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  • Lot# : 2422 Sicily

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    1859 (Jan.): ½ gr. orange in a block of nine, pos. 53-55 / 63-65 / 73-75 from plate I, a fine and fresh multiple in a vibrant shade with fair to large margins, in unused condition with original gum, the middle row unmounted. Spot on pos. 53, nevertheless a most attractive rarity, cert. E. Diena (1988) Sassone = € 9'000 for a block of four.
    Starting bid : 1,500 CHF
    Hammer price : 1,500 CHF

    Lot# : 2423 Sicily

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    1859: ½ gr. orange from plate I, a single fresh and fine example with good to huge margins all round, tied by crisp strike of 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, straight-line "MESa 1859 / 18 MAGo" despatch handstamp alongside, on 'Tremacoldo' newspaper. An attractive franking to pay the printed matter rate. Signed Emilio Diena & Grioni; cert. Colla (2002) Sassone = € 13'125.
    Starting bid : 1,000 CHF
    Hammer price : 1,100 CHF

    Lot# : 2424 Sicily

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    1859: 1 gr. in the rare shade 'bruno olivastro' from plate I, state II, two fresh and fine single adhesives from plate postions 30 & 33 with good to large margins all round, tied by 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, "MESa 1859 / 5 OTTe" despatch handstamp alongside, on entire letter from Messina to Catania. An appealing franking in this rare shade to pay the 2 grana rate from office to office. Signed Russo & Bolaffi; certs. A. Diena (1975), Gazzi (1975) Sassone = € 25'000.
    Starting bid : 1,200 CHF
    Hammer price : 1,200 CHF

    Lot# : 2425 Sicily

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    1859: 1 gr. 'bruno ruggine' from plate I, a fresh and fine corner marginal horizontal strip of three of the positions 1-3 with good to huge margins all round, tied by two crisp strikes of the 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp to cover, light oval CASTELVETRANO despatch handstamp in red and "PALERMO ARRIVA 23 SET. 59" arrival cds alongside. Some aging of the cover, nevertheless a stunning multiple paying the 3 grana rate for a letter of 1½ sheets from office to office, for a most advanced collection. Signed A. Diena, G. & A. Bolaffi, Russo; certs. E. Diena (1985), Colla (2004) Sassone = € 62'500.
    Starting bid : 3,000 CHF
    Hammer price : 3,000 CHF

    Lot# : 2426 Sicily

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    1859 (Jan.): 1 gr. 'verde oliva scuro' in a block of four, pos. 4+5+14+15 from plate III, a fine and fresh multiple with good to large margins, in unused condition with full unmounted original gum. Certs. G. Bolaffi (1973), Bottacchi (2011) Sassone = € 9'000+.
    Starting bid : 2,000 CHF
    Hammer price : 4,200 CHF

    Lot# : 2427 Sicily

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    1859: 2 gr. 'cobalto scuro' from plate I, a fine and fresh corner marginal example with vivid colour and fair to huge margins from pos. 91, tied by clear 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, oval "S. AGATA V. D." despatch handstamp alongside on cover to Messina. An attractive cover, cert. Vaccari (2000) Sassone = € 5'250 + 1'000.
    Starting bid : 250 CHF
    Hammer price : 500 CHF

    Lot# : 2428 Sicily

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    1859 (Jan.): 2 gr. 'azzuro chiaro' in a block of four, pos. 68+69+78+79 from plate II, a fine and fresh multiple with good to large margins, in unused condition with original gum. Folded between the two horizontal pairs, nevertheless an impressive item, lot includes in addition 2 gr. in a block of four of the same shade from plate III. Cert. E. Diena for a block of eight from plate II (1992) Sassone = € 18'500.
    Starting bid : 500 CHF
    Hammer price : 500 CHF

    Lot# : 2429 Sicily

    1859: 2 gr. 'azzuro oltremare' from plate II, a fine and fresh example with good to huge margins from pos. 51, tied by light 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, oval "BARCELLONA / POZZO DI GOTTO" despatch handstamp and "PALERMO 19 FEV 59" arrival datestamp alongside. An appealing cover. Signed A. Diena, Bolaffi & Raybaudi Sassone = € 9'000.
    Starting bid : 400 CHF
    Hammer price : 480 CHF

    Lot# : 2430 Sicily

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    1859: 2 gr. in the rare shade 'azzuro oltramare' on carta di Napoli, position 77 from plate II, a fine and fresh example with good to large margins, tied by light 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, "PALERMO PARTENZA" despatch cds (Apr. 5, 59) alongside, on cover to Agrigento. A fine cover with this sought after shade, signed A. Diena, R. Mondolfo & Avanzo; cert. E. Diena (1985) Sassone = € 9'000.
    Starting bid : 400 CHF
    Hammer price : 650 CHF

    Lot# : 2431 Sicily

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    1859: 2 gr. in the very rare shade 'azzuro smorto' from plate II, a fine and fresh example from position 98, good to huge margins, tied by clear 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, clear oval CATANIA handstamp alongside, on cover to Leonforte, internally dated 'April 11, 59'. Lightest horizontal filing fold well away from the adhesive and cancellation, a clean and appealing cover with this elusive shade. Cert. Colla (2022) Sassone = € 12'000.
    Starting bid : 400 CHF
    Hammer price : 400 CHF

    Lot# : 2432 Sicily

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    1859: 2 gr. 'azzuro verdastro', carta di Napoli, a horizontal strip of four from positions 91-94 of plate III, a fine and fresh multiple with good to large margins, tied to cover to Agrigento by light 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, wreathed MESSINA despatch cds (April 23, 60) alongside. An exceptional quadruple rate cover, signed A. Diena & Raybaudi; cert. E. Diena (1983) Sassone = € 30'000+.
    Starting bid : 1,000 CHF
    Hammer price : 1,300 CHF

    Lot# : 2433 Sicily

    1859 (Jan.): 5 gr. 'rosa carminio' in a block of four, pos. 51+52+61+62 from plate I, a fine and fresh left marginal multiple with good to large margins, in unused condition with original gum. Signed E. Diena Sassone = € 9'500.
    Starting bid : 750 CHF
    Hammer price : 750 CHF

    Lot# : 2434 Sicily

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    1859: 5 gr. 'rosa carminio' and 10 gr. indaco, two fine and fresh examples with overall fair to large margins, the 10 gr. touched at base, both tied by light 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, "PALERMO 16 MAR 59" despatch cds in black and "VIA DI MARE (E)" handstamp in red alongside. An appealing cover, sent with shipmail to Genova, where taxed with "15 Cm". Signed Köhler, Mondolfo & Avanzo; cert. Colla (2021) Sassone = € 16'000+.
    Starting bid : 750 CHF
    Hammer price : 1,500 CHF

    Lot# : 2435 Sicily

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    1859 (Jan.): 5 gr. 'vermiglio chiaro' in a block of four, pos. 4+5+14+15 from plate I, pos. 5 retouched, a fine and fresh multiple with good to large margins, large sheet margin on top, in unused condition with original gum. Signed Grioni; cert. E. Diena Sassone = € 25'000.
    Starting bid : 1,500 CHF
    Hammer price : 2,400 CHF

    Lot# : 2436 Sicily

    1859 (Jan.): 5 gr. 'vermiglio' in a block of four, pos. 11+12+21+22 from plate II, a fine and fresh multiple with good to large margins, large sheet margin at left, in unused condition with original gum. Signed A. Diena & E. Diena Sassone = € 10'000.
    Starting bid : 750 CHF
    Hammer price : 750 CHF

    Lot# : 2437 Sicily

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    1859 (Jan.): 10 gr. 'indaco nero' in a block of four from pos. 13+14+23+24, a fine and fresh multiple with good to large margins in a deep vibrant shade, in unused condition with original gum. A superb block in this iconic shade, cert. E. Diena (1986), Raybaudi (1987), Sorani (2000) Sassone = € 80'000.
    Starting bid : 3,000 CHF
    Hammer price : 3,000 CHF

    Lot# : 2438 Sicily

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    1859: 10 gr. 'azzurro cupo' in a horizontal pair with retouche on pos. 11 together with 2 gr. 'azzuro vivo' from plate III, fine and fresh examples with good to huge margins, each tied by bold 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp, two-line "MESa 1859 / 7 NOVe" despatch cds alongside. Sent with French vessel 'Pansillipe' to Genova, where struck by "PIROSCAFI POSTALI FRANCESI" in red and taxed with '2' decimi, arrival datestamp in red on reverse. Light horizontal file fold well away from the adhesives, some acid ink imperfections at base of cover, nevertheless an appealing double rate item. Cert. Enzo Diena (1983) Sassone = € 37'000.
    Starting bid : 1,500 CHF
    Hammer price : not sold

    Lot# : 2439 Sicily

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    1859 (Jan.): 20 gr. 'grigio ardesia' in a block of four from pos. 89+90+99+100, a fine and fresh corner marginal multiple with good to large margins, in unused condition with original gum. Folded between the two horizontal pairs, nevertheless an impressive item. Signed Emilio, Alberto und Enzo Diena, G. Bolaffi; cert Sorani (2014) Sassone = € 11'000.
    Starting bid : 750 CHF
    Hammer price : 800 CHF

    Lot# : 2440 Sicily

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    1859: 20 gr. 'grigio ardesia' from pos. 91 and 2 gr. azzuro, carta di Napoli from pos. 60 of plate II, two fresh and fine examples with fair to large margins all round, tied by 'ferro di cavallo' handstamp to cover from Messina to Torino, endorsed "postale francese". Despatch datestamp (Feb 7, 1859) and "PIROSCAFI POSTALI FRANCESI" shipmail handstamp in red alongside, reverse with GENOVA arrival datestamp in black (Feb 11). Taxed with '2' (decimi) handstamp for the Sardinian part of the journey. An attractive franking paying correctly the 22 grana double rate to the port in Sardinia, a most interesting cover. Signed A. Diena & Russo; cert. Sorani (1990), Colla (1993) Sassone = € 12'600.
    Starting bid : 600 CHF
    Hammer price : 700 CHF

    Lot# : 2441 Sicily

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    Newly established post offices in Sicily after the unification 1863 (Aug 14): Italy 1863 (Feb) Lithographed 15 c. blue type I, a fresh adhesive with large even margins all round, tied by "CENTORBI 14 AGO. 63" cds (Sassone  EN = 12 punti) to cover to Nicosia, a crisp information strike and arrival cds (Aug 17) alongside. Both cds's are of Sardinian - Italian style, a unique usage from this small office opened in March 1863. Signed A. Diena; cert. E. Diena (1979) Sassone = € 5'500.
    Starting bid : 300 CHF
    Hammer price : not sold

    Lot# : 2442 Sicily

    1859: Group 9 items (13 stamps) mounted on album page, mostly signed. Including a 4 colour franking on piece 1 + 2 + 5+ 10 Gr., there is also a pair of the 2 Grana stamp. Good condition. There is a certificate Nussbaum (1973) for a 5 Grana stamp in blood-red plate I. Sassone (for cheapest variants) circa € 8200+
    Starting bid : 400 CHF
    Hammer price : 400 CHF
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