Auction 333-341 Europe & Overseas - Day 5

British Post Office in Beirut 1876 (Aug 24): Combination letter sheet from Beirut to Lyon bearing Great Britain 1876/79 2½ d. rosy mauve pl. 3 tied by ‘G06’ obliterator with “BRITISH POST OFFICE / BEYROUT” cds in black alongside (Aug 24) paying the single GPU rate to Alexandria. In addition, France Cérès 1872 30 c. brown was added, tied by "ALEXANDRIE / EGYPTE" datestamp in black (Aug 28). Reverse with British ALEXANDRIA, "MARSEILLE - LYON SPECIAL" transit and indistinct LYON arrival cds's. An attractive combination cover after the foundation of the General Postal Union, cert. PF (1997). 

Notes:
A British postal agency was opened in Beirut on 20 March 1873 and the ‘G06’ obliterator used there. Combination frankings with French or Italian adhesives occur as mail to France or Italy, respectively went via the British packet to Alexandria and then by either French or Italian packets to Europe. One has to assume that the French adhesives had been added to the letter already in Beirut. In his 2000 census, Alexander Kaczmarczyk noted 32 covers with combination frankings of Great Britain and France between September 1873 and October 1876.
After the foundation of the GPU in July 1875, the British vessel rate from Beirut to Alexandria was increased from 2 d. to the new 2½ d. GPU rate, while the French part stayed at the pre-GPU rate of 80 centimes. After France joined the GPU in January 1876 the GPU rates of 2½ d. and 30 c., respectively had to be paid for both parts of the Beirut - Alexandria - France journey although it is not clear why this was necessary at all as all involved postal administrations had been members of the General Postal Union.
Provenance: Robert Siegel sale 768 (June 1995), lot 1526.