups and large cover lots offered intact. For those visiting London 2022, please stop by our both to chat, pick up an auction catalogue or discuss possible sale of your philatelic holdings.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #313 BULGARIA 1854 (30 Sep) entire FL (long text in German) from Varna to Germany, with "Armee D'Orient Quart.Gal" (4 Oct 54) cds, charged "6" (deci) and "30" (crossed out by pen), with French entry, transit and arrival markings, fine CRIMEAN WAR letter  | Unsold |
 | Lot #314 BULGARIA 1879 5san black & orange, prominent plate flaw "PCT" instead of "PET" in "PETb" (five), well centered, v.f., ex-Thomas Hitzler * Catalog #1var | Price Realized $280.00 |
 | Lot #315 BULGARIA 1881 5s black & orange, background inverted, blue cancel, bright and fresh colors, signed Richtof, fine and rare stamp, only a few genuine examples exist, with 1996 Karaivanoff certificate (Mi.7K, €3,000) O Catalog #7a | Unsold |
 | Lot #316 BULGARIA 1882 5s rose and pale rose, error of color, small h.r., fresh and v.f., only one sheet of 100 printed, signed Brun, Bloch, with 2015 Sismondo certificate, * Catalog #13a Catalog Value $2,500 | Price Realized $1,600.00 |
 | Lot #317 BULGARIA 1884 surcharged in black 5s on 30s blue & fawn, n.h. and post office fresh, well centered, v.f., with handstamped guarantee marks, 1996 Karaivanoff certificate. A rarity of classic Bulgaria (catalogued as hinged) ** Catalog #20A Catalog Value $2,800 | Price Realized $2,600.00 |
 | Lot #318 BULGARIA 1889-1901 Regular Issues, Small Lion, selection on pages and loose, with issued stamps, imperforate trial color proofs, nine covers or cards, occasional varieties (5s on 3s pair, one without surcharge), imperf. pair of 10s rose, cover with 10s/50s green used in 1909 in combination with First Ferdinand issue, plus others * | Unsold |
 | Lot #319 BULGARIA 1901 Regular Issues Surcharges on Small Lion, selection on pages and loose, with issued stamps and 17 covers or cards, variety of franking combinations and destinations, some quite attractive and scarce, stamps include large multiples, generally fine-v.f. and useful group, mostly written-up in German * | Unsold |
 | Lot #320 BULGARIA 1901 1s imperforate proofs of frame and center, the latter cut close, each with invalidating overprints, fine-v.f. P | Price Realized $190.00 |
 | Lot #321 BULGARIA 1902 (5 Dec) large, registered cover franked with 1L and 50st Ferdinand, sent from Palace Sofia to Germany, canceled by "Sofia Palais" pmk (which was a special marking used only for the mail of the Prince, the Royal family, Official institutions located at the palace and employees of the ruler), with complete "Cabinet Secret de son Altese Royal Le Prince de Bulgarie" wax seal and Coburg (7.12.02) arrival pmk on back. Am impressive cover, the highest recorded "Prince Ferdinand" franking from the Palace Sofia, with 2016 Thomas Hitzler opinion | Unsold |
 | Lot #322 BULGARIA 1909 overprinted and surcharged issue, specialized collection on pages, with singles and blocks, covers and cards, used on Newspaper, varieties, showing shifts, plate flaws, large multiples, inverted "1909" block of four (77a, 80a), "1990" for "1909" single, also in the middle of block of nine, one on cover (81a), double surcharges, block of four (85a), one used on "Cabinet Secret" cover, proof overprint, etc., fine-v.f. and exceptional showing  *OCatalog #77/85 | Unsold |
 | Lot #323 BULGARIA 1913 two Money Orders sent from Soloun, each attractively franked, with bilingual departure and arrival pmk pmks of "Stara Zagora" and "Trin", fine-v.f. | Unsold |
 | Lot #324 BULGARIA 1913 overprints, set of seven, each with security punch and overprinted SPECIMEN, fine-v.f. S Catalog #104-11S | Price Realized $240.00 |
 | Lot #325 BULGARIA 1915 (31 May) registered, Insured cover franked with 2L pictorial, sent from Sofia (day and month inverted in date) to Vukovar, wax seals removed by censor and handstamped "Uberpruft", with Rustchuk transit and Predeal arrival pmks on back. Also included is a parcel card with 3L, canceled by bilingual "Dobrich" 30.V. 16 (year-date inverted), fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #326 BULGARIA 1916 parcel card from Frankfurt, with German 80pf and 1m perfins, tied by departure pmks and sent to Rustchuk, Bulgaria, where 20st Fiscal "Gerbovaya Marka" stamp was added (26.6.16) on arrival, interesting item | Price Realized $140.00 |
 | Lot #327 BULGARIA 1921 "Liberation of Macedonia", the so-called "forbidden issue", small specialized group, including set of blocks of four, commercially used 30st stationery card with 10s claret and additional franking (with 2016 Thomas Hitzler certificate stating that this is genuine commercial usage, one of a maximum of 20 non-philatelic covers recorded), also three philatelic covers, including FDC, etc. (Theese stamps were printed in Berlin in 1915, but due to WWI, not delivered until 1921. The Yugoslav government protested and the stamps were officially withdrawn on 30 June, 1921. The stamps became known as the "Forbidden Issue" and only a few commercial covers are known). */**Catalog #153-57 | Unsold |
 | Lot #328 BULGARIA 1921 (29 June) cover from Sofia to Plovdiv, franked with 10st commemorative issued for the "Occupation of Macedonia", fine and scarce usage of one of these controversial stamps (printed in Berlin in 1915, but due to WWI, not delivered until 1921. The Yugoslav government protested and the stamps were officially withdrawn on 30 June, 1921. The stamps became known as the "Forbidden Issue" and only a few commercial covers are known). Accompanied by 2016 Thomas Hitzler certificate stating that a maximum of 20 non-philatelic covers survive, "A rarity of Bulgarian philately - perfect postal history" Catalog #156 | Unsold |
 | Lot #329 BULGARIA 1921 (4 July) printed matter (medical advertisement), sent from Sofia to Kasptchan (6 July), franked with 10st commemorative issued for the "Occupation of Macedonia", fine and scarce usage of one of these controversial stamps (printed in Berlin in 1915, but due to WWI, not delivered until 1921. The Yugoslav government protested and the stamps were officially withdrawn on 30 June, 1921. The stamps became known as the "Forbidden Issue" and only a few commercial covers are known). Accompanied by 2016 Thomas Hitzler certificate stating that a maximum of 20 non-philatelic covers survive, "One of only a few recorded uses after 30 June. A rarity of Bulgarian philately - perfect postal history" Catalog #156 | Unsold |
 | Lot #330 BULGARIA 1921 (30 June) 10s Money Order, additionally franked with 2x10st commemoratives issued for the "Occupation of Macedonia", canceled by "Trin" pmks, with arrival in "Glavanovtsi" and 30s Fiscal ("Gerbovaya Marka") added on back, fine and scarce usage of these controversial stamps (printed in Berlin in 1915, but due to WWI, not delivered until 1921. The Yugoslav government protested and the stamps were officially withdrawn on 30 June, 1921. The stamps became known as the "Forbidden Issue" and only a few commercial covers are known). Accompanied by 2016 Thomas Hitzler certificate stating that a maximum of 20 non-philatelic covers survive, "The Latest Day of the "forbidden Issue" and the only recorded money order" Catalog #156 | Unsold |
 | Lot #331 BULGARIA 1925-26 Tsar Boris III, specialized study on 11 album pages, written up (in German), showing varieties (double perforations, part perf., horizontal pair imperf. between, color error 1L (in the color of 2L), used, with 2002 Karaivanoff certificate, thin paper varieties, multiples, with inscriptions at bottom, postal receipts, covers, one to Paris, with French Postage dues added on arrival, etc. *O | Unsold |
