371st Auction

British military mail: Ardagan, "FIELD POST OFFICE 80 5 MR 19" cds. on greek postal stationery card 10l. with censor mark alongside, used from Ardagan routed through Batum FPO to England, fine depicted in "BATUM UNDER OCCUPATION the years 1917 – 1921", page 52 (by Hans G. Grigoleit & Edward Klempka)

British military mail: "FIELD POST OFFICE 80 23 JA 19" cds. on picture postcard with adjacent censor mark "53" to Liverpool, some transportation wear,s otherwise fine

British military mail: "FIELD POST OFFICE 80 13 MR 19" cds. on cover with adjacent censor mark "356" (XVI Corps Cyclist Battalion) to London, flap with tear, otherwise fine

British military mail: "ARMY POST OFFICE SX 22" cds. on pre-printed "ACTIVE SERVICE" envelope sent from a Corporal Gray, who was in charge of the British Army Post Office in Batum", to a George King in London. The enclosed letter is written on the back of the original letter sent by Mr. King to the British Army Post Office in Batum, there he asked to receive the postage stamps issued in Batum, a very interesting item depicted and desrcibed in "The Postage stamps of Russia, 1917-23, Volume 4, Transcaucasia", page 6-8 (by Dr. R.J. Ceresa)

British military mail: "ARMY POST OFFICE SX 22" cds. on small cover endorsed "O.A.S" with adjacent censor mark "125", sent to London, fine

British military mail: "ARMY SIGNALS 12 VI. 20" on reverse of official cover addressed to The High Commissioner of Great Britain at Tiflis, as it was official mail the franking consisting of  "British Occupation" First Tree-Type Issue 5r. brown strip of three, tied by manuscript, was disregarded, few wrinkles, a very attractive and uniqze cover from the occupation period with a cancellation known only on this cover depicted in "BATUM UNDER OCCUPATION the years 1917 – 1921", page 53 (by Hans G. Grigoleit & Edward Klempka)

British military mail: Indian fieldpost cancel "F.P.P No 406 28 FEB. 20" on cover endorsed "On Service" to Sussex, fine British troops were supported in Batum by Indian forces using their own Field Post Office no. 406 and eventuelly FPO no. 409

INCOMING AND TRANSIT: 1919, 10l. greek postal stationery card with cds. "ARMY POST OFFICE S.X. 8" addressed to Cpl. Horton of the Rifle Brigade, attached to the H.Q. 80th Brigade in Batum, and british 2d. registered postal stationery addressed to London, transported from Batum to Salonika and posted there, fine

1896/1916, interesting collection of 15 cards including picture postcards with view of Batum, Railway cancellations, many interesting items like picture postcard with the rare oval "БАКУ ВОКЗАЛ" and adjacent violet "ДОПЛАТИТЬ БАТУМ", all written up on pages, mostly good condition

TURKISH POSTAL SERVICES IN BATUM: 1918, interesting group of 11 pieces and stamps and one blank postcard with additional franking, all used with arabic cds. "BATUM" with numeral "1", "2" and "3", in addition postage due 1pia. with octogonal arabic cds. in blue etc., and ROPIT 10 pa. with part cds. of Batum, fine

1919, First Tree-type issue, interesting collection with singles and multples including a complete sheet 10k. with the first two upper rows being used, small tear at top and folded, one philatelic registered card, and also some forgeries, written up on pages

1919, 10r. surcharges on Arms Types, interesting group with 10 stamps including unused 10r. on 5k. signed Jem and Lissiuk, in addition some forgeries and bogus overprints, written up on pages (ex SG 7-9, Mi. 7-9)

1919, "British Occupation" First Tree-Type Issue, interesting, mostly mint collection with many multiples including some larger multiples of 2-5 r. and 5r. block of six including "missing O in Occupation", 25k. yellow with "Kiss print", the last two items depicted in "BATUM UNDER OCCUPATION the years 1917 – 1921", also some forgeries, good condition

1919, "British Occupation" First Tree-Type Issue, interesting group of five philatelic cards and covers plus one piece of a commercial letter, fine

1920, The large 25 and 50r. surcharges from Metalhandstamps, interesting mint never hinged/unused and used group of 29 stamps including 25r. on 5k. inverted surcharge and 25r. on 10 on 7k. as tête-bêche (somewhat seperated) ,mostly fine, in addition some clear forgeries, 11 stamps signed Mikulski or Holcombe

1920, The 25 and 50r. surcharges on the Tree-type issue, interesting group of 13 stamps and one block of four, mostly unused and mint never hinged, all written up on page, mostly fine

1920, The second "British Occupation" Tree-type issue, interesting mint never hinged/unused and used collection with multiples, paper folds, 10r. with heavily shifted overprint,  25r. as used block of four, one stamp with overprint error "BPITISH instead of BRITISH", three stamps with georgian script cds., also some forgeries, all written up on pages

SHIPMAIL: Line "Batum-Odessa", interesting collection with 20 cards with cancel "БАТУМ-ОДЕССА" including different types (Mandrovski Type Ч-IIIa-2,  Ч-IVa-6, Ч-IVa-7) and better items like Russia postal stationery envelope 7k. with cds. with posthorn "БАТУМ-ОДЕССА 26 MAR 1896" (Mandrovski Type Ч-IIB-2), in addition some loose stamps and pieces, mostly written up on pages, mostly good condition  

SHIPMAIL: Line "Odessa-Batum", interesting collection with 6 cards with cancel "ОДЕССА-БАТУМ", mostly good condition (Mandrovski Type Ч-IV-5)

1920/59, small group of 10 cards and covers including Sovier advertisement postcard showing Batum stamps, cards with Georgian stamps and georgian script cds. "BATUM", some written up on pages

REVENUE AND MONEY STAMPS: 1919, interesting gropup of 24 stamps including two pairs, mostly unused, mixed condition

BATUM: Postal History and postage stamps by P.T. Ashford and both Ceresa Volumnes, traces of use