Lot 30163 – 1851, 1cr brown-carmine on greyish, horizontal strip of six on cover to Papal States

1851, 1cr brown-carmine on greyish, horizontal strip of six, on 23 May 1857 entire letter from Pienza to Viterbo (Papal Sates), tied by cds’s on dispatch and cancelled by framed “PD” at left, redirected from Viterbo to Rome, where the strikes of the elusive “Tassa/Rettificata” two-line hs (rectified tax) were applied in red, with corresponding cds of Rome on back in the same colour, together with black Viterbo cds, and charged “3” bajocchi on receipt in manuscript on part of the strip; the only 1851 1 crazia strip of six on cover, and probably a unique combination of the rectified tax Pontifical marking on Tuscany stamps, in an exceptional quality making it a most desirable exhibition piece, being visually striking also due to its extraordinary freshness; cert. G. Oliva (1958), signed A. Diena; (Unlisted the strip of six on cover in the Sassone catalogue).

Note: The distance between Pienza and Viterbo (Lazio, Papal States) was 81 kms, so the single rate to be paid should have been 4 crazie for the distance between 75 and 150 km. We can not give an explanation for the 6 crazie posatge paid, as the double rate would have been 8 crazie, but it was dispatched with this franking erroneously applied. The rectified tax handstamp on arrival may have referred to an erroneous postage applied on departure (?). A fascinating postal-history case for further research.