Auction 309-320 - Europe & Overseas Egypt, including the Constantin Kelemenis - Day 4

1865/1939: Fine group including mostly French mail. Two letters from Alexandrie 10 + 40 Empire imperforate on letter to LYON both with numeral 5080 (GC), the other 40 Laureate to BORDEAUX (signed Calves). 25 Centimes Sage type on envelope to MONTPELLIER, strip of three of the same denomination to LONDON and a letter from 1939 with 2.25 Ceres and cancel "ALEXANDRIE PAQUEBOT...". Two stock cards with loose stamps Sage type of which 7 blocks of...

First Issue 1865/66: Pellas Proof for 1 pi. value printed in deep violet-mauve, imperforate, watermark upright, with good margins all round showing Overprint "10 Paras" at base. Rare. Signed Todd AIEP NIle Post E13 = $ 500.

First Issue 1865/66: Pellas Proofs for the first issue, the set of seven values in perforated 13 unwatermarked blocks of four (20 pa., 1 pi., 2 pi, 5 pi. and and 10 pi.) with four sheet marginal, 5 pa. grey in a block of nine marginal at base and 10 pa. brown in a block of six marginal at left, all fresh and very fine in bright shades and all plated. A fine and attractive set, somewhat scarcer than the imperforate Proofs.

First Issue 1866: 5 pa. grey, wmk. Inverted, perf. 12½, an unused example (position 152) showing "Cluster of five dots to the right of "Masriya" prominently, fresh and fine appearance, slight aging, without gum. A scarce stamp Nile Post D1f = $ 150.

First Issue 1866 (Jan 1): 5 pa. grey, wmk. inverted, perf. 12½, an unused example (position 130), showing additional line of vertical perforations from halfway down the stamp at right, unused without gum. Scarce. Signed Oliva. Cert. A. Diena (1983).

First Issue 1866: 5 pa. grey, wmk. Inverted, perf. 13 at right and 12½ on three sides, an unused block of four (pos. 59-60 / 79-80), centred to the left but of fresh rich colour, somewhat browned part og. An attractive block and a very rare stamp in a multiple - Peter Smith: "All blocks are rare". Signed Todd AIEP.

First Issue 1866: 5 pa. grey, variety "Watermark Upright", perf. 13 x 12½ x 13 x 12½, from the tenth horizontal row, a used example lightly cancelled by retta in black. Rare. Signed Todd AIEP Nile Post D1m = $ 400 / Gi = £ 275+.

First Issue 1866: 10 pa. brown, wmk. upright, perf. 13 on three sides and 12½ at left (position 159), an unused example with this rare perforation variety - normally (and seldomly) found at the edge of the sheet, the stamp from this position is the nineteenth stamp in the  eighth horizontal row - Charles Hass states "Only the second genuine example I have ever seen...an important rarity of the Egyptian First Issue", fresh and very fine,...

First Issue 1866: 10 pa. brown, wmk. upright, perf. 13 at right all round (position 20), an unused example with this rare perforation variety - normally only ever genuinely found from a corner stamp of the sheet, fresh and very fine, unused without gum. Signed Brun, Maury, Todd. Cert. Hass (1994) Nile Post D2o = $ 220/Gi = £ 350.

First Issue 1866: 10 pa. brown, wmk. upright, perf. 12½, an unused block of six (2 x 3) of wonderful fresh colour, (positions 58-59 / 78-79 / 98-99) on the sheet of 200 subjects, extremely fine for a multiple this size "All blocks are rare - Peter Smith", superb large part og. Rare. Cert. RPSL (1971).rnrnProvenance: The Palace Sale, Harmers, Cairo, 12-18 Feb 1954, lot 26.

First Issue 1866: 20 pa. pale blue, wmk. upright, perf. 12½ on three sides and perf. 13 at top, an unused example (position 21), showing vertical line of perforations misplaced at left through 'masriya' overprint, full margin at right showing part of adjoining stamp (pos. 22) with variety "Left Hand Vertical Frameline Omitted" clearly displayed; part og. Scarce Gi = £ 140+.