Austrian Lloyd Agency in Aleppo 1855 (June 12): Entire letter from Aleppo via Alexandretta to London, internally dated “12 June 1855”,
Austrian Lloyd Agency in Aleppo 1855 (June 12): Entire letter from Aleppo via Alexandretta to London, internally dated “12 June 1855”, endorsed "Voie de Trieste", struck with clear and very rare bilingual Arabic "L + A / An Djanibi Postai Nemce Haleb 1855" (Lloyd Austriaco / from the Austrian Post in Aleppo 1855) handstamp (Müller 2024a = 1'400 points / Tranmer fig. 1) in bluish black. In transit in Alexandretta a clear“AGENZIA DEL LLOYD AUSTRIACO / ALESSANDRETTA” (Tranmer fig 1) and a framed “P.P.” were struck in addition to the obverse. Reverse shows London arrival datestamp in red (2 July 1855). Prussia noted '7 1/4' (silbergroschen), the receiver had to pay '1/1' (shilling / pence), noted on obverse. Cover with two minute vertical file folds of no importance, an impressive and appealing entire, unique due to the combination of the Lloyd handstamps from Aleppo and Alexandretta. Cert. Ferchenbauer (2000). Note: This is the only bilingual Austrian Levant postmark - a rarity only in use from 1855/56. Ing. Edwin Müller (1960) knew only two items with this cancellation in black, a number not changed until 1976, when Keith Tranmer published his study on this subject. He stated that this handstamp was used only as an arrival mark, however seven outgoing covers including the present one are known to the describer, all struck in 1855/56 in blue or bluish black and all being part of the same Dahlah correspondence, sent via Trieste or intended to be sent via Trieste to London, showing that this postmark clearly functioned as a temporary despatch postmark. An updated census of the ingoing and outgoing covers recorded can be found hereunder. Provenance: Collection Léon Dubus with an article from Orhan Brandt (1957) describing this cover; collection Cihangir, Corinphila sale 121 (May 2000), lot 1994. Census of the bilingual Arabic " L + A / An Djanibi Postai Nemce Haleb 1855" (Lloyd Austriaco from the Austrian Post in Aleppo 1855) handstamp: Ingoing to Aleppo, 6 covers: Date unknown; Alexandretta to Marcopoli in Aleppo; Collection Västras, Corinphila sale 99, June 1997, lot 9949 1855 (July 18), Marseille to Esdra de Picciotto in Aleppo; Gärtner sale 28, June 2014, lot 2015. 1856 (Feb 8); Alexandretta to Marcopoli in Aleppo; collection 'Monte Napoleone', Corinphila sale 78, Sept. 1988, lot 895; 1856 (March 6); Alexandretta to Marcopoli in Aleppo; collection 'Cihangir', Corinphila sale 121, May 2000, lot 1929 1856 (March 8); Alexandretta to Marcopoli in Aleppo; Collection Hans Smith FRPSL, Corinphila sale 182, Sept 2013, lot 1391 1856 (Nov 6); Constantinople to the Sardinian Consul in Aleppo; Corinphila sale 284, May 2023, lot 1955 Outgoing to London from Dahlah correspondence, sent via Trieste or intended to be sent via Trieste to London, 7 covers: 1855 (June 12); Collection 'Cihangir', Corinphila sale 121, May 2000, lot 1994 1855 (Aug 21); Collection Dubus, Robineau auction, Nov. 1987, lot 551 1855 (Sept 4); Collection Arsman, DF sale, May 2005, lot 20206 1855 (Oct ca); Collection Provera, Corinphila sale 292, Dec 2022, lot 3072 1855 (Dec ca); Collection Schindler, Corinphila sale 255, Sept 2020, lot 7548 1855 (ca); Collection Franz See, Corinphila sale 62, May 1979, lot 2423 1855 (ca); Collection Cihangir, Corinphila sale 124, Oct 2000, lot 5756