Canal Maritime De Suez - A little help with this one

Greg Doll

Not a clue on this. Does anyone have any insight into this little feller? Actually appeared hinged to a page in a Canal Zone page I recently acquired. So not Canal Zone as in Panama Canal but....????

Jeri Stathas

Egypt. The company transported mail between Port Said (Egypt) and Suez between 1859 and 1867. In 1868 these stamps were issued, but they have not been used much (however forged cancels are plentiful). The stamps are lithographed in sheets of 12x10 stamps. The sheet shows the watermark "LA+.-F" (La Croix Freres), but only a few stamps bear a portion of this watermark. The Suez Canal Company stamps were only in use for 38 or 39 days. Used genuine stamps with valid cancellations are rare. Only a few genuine letters (10-20?) with these stamps are known.

There are 120 different types of the 20 c stamp. There are only 4 types of the 1 c, 5 c and 40 c. These last 3 values can be plated

Greg Doll

Thanks Jeri. So...it's worth millions of dollars then!!! Kidding. Good lead though knowing it is old enough to probably maybe be covered in Serrane and Weeds. Is it catalogued in Scott or in some other catalog that you know of?

Jeri Stathas

Absolutely, - RARE!! It is not in Scott's. There are several listed on here but I don't see a reference for a catalogue #. I got this info from Everet Klaseboer. His site is quite good for finding forgeries.

Scott Payton

http://www.rjbw.net/suezcanal.html

Jeri Stathas

Found it in the "Classic". L1-L4. You have an L4 - Should be "pink" and $150.00 Mint - $850.00 Used. Now, if you can make a cover it is worth $17,000.

Dan Shilcrat

Hi Greg Hi Jeri.. IMHO based on when it does appear at Auction.. Must !! have a Cert..