61st AUCTION - day 4

Italian PO in Turkey: 1922, "R. POSTE/ITALIANE/SMIRNE", extremely rare provision

Italian PO in Turkey

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1922, "R. POSTE/ITALIANE/SMIRNE", extremely rare provisional 3 liner, two partly faint strikes tying a pair of 1908 Italian 40 c definitives to preprinted cover ("Il Messaggero, Roma") addressed for this newpaper in Rome with an offset mirror print of an "ROMA CENTRO 10-10-1922" machine cancel on front. 80 c are the foreign letter rate up to 20 gr. Wrinkles in the cover, vertical fold, supported on the reverse with hinges. Signed Diana, certificate Bifani.
This cover, most likely from an Italian Journalist written during the catastrophic days of the destruction of the city. On 9.9.22 Smyrna/Izmir was taken by the troops of Mustafa Kemal, in the night of the 13th large parts of the city and the harbour were destroyed by a large fire burst affectionate the post offices. The Italian P.M. 171 was provisionally reopened most likely on a battle ship using this provisional cancel for only a short period.

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Condition: Cover

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Catalog number(s): Italien 91, Sassone 84