Lot
231 
French Indochina, (France) 1867, Napoleon III Laureate, 20c blue on bluish, vertical pair, tied by 3171 dotted lozenge handstamps on well traveled cover addressed to "Mr. Ernest Pichez, medical officer 2nd Class, passenger on board the transport Orne going to French Cochinchina at Toulon", with "Rochefort-S-Mer, 26 Fevr, 67" origin cds alongside, forwarded to hospital in Senegal, West Africa with "De Toulon, 1 Mai, 67" forwarding cds and blue "Senegal, St. Louis, 6 Juli" arrival cds, again forwarded to Suez and finally to Saigon with numerous transit date stamps on reverse; cover wear, light toning and opened at sides for display, Fine, a remarkably well traveled finally arriving in Saigon, Cochinchine. Yvert No. 29.Scott No. 33 Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $250
Lot
232
French Indochina, 1873 Nam-dinh to Hanoi, Vietnam, handcarried folded letter from Jules Harmand addressed to Francis Garnier datelined "Nam-dinh, le 23 decembre 1873", with red boxed "J. Harmand" cachet handstamp on reverse, with letter written three days after the death of Lieut. Francis Garnier, Very Fine.Estimate $500 - 750.
Between 1873 and 1877, Jules Harmand took part in several civil and military campaigns in Tonkin and Cochinchina, as well as in scientific exploration missions in the Indochinese peninsula, on the Mekong and in Siam.
In late summer 1873, a dispute between French trader Jean Dupuis and the Vietnamese authorities had created a diplomatic crisis in Hanoi. On the demand of the Vietnamese imperial court, Garnier was sent by Admiral Dupré to resolve the dispute and to expel Dupuis and his mercenaries from the Tonkin. Garnier departed from Saigon with half of the expeditionary force on 11 October 1873 and reached Hanoi on 5 November. On 21 December 1873 Liu Yongfu and around 600 Black Flags marched to Hanoi. Garnier, leading three men uphill in a bayonet attack on a party of Black Flags, was stabbed and hacked to death by several Black Flag soldiers.
Realized: $500
Lot
233
French Indochina, 1876 Saigon Military Cover to Alsace, Germany, unfranked cover with "Corr. D'Armees Saigon, Avril 10, 76" octagon date stamp obliterated by "CCH" lozenge, with "Cochinchine Saigon, Avril 10, 76" civilian cds and matching "T" in triangle handstamp with blue crayon "90" rate, reverse with "correspondence militare" and blue "Commandant L'Artillerie En Cochinchine" hexagon handstamp, transit backstamps and partial Ligne N, Avril 10 postmark of the "S.S. Hoogly" at Saigon; light soiling and edge flaws, Fine and scarce usage.Estimate $200 - 300.
After France lost the 1871 Franco-Prussian War, Alsace was annexed to Germany until 1919. The sender apparently thought Alsace was still part of France and attempted to mail via military franchise system, which would have been fine if sending to France. This did not escape the Saigon postmaster, who obliterated the military postmark and replaced it with the civilian postmark and charged tax.
Realized: $140
Lot
234
French Indochina, French Colonies, 1877, 4c green on greenish, horizontal pair, in combination with French Colonies, 1877, 25c ultramarine on bluish (2A35) affixed on registered bamboo tube addressed to Paris, France, all tied by "Cochinchine, Saigon, 25 Juin, 78" cds's, red boxed "R" registry handstamp; pair with some repaired erosion at right, F.-V.F. and unusual.Scott No. 2A25 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $130
Lot
235
French Indochina, 1881, 5c green, horizontal interpanneau pair, in combination with 1881, 40c vermilion on straw (57) on registered cover to Munich, Germany, all tied by "Saigon, Central Cochinchine, Nov 6, 88" cds's with red boxed "R" handstamp at left, engraved "S.M.S. Fasana" fouled anchor crest, reverse with Singapore transit and receiving backstamps, engraved "Linienschiffsfahnrich Zsoldak" imprint of ship ensign on backflap and manuscript "Vienne, Marine Section" below; left 5c with slight blunt perfs at bottom, Very Fine. Yvert No. 49. Maury No. 49.Scott No. 49 Estimate $500 - 750.
The Austrian korvette S.M.S. "Fasana" was on a world cruise having just left Manila and arriving in Saigon on November 4 and departing on November 9 on her way to Bangkok. Austrian Naval mail from the Far East is rarely seen, especially this early and sent registered on a cover incorporating the ship's name.
Realized: $325
Lot
236
French Indochina, Indochina Postal History Balance, 1888-1909, of 9 items; stampless military mail includes 1888 Nam-Dinh to Chac By with "Corps Expedition, Du Tokin" box handstamp, 1890 Tonkin to France with blue "Infirmerie-Ambulance" cachet handstamp, 1898 Tokin to France with Corps and Commandant cachet handstamp, couple from 1900 including on a native hand illustrated Crane scene cover, stamped items with 1904 Packhoi 3-color franking registered cover, Yunnansen registered and 1909 Chinese franked postcard from the Mongolian border to Belgium (See website for images).Estimate $750 - 1,000.
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Realized: $500
Lot
237
Japan, 1884 Paris, France to Tokyo, Japan, cover franked with France 1879, 25c yellow (99) tied by "Paris, Sept 29, 84" cds, reverse with "Yokohama, Nov 15, 1884" transit and receiving cds's, cover with tear on front with Japan "Officially Sealed" label affixed over, with original enclosure; light cover soiling, F.-V.F.Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
238
Japan, 1886 Kyoto to Athens, Greece, cover to Secretary of the Ambassador of France with "Kobe, Japan, Jul 26, 1886" transit and "Ligne S, Paq No. 2, Juil 26, 86" French ship cds, receiving backstamp, with original enclosure; franking remove from reverse along with portion of sideflap, F.-V.F. appearance.Estimate $200 - 300.
Lot
239
Japan, Nagasaki, Japan, Feb 9, 1900, cds's tying Russia 1889, 1k orange, seven singles + 3k carmine + 4k rose, two singles + 5k red violet, pair and three singles + 7k dark blue + 10k dark blue, three singles on large linen lined cover to New York City, reverse with "Yokohama, Japan, Feb 13, 00" cds, "Paquebot" boxed handstamp and receiving postmarks; cover edge wear and several stamps with portions missing, F.-V.F. appearance, still a remarkable 6-color franking and 80k rate from Nagasaki.Estimate $500 - 750.
Lot
240
Japan, - Russia Maritime Cards, 1911-15, two items; Russia 4k carmine postal card canceled by blue 1911 oval station date stamp, addressed to Japan with "Osaka, 30.12.11" transit date stamp, and picture post card to Los Angeles, Cal. franked with Russia 1913, 4k dull red tied by purple "Tsuruga, Japan, 26.11.15" cds with boxed Paquebot handstamp alongside, Very Fine.Estimate $300 - 400.
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Current Opening Bid: $180