Description
Palestine Forerunners - the French Holyland Post: 3rd pre-UPU period OCT 1874 folded commercial letter (dated 28 Oct) from JERUSALEM to COGNAC France, franked 80c at the 1871-76 5th postage rate period's letter rate using French Ceres stamp; although a French-run postal agency existed in JERUSALEM (under the Damiani family), here letter transmitted by non-affiliated forwarding agent "W. Duisberg" (blue oval cachet on front - undocumented) - the letter-writer - to JAFFA, where franking cancelled by numbered dotted rhomboid obliterator "5089" (Ba43/St-304/07); here marked by purple "PD" (Paid to Destination) instructional marking handstamp (St-319b) & stamped by full strike of dotted double-ring 31 OCT 1874 JAFFA | SYRIE dispatch postmark of local French Post Office (Ba44/St-302); backstamped 3 NOV 74 transit via French Post Office ALEXANDRIA (full strike Ba 14, here in late use) + BORDEAUX & LYON transit marks (partial) & COGNAC arrival. French letter on folded blue lined paper appears to be about business matters. Traces of sealing wax on back, surface wear in places, but not affecting postal markings. Very fine & well documented. Est. value per Bale $7000+