Rare Stamps & Postal History of the World
May 9-10, 2023
Welcome to our May 9-10, 2023 Sale of Rare Stamps and Postal History of the World, which will take place at our Teaneck, N.J. Galleries and over the internet via CherrystoneLIVE. There are 1,487 lots in the sale, which begins with United States and U.S. Possessions, including graded items, Plate Blocks, and modern errors. In the Worldwide section we are pleased to offer Great Britain and British Commonwealth, European Countries, Asia and the rest of the world. There is a splendid collection of Egypt and Orient Zeppelin flights, featuring three of the four known Suez dispatches, plus other rarities. There are further selections from the estate of Dr.Martin Stempien, a respected postal historian and Secretary to the Chairman of the Expert Committee at the New York Philatelic Foundation from 1988-2018. The auction concludes with over two hundred Large Lots and Collections, ranging from single country albums, specialized collections, multi-carton worldwide groups and large cover lots offered intact.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #1139 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1899 (27 Mar) cover from Shanghai to Germany, franked with unoverprinted Russia 10k dark blue (irregular perfs at top), tied by double circle "Shanghai Pochtowaya Kontora" departure pmks, endorsed "Per S.S. Chusan", also a 4k stationery card, with similar departure pmk on violet, used in 1898 to Zwickau, both cover and card with arrival pmks  | Price Realized $190.00 |
 | Lot #1140 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1900 (20 Dec) 3k unoverprinted stationery card, with 2k, 3k, 5k, 7k and 10k "Kitai" overprinted, canceled by three strikes of framed "Pekin" datestamps, message in German and not sent through the post, fine | Price Realized $240.00 |
 | Lot #1141 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1901 (4 Sep) cover from Chifu to Philadelphia, franked by 4x1k and 2x3k "Kitai" overprints, paying 10k, tied by double circle Cyrillic Chifu departure pmks, sent through the Japanese Post Office, with Chefoo I.J.P.O below, Yokohama Japan transit and Philadelphia (Oct 8) arrival pmks on back, fine (the "Grunberg & Reilly Port Arthur China" return address was one of the legitimate cover names for the famous British agent Sidney Reilly, the "Ace of Spies" legendary secret agent employed by Scotland Yard and the British Secret Bureau. Reilly profited greatly as the clouds of war formed with Japan. It is believed that Ian Fleming used Reilly as the model for James Bond) | Price Realized $425.00 |
 | Lot #1142 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1902 (Jan) registered red-band cover from Shanghai to Rome, franked on reverse with 1k, 3k, 5k and 7k "Kitai" overprints, paying 16k, tied by Russian Post Office departure pmks, with Hong Kong (Jan 7) and Napoli transits, Rome (3.2.02) arrival, tape adhesions at sides, otherwise a fine and attractive cover from Russian Post Office in Shanghai to Rome, Italy | Price Realized $150.00 |
 | Lot #1143 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1902 three picture postcards, each with 1k or 4k Imperial Russian franking, tied by "Shanghaikwang 26.IV" and 7 August pmks, addressed to Peking and Paris, fine-v.f., rare usage (Shanhaiguan is a district of the city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, China, named after the pass of the Great Wall within the district, Shanghai Pass) (Tchilingirian "RRR") | Price Realized $1,400.00 |
 | Lot #1144 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1903 registered cover bearing stamps of Hong Kong, Chinese and German Offices in China overprints and Russian "Kitai" 1k, 10k and 3x3k, used from the respective Post Offices to Germany, Registry label "Chifu" in Cyrillic, corresponding Russian departure and Rudolfstadt arrival pmk on back, fine and attractive combination franking | Price Realized $300.00 |
 | Lot #1145 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1903 (13 Sep) picture postcard (Hong Kong) to England originating from Wei Hai Wei, showing violet bilingual handstamp on the address side, with 16 Sep 03 pmk at left, sent via Chifu, where pair of 5k "Kitai" overprints was added, fine and interesting card (because the Post Office in Wei Hai Wei did not open until 1904, this card had to be sent via China and it is not clear what the violet Wei Ha Wei handstamp represents) | Unsold |
 | Lot #1146 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1906 registered cover to London, franked with 3k, 5k (2) and 7k, paying 20k from Shanghai, with Registry handstamp alongside and label in Cyrillic at bottom, endorsed "By Train via Siberia", with arrival pmk on reverse, backflap missing and filing fold away from the stamps | Price Realized $150.00 |
 | Lot #1147 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1906 (22 Sep) registered 2k wrapper (opened for display), additionally franked with 5k and 10k "Kitai" overprints, tied by Hankou cds, with corresponding Registry label, sent via Siberia to Germany, Strasburg arrival pmk on back, fine and scarce usage | Price Realized $190.00 |
 | Lot #1148 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1907 (7 Apr) registered cover from Shanghai to Bukhara (pre-printed commercial address in Farsi, Cyrillic and English), Registry label in Cyrillic letters and handstamped "R-Shanghai" in violet, franked on reverse with strip of 3x7k dark blue overprinted "Kitai", tied by Russian Post Office departure pmks, with Staraya Bukhara arrival alongside, fine | Price Realized $150.00 |
 | Lot #1149 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1913 (16 Dec) unoverprinted 3k Romanov stationery entire envelope additionally franked with 3k and 14k "Kitai" overprints, registered from Peking, via Siberia to Berlin, v.f., with arrival pmk | Price Realized $300.00 |
 | Lot #1150 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1917-20 10c on 10k dark blue, also 5c on imperf. 5k lilac, each with surcharge inverted, l.h., v.f. * Catalog #55a,80a | Price Realized $325.00 |
 | Lot #1151 RUSSIA RUSSIAN OFFICES IN CHINA 1920 (13 Dec) cover addressed to Petrograd, franked with red "10 Cent." on 10k/7k blue, tied by unreadable cds repeated below, with Ataman Semyonov label ("Rebirth of Russia in the East"), minor cover wear, away from the stamp, with red Petrograd (4.2.21) arrival pmk on back. A rarity on cover Catalog #78 | Price Realized $1,400.00 |
