Day 2- Europe & Overseas, Austrian Levant

1783 (Oct 11): Entire letter written in German from Malta to Heilbronn endorsed 'par Augsbourg', addressed to a 'Senateur de la Ville libre et Imperiale de Heilbronn', mailed via Messina with provenance handstamp MESSINA applied in yellow in transit at Naples (Van der Linden fig. 1990D, earliest recorded use by five years). Manuscript '10' (grana) for Naples with manuscript 'd'Italie' alongside, '8' (kreuzer) for Austrian charge at Innsbruck and '16' kreuzer total due in red crayon on arrival. A very rare entire.
Catalogue 244: Europe & Overseas