Lot 31009 – Unique incoming mail from Naples, Italy to Wallachia, via French Post to Constantinople and Galati, via Moldavian Post

1861 Unique incoming mail from Naples, Italy to Wallachia, via French Post to Constantinople and Galati, via Moldavian Post and showing manuscript postage due for the cross-border exchange between the Romanian Principalities. Neapolitan Provinces 1 gr. black and 20 gr. yellow, touched to good margins, showing a crease, used on 1861 opened for display cover endorsed “Voie de Mer” to Bucharest, sent on 11 June from Napoli (‘PARTENZA DA NAPOLI’ in black) with framed “PD” in red adjacent. French post office “Constantinople / Turquie” transit (June 22) and fine strike of pearled “GALATZ / MOLDAVIE” cds in blue (June 26), passed to Moldavian post with “Galatz / Moldova” cds (June 17, Julian calendar) in red and sent to Wallachia, with “BUCAREST / WALACHEI” arrival (probably June 20 but month slug at top) in red. Manuscript single rate “40” postage due in blue. One of the very few if not unique foreign items showing the postage due related to the transit through both Romanian Principalities before the Unification of the Posts in 1862. A very important exhibition item.

Note: The recipient, Alexandrine Moret de Blaremberg, was the daughter of a Russian officer, engineer, and architect who married Pulcheria Ghica, sister of last Prince of Moldavia Grigore Alexandru Ghica. In October 1861, Alexandrine married Ioan Grigore Ghica, then Minister of War and later ambassador to Istanbul, Vienna, Rome, and Saint Petersburg. She was the mother of Blessed Vladimir Ghika and diplomat Dimitrie Ghika.