CORINPHILA AUCTIONS 297 - 308 Day 6

Cyprus 1864 (July 26): Entire letter from Larnaca to the Imperial Ottoman Bank in Constantinople, bearing 1863 Arms 10 s. blue perf. 14, a fine single example with good embossing and perforation, strongly decentered showing parts of two neigbouring adhesives, cancelled by straight-line "LARNACA / 26. JUL." datestamp (Tranmer fig. 1) in black, reverse with indistinct Lloyd agency Constantinople arrival cds. Two vertical file folds well away from the adhesive, just mentioned for accuracy, a rare and early franking with the Arms issues introduced on June 1st, 1864 in the Larnaca P.O., the single franking paying correctly the 10 soldi port-to-port rate. A highly desirable item, certs. E. Diena (1991), Goller (2022).rnProvenance: Hassan Shaida collection; Spink, London, Dec 2008, lot 658.