Lot 10029 – 5pi Rose, the unique block of twelve in combination with 10pa brown, 20pa blue, 1pi claret and 2pi yellow, perforation 12½, all tied on 1866 (August) large part insured cover front from Cairo to Alexandria, by POSTE VICE

5pi Rose, the unique block of twelve in combination with 10pa brown, 20pa blue, 1pi claret and 2pi yellow, perforation 12½, all tied on 1866 (August) large part insured cover front from Cairo to Alexandria, by POSTE VICE-REALI EGIZIANE / CAIRO cds in black, similar alongside and framed ASSICURATE handstamp.

One of the most important postal history items of Egyptian philately.

Provenance: Royal Palace Collection (Lot 55), Emile Antonini, Samir Fikry.

Note: The registration manuscript number at the top reads « 3849 » and 78 1/2 grams. The weight required an 8 piastre franking and the insured value was 43000 piastres, paid at 10 paras for every 100 piastres in value, hence a total of 100 piastres and 30 paras, the total would have been 108 piastres and 30 paras, hence 45 piastres is missing. The six 5 piastres stamps from the bottom row of the block are from the 8th row of the sheet and all show the Nile Post listed variety « extension of the back end of the Arabic overprint » (NP D6i).