Auction 265th - 273rd - Day 5

1866 (Sept 27): Entire letter from Constantinople to Kishinev in Bessarabia bearing a horizontal strip of three Russia Imperial Arms 1865 10 kop. brown & blue perf. 14½, tied by two strikes of "KONSTANTINOPOL 27 SEP. 66" cds in blue (Tchilinghirian fig. 3), arrival KISHINEV cds (Sept 30) in black alongside. Reverse with another Constantinoplre information strike and ODESSA transit cds in black (Sept. 29). File fold away from the stamps and postmarks, an attractive late usage of the Imperial adhesives to pay the 30 kopeck Levant-to-Russia rate. Signed A. Diena.rnNote: The adhesives of the 'Steamer & Eagle' type of the ROPiT came into use in 1865, the present entire is therefore a late usage of the Imperial stamps. Postage is 20 kop. for the Shipmail part of the journey and 10 kop. for the part of the journey from Odessa harbour to Kishinev.