Used 1863 Scott #30 Pair for French Offices in Levant/Turkey (pre-overprints)

Item Specifics

Country

French Offices in Turkey

Catalog Number

#30 (pair)

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Used

Centering

VF/XF

Stamp Format

Pair

Topic

People - Other

Year of Issue

1863

Item Description

Under the Treaty of Commerce of 1812 between France and Turkey, a French Post Office agency was established in Turkey. The treaty was suspended in 1827 due to war between Turkey and the Allies. The French colonial Post Office system in Turkey resumed operations in 1835 with offices in Constantinople and Smyrna as well as other locations. 

From 1857 to mid-1884, contemporary French postage stamps were used and cancelled with duplex postmarks bearing a number affiliated with each specific French Post Office in Turkey, and in some instances smaller CDS strikes. The numbers were in two sizes and simply noted as large or small. The postmark adorning this pair of stamps is a small Smyrna (modern day Izmir) CDS strike cancellation. 

The use of specific numeric postmarks for French Post Offices in Turkey (Levant) continued until the French government began officially overprinting postage stamps specifically for those foreign French Post Offices. Though Constantinople (3707 small and 5083 large) and Smyrna (3709 small and 5098 large) are most prevalent in collections, they still command premiums above standard usage of the same issues in France. Constantinople is today's Istanbul, Turkey.

Scott Catalogue Number: #30 (envelope paper fragments adhered)

Issue Date: 1863

Color: Red Brown, Yellowish

Condition: Sound.

Most, if not all stamps (especially 19th Century issues) listed are dipped and checked for faults and reviewed under a digital microscope and a high-powered UV light to detect any possible faults. 

Member:  

Olympia Philatelic Society 

American Philatelic Society 

U.S. Postal Classics Society 

Tacoma (WA) Stamp Club, former president

Seller Information

Seller

AcmeStamps (2017)

Registered Since

03/15/2018

Feedback

100%

Store

AcmeStamps

Item Location

Texas, United States

Ships To

United States, United Kingdom, Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegowina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Holy See (Vatican City State), Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Republic of, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine

Shipping Instructions

Thank you for checking out AcmeStamps. Once paid, items are normally shipped in hand-cancelled covers franked with U.S. postage stamps. Items selling for $100 or more ship U.S. Certified Mail. International shipping is at the buyer's risk if sent by standard airmail. For larger international transactions, registration of shipment is about $25 (please contact me for registry service before paying).

Returns Accepted

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