Country: ITALY

Condition: FIRENZE TO CALCIONE 1590

Description: 420 YEAR OLD ENTIRE LETTER written and signed by PRINCISVALLE DELLA STUFA owner of the famous CALCIONE CASTLE & A RELATIVE OF THE MEDICIS * text deals with duties of the castle's overseer to whom the letter is addressed * CALCIONE IS LOCATED BETWEEN SIENA AND AREZZO * Overall condition of the letter: fine to very fine. Signed by noted expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: ITALY

Condition: PHILATELIC DICTIONARY ITALIAN-GERMAN

Description: DIZIONARIO FILATELICO TEDESCO - ITALIANO ITALIANO - TEDESCO PHILATELIC DICTIONARY ITALIAN-GERMAN-ITALIAN By Vanni Alfani, 2002 edition, 100 pages Simply the best Italian-German-Italian philatelic dictionary ever written. Most useful to both the beginner and to the specialist. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ***************** di Vanni Alfani, 100 pagine, edizione 2002 Dizionario dei termini filatelici più usati e più comuni per aiutare i collezionisti a capire ed utilizzare in maniera più semplice i cataloghi e i volumi scritti in lingua tedesca che spesso sono alla base di numerose collezioni e studi anche dell’area italiana. VERAMENTE INDISPENSABILE

Country: United States

Condition: AEGEAN ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY VOL. 2

Description: POSTAL HISTORY OF THE DODECANESE AEGEAN ISLANDS VOLUME II: THE MILITARY MAIL ITALY * GERMANY * THE BRITISH & GREEK ADMINISTRATION STORIA POSTALE DEL DODECANESO VOLUME 2 196 pages, (20 x 30 cm), supplemented by a separate volume of 40 pages Catalogue giving illustrations and evaluations of all known postmarks, instructional and accessory marks ALL IN COLOUR, lavish large format production, hard bound, already out of print. Absolutely first class book that will remain standard reference for decades to come. In ITALIAN with abridged but extensive sections translated into ENGLISH for each of the various chapters. CHECK OUT MY LISTINGS FOR VOLUME 1 This is VOLUME 2 and deals with: MILITARY MAIL WW1 & WW2 FREE FRANK & CENSOR MARKS NAVY & SHIPS MAIL AIRFORCE MAIL GERMAN FELDPOST GERMAN INSELPOST BRITISH MILITARY ADMINISTRATION & MEF STAMPS USED IN AEGEAN GREEK MILITARY ADMINISTRATION POSTAL RATES POSTAGE STAMPS USED IN THE AEGEAN ISLANDS CORRECTIONS & ADDENDA TO VOLUME I BIBLIOGRAPHY ***** HUGE & HEAVY BOOK ***** THIS IS A MUST HAVE bibliophile publication.

Country: ITALY

Condition: FORWARDING AGENTS IN ITALY

Description: ITALIAN FORWARDING AGENTS by G. Migliavacca, in Italian, 1975, with evaluations, mails from various Italian cities despatch through forwarding agents 66pp, long out of print WITH EVALUATIONS ** *************** I FORWARDERS IN ITALIA con dettagliata introduzione e poi elenco dei forwarders conosciuti per le varie localita' dalla A alla Z ANCONA a Verona Venezia - opera ancora valida e molto utile su un argomento poco noto CON VALUTAZIONI

Country: ITALY

Condition: ITALIAN OCCUPATIONS WW2

Description: ITALIAN OCCUPATIONS WWII ****   Occupazioni ed Annessioni Italiane nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale - Albania, Francia, Grecia, Jugoslavia - 1939-1943 La Posta Civile by Valter Astolfi. Published March 1996 by Fiorenzo Zanetti Editore, Milan. 640 pages, several maps; 6 1/2” x 9 1/2”; black and white illustrations throughout. Perfect bound. [Limited edition of Hardbound copies exist - ask for more details] ****   A REVIEW BY GIORGIO MIGLIAVACCA (copyright) ****    Quite a few volumes have been published during the last two decades about Italian military mail of World War II; most of them were well received both by reviewers and the collecting public. Some of their success story is contributed by the information given on the exact location of the various field post offices — a very important detail for postal history collectors of the various countries and territories occupied by Italy. Another crucial factor is that Italian military mail of WWII is still in relatively large supply, and although stocks and trouvailles had been cherry-picked in the 1950s and early 1960s by pioneering specialists, chances of an occasional lucky find keep collectors’ adrenaline going. Once occupied and/or annexed the various territories and countries had to be governed, sometime by a civilian administration, sometime by military rule, and in some instances by a combination of both, depending on circumstances which had strategic, political and diplomatic ramifications. The postal service for civilians was a rather important aspect of public administration and the plethora of occupation stamps listed by the various catalogues is, for the serious specialist or postal historian, the classical “tip of the iceberg”. In some of the occupied territories definitive stamps of Italy were used, in other places specific overprinted stamps were issued, and in one case local definitives continued in use. In each case the adopted course had been influenced by circumstances, and although some mistakes were made, Italy was quite careful not to step on Germany’s toes while devising some long-term policy as to better incorporate the newly acquired territories without hurting local sensitivities and pride. Germany, on the other hand, had none of these complexities to contend with and her approach was - to put it in one word - rather brutal. On the whole, war cover enthusiasts will find this collecting field quite exciting and challenging. On 10 June 1940, Mussolini issued declarations of war against Britain and France; as a result Italian troops began to occupy bordering areas on the western front. Two weeks later France had agreed to sign an armistice. The acquisitions were pitifully modest and included Mentone where Italian stamps were introduced by mid-March 1941. Additionally, as a result of the disruption of postal service between Italy and France, mail from Italians residing in France and her colonies were forwarded through special arrangements and concessions. Covers benefitting from such concessions are usually recognizable by official “straight line” hand-stamps. The partition of Yugoslavia after the annexation by the Axis powers resulted in the birth of two new countries, Croatia and Serbia, and the subdivision of the other areas into smaller entities under German or Italian rule. Southern Slovenia became the Province of Lubiana, the Italianized name of its main city, Ljubljana. Here the annexation caused no disruption of the postal service and Yugoslav stamps continued to be used for a short time. The Fiume-Kupa zone, in the vicinity of Fiume, included Arbe and Veglia - two of the nearby islands - and was eventually incorporated into the pre-existing Province of Fiume. Other acquisitions included the Dalmatian coast where the administrative subdivision included the provinces of Zadar (Zara), Split (Spalato) and the offshore islands, and Kotor (Cattaro). From a strictly philatelic point of view it is interesting to notice that Yugoslav stamps with an Italian (Co.Ci.) overprint were issued for Lubiana, and a similar measure was implemented for the Fiumano-Kupa zone. Montenegro followed a similar pattern but here there were some “sensitivities” that had to be carefully dealt with. Firstly, Queen Helena (nee Petrovic), the consort of King Victor Emmanuel III, was also a Montenegrin princess, and a special administrative arrangement had to be adopted. Therefore, on 3 October 1941 Mussolini issued a special decree making Montenegro an Italian Governorship. The special status of Montenegro under Italian occupation is also reflected by its stamps, which include a set commemorating Prince Bishop Petrovic Njegosh, author of the Montenegrin national poem. Each of the ten stamps bore a few lines of the poem inscribed on the back. Undoubtedly Queen Helena had a lot of influence in all of this; and having a famous Sicilian collector at the top of the newly established Governorship made things easier. In 1901 Italy opened a post office at Scutari; the following year two additional offices were opened at Janina and Durazzo (Durres) and in 1908 Valona (Vlone) also had its Italian post office. This was simply another indication of Italian long-term interest in the area. The 1913 Treaty of London gave independence to Albania; the stamps of the new country depicting Skander-Beg (also known as Gjergji Kastrioti) were printed by the Italian Government Printing Works in Turin. Following a period of anarchy and unrest during World War I, and with the help of Italy, the country stabilized itself. The cordial relationship with Rome improved as years went by, and quite a few pre-war stamp issues of Albania were printed by the Italian Government Printing Works which had by then moved to Rome. The situation deteriorated in 1939, when King Zog refused to align Albania with the Axis; Mussolini, who wouldn’t take no for an answer, occupied the country in a matter of days. On 12 April 1939 Victor Emmanuel III became King of Albania and Albanian stamps were overprinted at first, to be followed by definitives depicting the Italian monarch. The idea of overprinting Italian definitives was discarded because it would have met with stern resistance and incensed the Albanians whose national pride was well known. Instead, a definitive series blending the image of Victor Emmanuel with local pictorial elements and featuring Albanian inscriptions and currency was issued. The inevitable fasces were also a design element, but to circumvent local criticism many of the later issues also featured the Albanian coat of arms. Metropolitan postal rates were adopted and the use of Italian definitives was tolerated for about twelve months. In 1941 Albania expanded its boundaries at the expense of Yugoslavia. As a result some 15 post offices became part of the Albanian postal network. Covers with stamps of Albania under Italian rule cancelled by postmarks of these post offices are quite elusive, and even the advanced collector would never know what he is dealing with unless he has Astolfi’s book.   After declaring war on Greece (28 October 1940), Italy found out that it was not an easy task and only in the spring of 1941 with massive help from Berlin the occupation was successfully completed. From a postal history point of view evidence of the Italian occupation on the mainland was only marginal. Stamps featuring King George II and/or members of the royal family were declared obsolete and withdrawn; however, all the other definitives remained in use. The only postal vestiges of the Italian occupation of Greece to be found on mails from civilians are the often bi-lingual (Italian and Greek) censor marks and labels. The approach with the offshore islands was quite different. In the Ionian Islands, at first, Greek stamps were overprinted locally at Corfù, Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Zante; then, in an attempt to wipe out even the minutest visual link with the mainland, Italian definitives overprinted “ISOLE JONIE” were introduced. On Crete and throughout the Cycladian and Sporades Islands Greek stamps were used. The occasional use of Italian and Rhodes’ definitives was only marginal. Astolfi makes a very good point when he discusses the Cephalonia and Ithaca overprints in used condition. As we all know the format of these rather large and clumsy overprints required two stamps to leave a full impression. The acquisitive mind of collectors combined with the money-grabbing attitude of most dealers resulted in marketing these issues as “pairs”. As such they have been catalogued and collected from day one, irrespective of evidence to the contrary; in fact, the overprint did not actually modify the face value of each stamp. It was simply an expedient method due to the emergency. For generations now, catalogues have been penalizing single stamps with half of the overprint, but the often rare pieces of mail of non-philatelic origin that have been recorded so far show clearly that the overprinted pairs were invariably separated to make up the required postal rates. Scott says that used halves (sic!) are worth 50% of their already ridiculously low-priced pair counterparts. Sassone, who should know better, adopts an even more absurd approach when it states that used “singles” (a more fitting description than halves) with half impression of the overprint are worth 10% of the price given for used pairs. However, Sassone says, such “singles” on cover are worth the same as pairs. Ironically enough, Sassone does not give prices for pairs on cover — a clear indication that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Unsevered pairs are usually found on philatelic covers which can be easily recognized since they are invariably “over-paid” and do not reflect an actual postal rate of any kind. In this respect Astolfi’s book is a very valuable tool for spotting philatelic covers since he devotes detailed chapters to the various postal rates used in the occupied territories.   What has just been said reminds us of what Walter G. Weisbecker wrote in 1958 in an article on WWII Occupation Overprints published by “Stamps” magazine (4 January): “The failure of the Scott catalogue to provide detailed listings of these occupation series (in particular, the recognized varieties and reasonable price quotations) is, in the final analysis, really a matter of no great importance except to the collector who relies upon it. Every leading European catalogue...carries the great majority of them as readily marketable items. Scott, I fear, is still struggling off to a very late start. Thus, assuming that you recognize that Scott is certainly no collector’s ‘bible’ in this field, the way lies open for you to probe a highly specialized, little known area that may well be as profitable as it is fascinating.” This is certainly a mouthful, especially knowing that it was said almost 40 years ago and that Scott has made little progress since then. What are the “shakers and movers” of the American philatelic world doing? Sleeping, we assume. By mid-1943 Hitler was already highly suspicious that the Italians were going to betray him. After Mussolini’s ousting (25 July) Italy signed an armistice with the Allies (8 September), followed by a declaration of war on Germany (13 October). German take-over of just about all territories and islands occupied by Italy was marked by a series of atrocities. Those perpretrated in Juguslavia and Greece have been widely publicised, but little has been said about the 5,000 Italians on Cephalonia put to death by the Germans after the surrender. The remaining 4,000 were embarked for Greece but their ships hit mines and sank. The few who jumped into the sea were machine-gunned by the Germans. Similar atrocities were committed in Corfu and Rhodes involving thousands. But Astolfi’s book does not deal with the German take-over and his postal history of civilian mails ends exactly on that fateful 8 September 1943. Astolfi hopes to tackle the postal history of civilian mails in former Italian territories taken over by Germany in a separate volume to be published at a later date. We wish him every success in this new venture. What Astolfi has provided for us in these 640 pages will keep us busy long enough for him to accomplish his new project. Astolfi is not one of Italy’s most prolific writers, but when he decides to put pen to paper he does so in the most authoritative fashion. This is all too evident in the volume under review which, interestingly enough, belongs to a new series appropriately named “Le Pietre Miliari” (The Milestones). What we have here is a monumental monograph filled with previously unpublished research. One only needs to look at the existing bibliography to realise how little had been written previously on the postal history of civilian mails from Italian Occupations of World War II. Each section has substantial chapters outlining the historical events, the administrative status, stamps and postal stationery, postal rates, post offices, postal service, postmarks, stampers, registration labels, and censorship. Additionally, for those who want to put a cash value on everything, Astolfi’s book also provides evaluations based on a point system. Stamp issues of the occupied territories are not the main objective of this publication; however, the clarity imparted by Astolfi to his listings and the added information gathered by him make this section alone worth buying this book. His approach is realistic and unbiased and, therefore, at times conflicting with time-honoured but not time-tested sources such as stamp catalogues. He sticks to the facts and as a postal historian his penchant for detail is never fastidiously boring. The reader’s reaction is quite often - “Oh, I didn’t know that”. Astolfi also gives clear exaustive explanations on various “too good to be true” bogus overprints; these include the 1940 “SOLLUM” overprints on stamps of Libya; the 1942 Siwa overprints (“OCCUPAZIONE ITALIANA” on two lines) on Egyptian definitives to celebrate the Axis counter-offensive in Libya; and the hilarious 1942 “TOBRUCH” overprints on the Rome-Berlin Axis stamps. Justifiably maligned, these stamps were also the target of another invention of forgers when a two line overprint “C.S.I.R. / VINCEREMO” (Italian Expeditionary Force in Russia / We will Win) was added to them by some practical joker. The bogus overprints of Santa Maura, Cerigo, and Paxo on Greek stamps; and the Lassithi (Crete) overprints on stamps of Rhodes are also discussed. The book requires a good knowledge of the Italian language, but don’t let this influence you because the many illustrations and the abundance of maps, charts, synoptic tables and Astolfi’s use of plain language will make your task rather easy. The information is carefully researched and well documented, and all the pertinent facts are discussed in a lucid style. If criticism, for the sake of criticism, must be made, then it may be said that an index would have been an added asset; but, quite honestly, the subject matter is arranged and organized in such a way that the lack of an index is only to the regret of the printer who would have benefitted from printing the few extra pages. From a practical point of view, most postal history material of these territories is far from common; additionally this collecting area is marred by dressed-up (philatelic) covers and outright forgeries. Putting all of these in the right contest and finding out their relevance and worth from a collecting point of view can be rewarding and can easily justify the purchase of this book. For the specialist, this is a veritable goldmine; you will go back to it time and again and you either purchase two copies (one for your bookshelf and one for research purposes and annotations) or you make sure you go to a bookbinder to give it a solid hardback. All the illustrations are crisp and clear, including maps and postmarks; the book is lavisly produced and is complimented by a dust jacket. From a commercial point of view, Fiorenzo Zanetti, the publisher, has been very generous because this is clearly “five books in one”. He could have easily serialized this “opus magnus” in five tomes, but then Fiorenzo comes from a family of collectors/dealers that has earned the highest accolades in Italian philately. This is his way to contribute to the hobby and we are very grateful. This book is a must for all philatelic libraries and for anyone interested in this rather difficult collecting area. — Giorgio Migliavacca (COPYRIGHT) ******   VERY HEAVY BOOK TO SHIP

Country: United States

Condition: 1856 CAMPAGNA TO SALERNO

Description: Wrapper, sovracoperta, 1856, oval red CAMPAGNA and oval MONSr LEONE ARCIERS DI CONZA E CAMPAGNA, to Salerno - unusual and fine - signed Migliavacca

Country: ITALY SARDINIA

Condition: 1840s GAMBOLO VIGEVANO

Description: No date but 1840s - Wrapper (sovracoperta) from GAMBOLO' (Italic postmark of the Rural Post Office) to MORTARA, via VIGEVANO (straight line) - fine very fine - signed Migliavacca

Country: LOMBARDY VENETIA

Condition: SAN PIETRO INCARIANO 1857

Description: 1857 Wrapper sovracoperta from SAN PIETRO INCARIANO to the DIREZIONE SUPERIORE DELLE POSTE IN VERONA - free frank handstamp of the COMMISSARIATO DISTRETTUALE DI S. PIETRO INCARIANO (double headed eagle) - fine very fine - signed Migliavacca

Country: United States

Condition: USA POW IN GERMANY to Spain

Description: Very Unusual destination - boxed MIT LUFTPOST PAR AVION and straight line TAX PERCUE RM 24 May 1944 - arrival postmark Madrid 30 May - OFFIZIERLAGER 64 (shield) censor mark. Signed by noted expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: ITALY

Condition: MOTONAVE MARIA FAUSTA G * ITALIA AL LAVORO

Description: MONTREAL cds on Italian Definitive stamps "Italy at Work" - scarce cover, signed Migliavacca

Country: ITALY

Condition: SOUTH TYROL POSTAGE DUE WW1 - BOOK

Description: BILINGUAL TEXT: ITALIAN & GERMAN ** 128 pages, illustrated throughout in colour ** For many years the status of these Postage Due stamps was that of semi-official issues until recently, when Carlo Ciullo found documentation proving their legitimate status. In recent years the Sassone catalogue has listed them under TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE ** When this book was published in 1999 it was sold out in a matter of weeks. We deemed ourself lucky to get a copy from a London philatelic supplies dealer for GBP 40 plus Shipping & Handling - ** That was then! Your opportunity to get your copy at a more down to earth price. ** PLEASE READ THE ITALIAN & GERMAN INTRODUCTION to get more details ** WE SHIP WORLDWIDE * HANDLING & POSTAGE: TO USA — $7.00 ~~~~~~ TO ALL OTHER DESTINATIONS via AIRMAIL (only) : $16.00 ~~~~~ WHEN POSSIBLE WE WILL COMBINE MULTIPLE PURCHASES INTO ONE SHIPMENT TO SAVE YOU MONEY ON POSTAGE

Country: ITALY

Condition: FIRST POSTAL GUIDE EVER 1562

Description: LE POSTE NECESSARIE A CORRIERI... (Brescia 1562) modern reprint on lignin free and acid free special paper. 72 pages in Italian with very useful PREFACE in ENGLISH. Listing the POSTS and FAIRS of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium etc. Limited HARD BOUND Edition. The first ever postal guide published in 1562 has been reprinted in the British Virgin Islands by stamp expert Dr. Giorgio Migliavacca. “This modern reprint of the 1562 postal guide makes this important book in the history of travel and communications easily available to 21st century readers and scholars,” he said. The limited edition reprint is expected to become a sought after collectible for bibliophiles. The 444 year-old Renaissance book is the oldest traveler’s guide reprinted in its original format in the entire Americas. Dr. Migliavacca explained that many of the early traveler's guides published in Italy between the 1500s and 1800s were almost invariably written by authors who had close ties with the postal service. The first postal guide (Le poste necessarie a' corrieri) was published in Venice and saw three editions between 1560 and 1563 in conjunction with the Catholic Church Council of Trento (Tridentine Council). The well-known postal historian went on to say that during the late 1400s, throughout the 1500s, and beyond, the word "post" did not have the same meaning we give to it nowadays. A post was a place at some junction, in town or in the countryside, where it was possible to hire or change a horse, and in most cases get a meal and some rest. “The distance between one post and the next was also called "post." In some cases this distance could be longer than normal and therefore the measurement between two posts could sometimes be one and a half posts, or two posts. This measurement was important because it affected the cost and fees for hiring horses, postilions and coaches. It must be noted that the posts, or postal inns, also handled mail. In fact, in the course of time, the postal network had facilitated the service of post horses, post chaises and coaches, which was the equivalent of modern public transport,” he said. The earliest surviving edition is that published by Ioanne Battista Bozola and printed in Brescia in 1562 by Damiano Turlino. As the title indicates - "The Posts needed by the Couriers in Italy, France, Spain & Germany..." - this precious, pocket-size, booklet was initially meant for couriers, be they postal couriers, private couriers, merchant couriers, diplomatic couriers, couriers of the municipalities, couriers of the Princes and Kings, and couriers of the Church. The first edition was out of print in a short time because many couriers lived in and/or converged upon Venice from all over Europe. The city also drew huge numbers of businessmen, tourists, and other visitors. It is no surprise that a second and a third edition were published in a rather short time. A lucrative industry of postal guides was born from this little acorn. In due course these booklets (librettos) helped the traveler plan his journey and see which posts were on his route. That the book in its second edition was already targeting travelers and businessmen becomes apparent from the subtitle - "And Also with the Addition of the names of all the Fairs held all over the world". It also had a “Tavola novamente Stampata” - a new Table of Contents “to make it easier to find the route of the journey the man will like to make”. Dr. Migliavacca said that “these postal guides had a utilitarian role - they were meant to disseminate timely information and as such were destined to perish. In fact, of the 1560 edition there does not seem to have survived a single copy, while of the 1562 edition only the Marciana Library in Venice and the Ambrosiana Library in Milan are privileged to have a copy.” “The number of people traveling and writing letters during the Renaissance had increased exponentially and so had their need for detailed and up-to-date information. The many editions of the postal guides suggest that these publications were readily available at retail outlets that have not yet been identified but must have included booksellers, inns, and postal stations.” Dr. Migliavacca is not new to publishing reprints of important books. In fact, in 1980 he published the reprint of another famous postal guide written in the early 1600s by the Deputy Postmaster General of Milan, Ottavio Codogno. The 1620 Venice edition of his 460-pages “Itinerario” was reprinted in limited edition by Dr. Migliavacca and copies of it can now be found in some of the most important libraries worldwide. It is also a highly desirable collectible for bibliophiles and specialists.

Country: FRANCE

Condition: FRANCE ITALY 1917 FRENCH FORCES AT CORONA GORIZIA

Description: 12 August 1917 cover to France POSTA MILITARE 57 cds (located at Corona, Gorizia) At left double circle in blue: 3e REGIMENT ARTILLERIE A OIED 62e BATTERIE - LE CAPITAINE At top right: INFIRMERIE DE ....SAINT AMOUR - S B M - F M A very unusual and truly rare item - FINE QUALITY for this type of mail Signed by expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: FRANCE

Condition: FRANCE TROOPS IN ITALY TARANTO BASE T&P 525

Description: 3 OCTOBER 1917 - Picture Postcard to Secteur Postal 62 from Sergeant at the TARANTO BASE ** TRESOR ET POSTES 525 cds SCARCE and very fine *** Signed by expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: FRANCE

Condition: 1918 ITALY FRANCE: ARMEE FRANCAISE EN ITALIE

Description: 1918 ITALY FRANCE: ARMEE FRANCAISE EN ITALIE; NEW TYPE OF POSTAL STATIONERY & TRESOR ET POSTES cds -- signed by expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: FRANCE

Condition: ITALY FRANCE SOLDIER ARMEE D'ORIENT IN TRANSIT AT TARANTO

Description: ITALY FRANCE SOLDIER ARMEE D'ORIENT IN TRANSIT AT TARANTO - PICTURE POSTCARD (Rome, Garibaldi monument)- very fine double circle hand stamp BASE MILITARE FRANCAISE TARENTE * LE VAGUEMESTRE -- most interesting and a significant addition to a specialized collection or exhibit - signed by expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: FRANCE

Condition: 1918 FRANCE TROOPS IN MILAN ITALY 1918 BASE FRANCAISE

Description: 1918 FRANCE TROOPS IN MILAN ITALY 1918 BASE FRANCAISE - Picture Postcard (Milano, Panorama) from officer of Secteur Postal 16 to Paris- very fine double circle hand stamp BASE FRANCAISE D'OPERATION - very scarce and rarely seen - Superb quality - Signed by expert Dr. Migliavacca

Country: ITALY

Condition: PUBLIC LIBRARIES ITALY1925 forerunner of ENTI SEMISTATALI STAMPS

Description: MILANO ** RR POSTE FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA DELLE BIBLIOTECHE POPOLARI stamper - precursor of ENTI SEMISTATALI (STATUTORY BOARDS) STAMPS - rare and well struck

Country: ITALY TUSCANY

Condition: 1650 ROME TO FLORENCE TUSCANY talisman CHE DIO GUARDI

Description: 1650 ROME TO FLORENCE TUSCANY talisman CHE DIO GUARDI ** 1650 ROME FLORENCE with (top right) talisman endorsement CHE DIO GUARDI (THAT GOD MAY WATCH) rare use instead of the more frequently used CHE DIO GUIDI (THAT GOD MAY GUIDE) - also often abbreviated as CDG not in FULL like in this case - on back most enchanting dry seal with the magnificent COAT OF ARMS of MARQUIS OF SIMANO & CIVITELLA ANDREA CORSINI - interesting signed text Signed by expert Dr Migliavacca *** 1650 ROMA FIRENZE con dicitura "talismano" CHE DIO GUARDI (talvolta si trova CHE DIO GUIDI, o abbreviazione CDG - raramente per esteso come in questo caso) inoltre splendido sigillo a secco al retro del Marchese di Simano e Civitella, Andrea Corsini - completa di testo Firmata Migliavacca

Country: ITALY NAPLES

Condition: 1683 NAPLES TO LIVORNO TUSCANY ST ANDREW CROSS 3/4 rate

Description: 1683 NAPLES TO LIVORNO TUSCANY ST ANDREW CROSS 3/4 rate *** 1683 NAPLES TO LEGHORN - postal rate 3 soldi 4 denari (3 4) clearly written - rate most likely for the delivery from Rome to Tuscany (the Naples Rome leg was a swap between couriers) most interesting ST ANDREW CROSS below docketing area to indicate postage paid - rare double sheet with lengthy text dealing with shipment of merchandise (oil, pottery, and jugs) using various ships including English ones; mentioned is made about the raids of the Turkish Signed by expert Dr Migliavacca *** 1683 NAPOLI LIVORNO tariffa 3 soldi 4 danari (3 4) foglio doppio con lungo testo (rari i fogli doppi) - tariffa quasi sicuramente riguardava il tratto Roma-Livorno poiche' il tratto Napoli-Roma veniva assolto da corriere napoletano che faceva scambi di corrispondenze a Roma - inoltre Croce di Sant'Andrea al retro per indicare che il corriere era stato pagato - RARO DOPPIO FOGLIO con lungo testo Firmata Migliavacca

Country: ITALY PAPAL STATES

Condition: 1702 BOLOGNA LIVORNO TUSCANY ST ANDREW CROSS rate 2/4

Description: 1702 BOLOGNA LIVORNO TUSCANY ST ANDREW CROSS rate 2/4 *** 1702 BOLOGNA TO LEGHORN - written by GIOBATTA & GIUSEPPE ROMA -- postal rate 2 soldi 4 denari (2 4) clearly written - most interesting ST ANDREW CROSS below docketing area to indicate postage paid * BEAUTIFUL DRY SEAL IN VERY FINE CONDITION Signed by expert Dr Migliavacca *** 1702 BOLOGNA LIVORNO da corrisspondenti GIOBATTA & GIUSEPPE ROMA - tariffa 2 soldi 4 danari (2 4) - inoltre Croce di Sant'Andrea al retro per indicare che il corriere era stato pagato Firmata Migliavacca

Country: TRIESTE

Condition: TRIESTE STOCK MARKET 1776 TESTIMONIAL BEAUTIFUL SEALS

Description: AMAZING TESTIMONIAL DOCUMENT ISSUED BY THE IMPERIAL ROYAL STOCK MARKET OF TRIESTE IN 1776 The Chief Executive of the Stock Market and a number of most prominent Bourse Members testify to the good standing and integrity of member CARLO BIAGGIO PRAUM -- The document is signed by GIUSEPPE BELUSCO Chief Executive of the Trieste Stock Market -- ANTONIO ROSSETTI Deputy Chief Executive -- and by the most prominent local merchants FEDERICO PANDOLFO PANDOLFO FEDERICO OSTERREICHER ADAMO WAGNER BOGNER & FILS GIOVANNI ANDREA FLANTINI PAOLO TRIBUZZI GIORGIO PLATNER GRASSIN VITA LEVI FRATELLI LUZZATTI The signatures are authenticated by VINCENZO GALIMBERTI and two other Bourse Officials. This is confirmed by GIACOMO GALBIATI Secretary of the Stock Market who uses his seal Additionally the Court Chancellor GIOVANNI PAOLO DE BAJARDI confirms the authenticity of the document and uses his seal. BOTH SEALS ARE AMAZINGLY WELL STRUCK AND SHARP Very Important document regarding the Stock Market of this important Austrian port -- OVERALL IN GOOD CONDITION AND A TRULY VERY DESIRABLE ITEM -- WE SHIP WORLDWIDE

Country: ITALY

Condition: ITALY LAKE MAIL MONOGRAPH BY LINDSEY IN ENGLISH

Description: A Special Item FROM THE ANTIQUARIAN & MODERNARIAN OF POSTAL HISTORY & PHILATELY *** 104 A4 PAGES, IN ENGLISH, SPIRAL BOUND *** ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT WITH INDICATION OF RARITY & VALUE FOR EACH POSTMARK ** ALL MAJOR ITALIAN LAKES INCLUDED: LAKE MAGGIORE ~ LAKE COMO ~ LAKE GARDA ~ LAKE ISEO ~ PLUS BIBLIOGRAPHY ****** WE SHIP WORLDWIDE

Country: ITALY

Condition: ITALY AIRMAIL POSTA AEREA D’ITALIA INCL. ZEPPELIN

Description: A Special Item FROM THE ANTIQUARIAN & MODERNARIAN OF POSTAL HISTORY & PHILATELY *************** LA POSTA AEREA D’ITALIA ITALIAN AIRMAIL *** by Piero Consonni, reprint of the 1954 edition with added colour illustrations. In Italian, 48 pages, large format (21 cm x 27 cm). With rarity scale and evaluations. Compendium - Check list: concise history of the subject matter; chronology, listings and evaluations of all the flights from pioneer days of 1911 to the early 1950s. Rescue and damaged mail from crash and accident flights. Newspapers sent via air mail. ZEPPELIN flown covers 1932 to 1935 with chronology, listings and evaluations. BALLOONS from 1784 to 1907. Postcards related to pioneer flights, aerial shows etc with listings, chronology and evaluations. Early but still valid and useful work that keeps the subject matter simple and easy to understand even for those who have little knowledge of the Italian language. This book is recommended both to the novice and the specialist. The flights include domestic ones and those to TO and FROM ITALIAN COLONIES and a variety of countries in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 48 pagine, in Italiano con qualche illustrazione a colori. Lavoro ancora valido e utile in ristampa molto curata e di formato piu’ grande dell’originale ( 21 x 27 cm). Include cronologie e valutazioni di tutti i voli dal 1911 ai primi anni ‘50. Comprende anche una buona catalogazione delle cartoline d’epoca sul tema aviazione, spettacoli aviatori ecc; vi e’ pure un elenco dei voli pionieristici per aerostato e anche i voli Zeppelin. Consigliato sia ai neofiti che agli specialisti in quanto il Consonni seppe mantenere il tutto molto semplice e accurato. I voli, oltre a quelli interni, comprendono collegamenti con vari paesi europei, l’Africa e i voli transatlantici da e per le Americhe.

Country: ITALY

Condition: VARAZZE 108 SAVONE 1808

Description: 6 JUNE 1808 Entire Letter from VARAZZE to CERVO showing TRANSIT straight line French Department Conquis 108 SAVONE nicely struck. POSTAGE PAID BY ADDRESSEE, rate on address panel. Very fine item, text deals with prices at Marseille and a death in the family. Signed by noted expert Dr. Migliavacca