Lot 81140 – Overfranked cover sent abroad: 18 bani red on yell

Overfranked cover sent abroad: 18 bani red on yellowish paper, a very fine item showing a distinct « back of the neck » retouch, cancelled with a clear Turnu Severin 11/7 (1870) cds on cover to Orsova, Austria-Hungary. Due to a small anomaly that arose when domestic rates changed in January 1868 and foreign rates were established in April 1869, the domestic letter rate of 18 bani was higher than the rate for mail sent to nearby border destinations in Austria-Hungary, which was set at 15 bani. This discrepancy lasted for about a year and a half, when the domestic rate was reduced to 10 bani. This cover is franked with an 18b stamp when the rate was only 15b, resulting in an overfranking of 3 bani. Few such covers are known. A rare item in very fine condition.