Lot 50124 – 1863 (May 25) Cover from Varna to Genoa, franked by 1862 10c (5) and 20c (2)

1863 (May 25) Cover from Varna to Genoa, franked by 1862 10c (5, one stamp with missing perfs at top) and 20c (2, one with defective corner at top left), each cancelled or tied by neat « 5103 » dotted large figure lozenge in blue, with associated dotted cds « Varna/Turq. d’Europe » cds and framed « PD » below, one 10c additionally tied by « Prioscafi / Postali / Francesi » three-line hs in red on arrival, Constantinople and Genoa backstamps; a spectacular cover with this outstandingly well struck handstamps (almost never to be found thus), bearing a scarce franking and addressed to Italy (and not Constantinople as usual); cert. B.-P. Behr (1999).