Lot no. 6205

Steamer 5 centimes green, four singles (transfer types 4,2,3,2)  all with good to clear margins, except corner of one stamp barely touched, with distinctive pen strokes on envelope with original letter datelined “Kantara, le 15 Aout, 1868, vertical filing fold, from Kantara to Monsieur Gérard, Agent d'Affaires, Port Said, reverse with cogwheel cancellation "PORT SAID 15 AUG EGYPTE" of the French Post Office, signed Ap. N. Gennaropoulo in red on reverse and certificate Holcombe (1991) and RPSL (2007). A truly magnificent franking of these rarities on cover, of which only two other similar frankings have been recorded, one of them is placed in the Ringström Philatelic Museum Provenance: ex Royal Collection of Queen Elizabeth II                       Collection Antonini (Corinphila, sale 85, October 1992)                      The Cihangir Collection (Corinphila 2000)                       Samir Fikry Collection (David Feldman 2011)                      illustrated and described in Ringstrom and Tester, Part 3, p. 93 (letter no. 16).                     shown among the World Rarities at Monaco 2009