Mail Auction #34

Palestine Forerunners Russian Post - 10 Kop. Letter card mailed from Jaffa to England April 12 1898. Imprinted stamp tied by Retta postmark alongside Port Said transit p/m April 20 1898 & England arrival p/m April 27 1898. VF & scarce. Egyptian Rettas cancellations are recorded from 1866, at first used to cancel the stamp with the postmark struck elsewhere on the envelope. This practice was later abandoned in favour of the cancel alone. Rettas continued in use to cancel stamps (in Port Said) that had missed being cancelled at the point of origin, and often also to cancel mail emanating from ships (such as this letter card). It was either posted in a loose postal box hung over the side of the ship in Jaffa or harbur, or onboard ship. Bale catalog value for this postmark on Holy Land Russian letter card $ 1500.00.