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.