Lot no. 6192

1870/72, Third Issue Steamer 1 piastre red in combination with Sixt Issue 10 para black and red Journal stamp,  each stamp neatly tied by red diamond grill handstamp, oval blue Company cachet underneath the 10 para. adhesive (Zarigrad = Constantinople), small manuscript "5" in red crayon alongside, possibly being a Ship's Captain's fee or representing 5 bani credit to the local Office in Braila. Slight cover tear at top and with flap missing on reverse but an extremely rare and most attractive franking. Only 8 covers bearing T. B. Morton adhesives are recorded and just 4 with the 'Letter' adhesive. A great rarity of Levant Postal History and to our knowledge the only known cover sent to Rumania Provenance:  Robson Lowe 1977                      depicted in S. Ringstrom and H.E. Tester "The Private Ship Letter Stamps of the World - Part 2" page 112