Auction 333-341 Europe & Overseas - Day 5

British Protectorate 1815-1864 1859: (½ d.) orange, a single example with large margins on three sides, roughly separated at top and just touched, used on reverse of 13 July 1859 cover from Cefalonia to Corfu tied by fair strike of framed "FRANCA" handstamp in blue with oval "PD" below denoting the '1' to pay and reverse with small Corfu cds in black (July 4g). An exceptionally rare issue on letter - just three covers are recorded with a single ½ d. adhesive - this being one of the rarest "Number One's" on letter. Cert. Stanley Gibbons (November 1963).
Provenance: Collection Elvo Hut, Karamitsos, Athens, 30 Nov 1991, lot 166.