Auction 333-341 Europe & Overseas - Day 5

British Post Office in Beirut 1876 (Feb 3): Envelope from Beirut to Calcutta, British India, endorsed "Voie Suez & Bombay", bearing Great Britain 1876 2½ d. rosy mauve pl. 1, two vertical pairs forming a block of four, cancelled together by two strikes of ‘G06’ obliterator with clear "BRITISH POST OFFICE / BEYROUT" cds adjacent in black. Reverse with British ALEXANDRIA cds (Feb 6) and thence via Suez carried on the ''Bangalore" with 'Sea Post Office / D' datestamp in black (Feb 11). Cover abrasions but a very scarce usage prior to the adherence of India to the GPU in July 1876.
Provenance: Collection André Bollen, Köhler sale (Feb 1983), lot 285; collection Dubois, Corinphila sale 267 (June 2021), lot 4262.