Auction 333-341 Europe & Overseas - Day 5

Russian P.O. in Alexandretta 1860: Registered  Entire letter from Alexandretta to Beirut, struck by extremely rare framed „COMPAGNIE RUSSE / ALEXANDRETTE” datestamp (Tchilinghirian fig 196) with an unclear date (27 / 15), a small framed "ASSe" registration handstamp (Tchilinghirian unrecorded) alongside, both strikes in blue. Manuscript notation 'K 15' of the pre-payment on top of obverse. One of two items known with this datestamp, this being the better one, fine and attractive, a choice piece for a ROPiT collection, cert. Buchsbayew (2024).
Note: The datestamp does not give the month but instead the Julian and Gregorian calender dates of '15' and '27'. This is also seen on the other item with this datestamp from 1860, a cover front ex Cihangir, Corinphila 2000, lot 542. The year 1860 was the year of the French military intervention in Syria to stop the massacre of the catholic Maronites. Wishing to remain neutral in this conflict, the merchant community came to rely heavily on the Russian mail service.
Provenance: Oscar collection, DF sale 122 (Nov 1999), lot 20133.