

(Cavalla) 1907 picture postcard of Constantinople to United States franked on picture side with damaged 2k green tied by part violet oval ‘ROPIT AG KAVALLA’ with a further very fine strike on reverse, ROPIT SALONIKI transit cds at top applied in transit, Monongahela, PA arrival cds at top. Tchilinghirian records no cover known with this oval date stamp, the stamp is unfortunately damage but still an important item.

(Kerassunde) 1912 (16 VII) 20para on 4k. postal stationery card addressed to Stockholm, Sweden with violet ROPIT KERASSUNDE cds, repeated to left; fine and clean condition.


(Palestine) 1908 Value Declared parcel card to Jerusalem from Staraia Ouchitza franked 14k. and 1r., endorsed “Via Odessa”, reverse with violet ROPIT JAFFA and ROPIT JERUSALEM cancels; a repair at top of form and central vertical crease; very unusual


(Ship Mail) 1907 (Nov 13) picture postcard to the USA franked 10pa. on 2k. tied by violet ROPiT/ AGENT CAVALLA oval date stamp, Ropit trnsit below and Monongahela arrival; fine and rare.

1865 entire to Mersina franked 2pi. deep blue and rose with four large even margins tied COMPAGNIE RUSSE DE NAVIGATION/ SMYRNE handstamp (Thcil. Fig. 150). A beautiful and rare cover, Ex Lipschutz and Cihangir.


1865-67 10pa rose and blue top marginal block of four cancelled PORT LATAKIA blue-green cds, a few minor discolouration marks on front and some paper on reverse, various expertising handstamps including Diena and Bolaffi.

1867 ‘Steamer and Eagle’ 10 para, vertical network, block of four with good to large margins all round cancelled with four blue retta cancels, the upper two stamps with ironed out horizontal creases (invisible from front), small pre-cuts between stamps, a very rare and attractive multiple, signed Pfenniger. Ex Faberge (1940), Dr Casey (2016) and Berg (2020).

1868 outer letter sheet to Taganrog franked by two 1865-67 2pi (SG 7) both with full margins, tied by faint strike of ‘780’ in truncated triangle of dots, with partly legible Smyrna cds (Tchil. Type 14) on reverse along with Smyrne company cachet, fine and rare, Mikulski Cert., Ex Dr. Casey.


1869 entire to Chisnovi franked 10k. (2) tied by blue ‘retta’ cancels, blue Konstantinopol Russian P.O. backstamp, routed via Odessa; some filing creases not affecting stamps, Mikulski handstamp, very scarce.

1872 outer letter sheet to Alexandrie ( refolded to show backstamps) franked 1872-90 5r. blue with light blue unclear cancel, Lattakia cds in blue on reverse; with some faults.


1875 Entire written at Constantinople sent to Odessa, bearing 2x3k+10k Russian issue for Levant (1872 – horizontally laid paper) cancelled on arrival with Odessa cds, additional strike alongside.


1896 (12 Oct) 10k stationery letter card to Calcarra, Malta written from H.M.S. “Trafalgar” at Salonica cancelled violet ROPIT SALONIKI cds, British Post Office Constantinople transit, Malta B cds and part Cospicua cds, reverse with ROPIT Constantinopoli transit. Slight stain bottom left and some more on reverse not unduly detracting.

1898 4k. postal stationery card to Holland cancelled by large violet double oval ROPIT/ AGENT YAFFA date stamp, arrival cancel at left. With message, slight overall toning but a good example of this usually illegible, rare date stamp.

1906 picture postcard to Tsaritsyn, Russia, posted on board S.S. “Rossiya” while at Constantinople by traveller en route from Jaffa to Constanza, put ashore at Dardanelles where Russian Levant 2op on 4k. was cancelled by large oval R.O.P.i.T./ DARDNELLES AGENCY/ 1 APR 1906 date stamp in blue. Fine and rare, Ex. Dr. Casey.

1913 (26/IV) philatelic cover to Bern, Switzerland franked Romanov 20p. 0n 2r. red-brown and 30pi. on 3r. deep violet tied by cyrillic Constantinople cds; fine and clean condition


CHINA - Russian Post Office: 1898 (21 3) attractively hand-painted Russia 4R. postal stationery cancelled Cyrillic Shanghai in blue repeated twice alongside, French Octagonal Ligne N Paq No 5 and German arrival all on reverse, very fine.


CHINA - Russian Post Office: 1901 (18 1) 4R. stationery card headed on reverse Port-Arthur cancelled Cyrillic CHEFOO in blue with Cyrillic Shanghai alongside addressed to England with Shanghai, Hong Kong and arrival c.d.s. all on obverse along with boxed PAQUEBOT in violet, vertical crease at left, otherwise fine.

RUSSIA POST OFFICES IN CHINA: 1916 (142) Parcel card to Sweden franked 1910-16 20k. + 70k. + 1r. all with KITAI overprints tied by SHANGHAI POSTE RUSSE cds’s, Stockholm transit and Goteborg arrival backstamps, bilingual SHANGHAI registration label, a few peripheral tears at top and left, otherwise fine, fresh and very scarce in this format.


RUSSIAN LEVANT: 18/4 (June): Entire from Constantinople to Odessa franked with 1872 1 k. brown in two shades and 3k., these on horizontally laid paper and 5 k. on vertically laid paper, CONSTANTINOPLE company cachet at base, the stamps themselves cancelled on arrival only (June 15). Provenance: Collection 'Cihangir', Corinphila sale 121, May 2000, lot 370.


RUSSIAN LEVANT: 1865 (June 17): Entire to Mersina bearing 2 pi. blue & rose with four large even margins tied by "COMPAGNIE RUSSE DE NAVIGATION / SMIRNE" double ring handstamp in blue (Tchilinghirian fig 150). A beautiful and rare cover. Provenance: Collection Lipschutz Collection 'Cihangir', Corinphila sale 121, May 2000, lot 500.