358 / September 2014

5 ch. black, imperforate example used on reverse of 1902 cover to Teheran, the stamp with large margins and cancelled by clear MECHED datestamp with date ´15/3´ inverted in black, further strike of datestamp at left and Teheran cds of receipt (8/4) alongside. Fresh and fine, a very rare cover. Opinion Holcombe (1995).                      

1 ch. violet (12 examples) and 2 ch. grey (6), used on reverse of registered cover to Timperley, Cheshire all tied by TEHERAN DEPART datestamps, Baku Russian transit cds and by Altrincham arrival cds (Feb 2). Front of cover with scarce violet handstamp of registration (unlisted in Shaida) and framed ´Teheran´registration cachet in black , couple of imperfections

1 ch. violet, 3 ch. green and 1 kr. purple used on registered 1902 cover to Italy tied by TEHERAN DEPART datestamps with framed ´Perse´registratoion cachet, reverse showing Baku Russian P.O. transit and Alessandria, Italy arrival. Attractive cover.

1 ch. violet, 10 ch. brown and 2 kr. ultramarine pair used on reverse of printed "Ministere des Douanes et des Postes" envelope sent registered to Constantinople; the adhesives tied by oval TEHERAN datestamps in blacvk. Austrian P.O. in Constantinople arrival cds (Nov 28, 1905) at right. Scarce high rate cover.

3 ch. green used on Newspaper Wrapper to London, tied by neat YEZD cds in black (Nov 8) with Teheran transit cds at left. Some aging but scarce.

3 ch. green strip of three, 10 ch. brown and  kr. purple used on reverse of registered cover 1907 to London, tied by oval DJOULFA-ISPAHAN datestamps. Teheran transit (14/12) at left and London arrival in red. Clear red wax seal "Indo European Telegraph Department" alongside. Minor opening faults, unusual.

3 ch. green pair (on reverse) and 1 kr. purple used on 1906 Mirza Hadi Stamp Dealer´s advertising envelope tied by oval TEHERAN datestamp (2/12), addressed to Gwelo, Rhodesia. Framed ´Perse´ registration cachet on front and reverse with Cape Town (Feb 13) and Gwelo arrival (Feb 17) datestamps. An extraordinary destination.

5 ch. rose-red and 2 kr. ultramarine used on registered cover to Berlin with 1904 provisional 3 ch. on 5 ch. rose-red tied by bold oval TEHERAN datestamp (March 1) in black. "Vom Auslande / über Bp.4" label on front and reverse with ´Zug 8´ datestamp (March 15) and arrival cds.

1904, 10 ch. brown, a vertically bisected example used on local 1904 cover cancelled by ASTRABAD (14/1) datestamp in black with further strike at left. Rare.

1904, 3 ch. handstamped in black on 5 ch. rose-red (2) used on handmade Newspaper Wrapper to France, tied by TEHERAN cds in black. A rare and unusual usage.

1907: 1 ch. violet, 3 ch. green and 9 ch. orange, all on deeply blued paper, used on 1908 cover to Kew, London, tied by rare KUH MALEK SIAH ZIARAT circular handstamp in blue, further strike on reverse with Indian Exchange Office KOH-I-MALEK-SIAH-ZIARAT INDIAN P.O. datestamp in black (April 27) alongside ´Kew Gardens´ arrival cds (May 23). Small envelope imperfections but a rare cover.

1912: Cover from Enzeli to Recht franked solely by two pairs of red perforated registration labels for local rate, neatly tied by ENZELI DEPART cds´s (Jan 10) with´Recht Arrivee´ datestamp above (Jan 11). Rare and fine cover solely using the registration labels in lieu of 1 chahi postage stamps..

1899: 4 ch. red on greenish paper used with perforated registration label in red to pay the 1 chahi for the 5 chahi rate, neatly tied to cover to Yezd by KERMAN cds. Reverse witth Yezd arrival cds ((20/8). Rare. Note: Registration labels were charged to Persian Postmasters at 1 chahi each. When stamps ran short they were used as 1 chahi postage stamps during the period from January 1897 until, approximately, January 1913.

1 ch. violet on blue (2), 1908 1 kr. vermilion and, on reverse of 1909 cover, a vertical strip of three perforated registration labels, used to make up the 25 chahi  registered rate to Teheran; adhesives tied by SULTANABAD-ARAK oval framed datestamp (31/2) in black. TEHERAN arrival cds tying the registration labels on reverse (6/3). A rare multiple usage of the registration labels as Postage Stamps.

1911: 2 ch. red & brown and 6 ch. grey & carmine (4) all used on reverse of 1913 cover to the Poste Restante in Moscow tied by MECHEDISSER datestamps (May 8) in black. Addressee not found and cover marked RETOUR / NON RECLAMÉ in violet on both front and reverse.

6 ch. green & red-brown, used on reverse of 1915 cover from Tabriz via Teheran to Bushire, tied by TAURIS (DEPART) cds, with Teheran transits (Aug 29) including one under OPENED UNDER / MARTIAL LAW black on white Reseal Censor label. 

1912: "Officiel" in black on 3 ch. grey-brown & green and 10 ch. red & brown, each in horizontal strips of five on reverse of 1912 cover to Constantinople, tied by TAURIS (DEPART) datestamps (Feb 28) in black. Slightly trimmed envelope but a very rare usage of this issue on letter.

1912: "Officiel" overprint in black on 26 ch. green & blue, a vertical pair used on registered 1912 cover to Dresden tied by TAURIS (DEPART) datestamp (March 10) in black. Framed registration cachet in violet at left and reverse with Ziegler sender´s cachets and Dresden arrival (March 26) datestamp. A rare issue on letter.

Coup DÉtat of Riza Khan 1921: 10 ch. brown & deep green horizontal pair used on cover to Chiraz with 1911 1 ch. and 6 ch. all tied by TEHERAN datestamps (12.VI.21) in black, and by Teheran cds of the following day in transit. Chiraz arrival datestamp at right (June 26). Cover with crease away from adhesives but an exceedingly scarce usage of this rare issue on commercial cover. Note: This issue was on sale for just three days.

12 ch. ultramarine overprinted in black, perf. 11½ x 11¼, a fine philatelically used example on local cover cancelled by Teheran datestamp (25.V.21) in black with reverse showing Teheran arrival cds of the same day. Rare.

1924: Ahmed Mirza, the mint set of 14 values in fine mint marginal blocks of four, some normal gum bends but rare, unmounted og.

1924, Ahmed Shah 3-30 kr. in blocks of 4, unmounted mint

1933: 10 d. blue pair, 60 d. green and 2 r. greenish blue & brown all used on Postal Money Order envelope with printed terms and conditions on front and reverse, all tied by KERMANSHAH DEPART datestamps in black. A rare cover.

1938/39: 3 r. dull purple, six examples used on printed Money Order envelope, 194 x 128 mm., with oval Lion motif at top, and terms and conditions on front and back, all tied by RAMSAR datestamps. Reverse with Kazan and Racht datestamps in black. Minor faults as to be expected but a rare piece of stationery.

1954/55: Shah in Military and Naval Unifoirm, the set of 16 values complete, photgravuire on unwatermarked thick paper, fresh and fine, unmounted og. A scarce set.

SERVICE: 1903: "Service" diagonal overprint in black on 2 ch. grey-violet and pair of 12 ch. blue used on printed Ministry of Customs and Postes envelope used 1907 to Cleveland, USA all tied by oval MESHED datestamp (April 3) in black. Reverse with GAOUDAN transit (21/4) in black. Some edge wear but a very scarce issue on letter.

1911: ´Service´ 6 ch. vermilion & red brown overprinted in black, two examples used on reverse of 1912 printed Official cover to Tabriz, each tied by TEHERAN No. 3 datestamps in black (Oct 22). Framed violet cachet alongside and "Tauris (Arrivée)" cds alongside. One of the rarest issues of Persia on letter in superb condition.

POSTAL STATIONARY: 5 ch. black & rose envelope, used to Constsantinople endorsed "via Tiflis & Poti", cancelled twice by TABRIZ datestamps on front (18/11) with reverse showing Odessa cds and Russian Post Office on Constantinople arrival cds. 

5 ch. black & rose, imperforate Postal Stationery cut-out, used on small envelope to Bombay, cancelled by neat strike of KERMANCHAH datestamp (inverted date) in black. A scarce and attractive usage.

1893, double-card 2+2 ch. with additional franking 1897, 1 ch. grey and 2 ch. brown with Tauris cds. to Switzerland with arrival mark on front

1896, postcard 2 ch. brown with additional franking 1897, 3 ch. lilac and 12 ch. red as registered card from Sultanabad 1898 to Germany with transit and arrival marks, small corner creases, otherwise fine

1904, picture postcard 5 ch., 11 different cards (one with same picture, but different colours) all used, some with small faults and one with additional franking fallen off, scarce group

Bushire 1915: 1 ch. green & orange, two examples used locally on reverse of postcard (SG 1), each tied by BOUCHIR (DEPART) datestamps (Aug 26) in black, with repeated strike at left. One of the rarest of World Number Ones to find on cover or card. Exceptional and very scarce.

Bushire 1915: 3 ch. grey-brown & green surcharged in black, SG 3, two examples used on reverse of 1915 cover to Linga, each tied by BOUCHIR (DEPART) datestamps in black (Aug 209). Repeated strike of datestamp alongside and complete "GR / Crown / Opened By Censor" label in green at base. An extremely rare issue on letter in very fine quality.

Bushire 1915: 6 ch. green & red-brown,Setting 1c., position 8, (SG 5) used on reverse of censored commercial cover to Shiraz tied by BOUCHIR (DEPART) datestamp in black and overlapped by "GR Crown / Opened by Censor" cachet with further Borazjan Rebel Reseal Censor on top. CHIRAZ ARRIVEÉ datestamp of receipt also on reverse of a rare cover. Opinion Holcombe (1997).

Russian Consular Post Office in Tabriz 1916: Registered cover to Switzerland franked by Russia Arms 10 k. deep blue and 1913 Romanov 3 k. red and 7 k. brown all tied by bold strikes of Cyrillic TABRIZ ROSS. KONSULSTVO datestamps in black (Tchilinghirian fig. 303). Tabriz Cyrillic registration label on reverse with Petrograd transit and Bern arrival cds. Two stamps with minor faults, a very rare cover.