Auction 333-341 Europe & Overseas - Day 5

British Post Office in Beirut 1906 (July 3): Envelope from Beirut to Alexandria, bearing 1906 Beyrout Provisional 1 pi. on 2 d., tied by oval "REGISTERED / BEYROUT" registration datestamp, circular datestamp alongside. Reverse with bilingual ALEXANDRIE arrival (July 5) cds. A fine and fresh cover with this rare stamp, one of the few not sent registered in spite of the wrong cancellation. Cert. Sismondo (1999) Gi = £ 2'100 on cover.

Note: Under the authority of the British Vice-consul at Beirut, who was also the Postmaster, two sheets totalling 480 stamps of the 2 d. value overprinted LEVANT (SG L4) were provisionally surcharged ‘ 1 Piastre’. The surcharging was done at The American Press under the supervision of Mr. Fryer, who was an American and a director of The Press, and an Englishman named Glockler who was the manager of the printing department.
Provenance: Heinrich Köhler sale 174 (Oct 1963), lot 897.