15c Brown & Blue, Ty. II (119). Intense shades and impressions, couple trivial pulled perfs at bottom, cancelled by grid at origin and by ms. "X" in transit (as later explained), "Haverhill Mass. Feb. 9" (1870) circular datestamp on small cover to Aleppo, Syria (Turkey), red "5" in circle credit handstamp and matching "New York Paid All Direct Feb. 12" backstamp, red "Bremen Franco" transit and matching "Weiterfr. 2 Sgr." German rate handstamp, sequential transits on front and back are Vienna (Mar. 2), Constantinople (Mar. 10), Beirut (Mar. 31) and Alexandretta (Apr. 3), bluish-black "TAXE" handstamp and matching boxed cancels tying Turkey 1869 20pa and 1pi, Red Brown Border, Postage Dues (J16, J17) on back, ms. "6" decimes due marking and pen lines applied by French postal clerk thru all prior transits and rate notations (and 15c stamp), ms. "Trouve a la boite" notation, blue crayon "12" due on front, other blue crayon arithmetic notations on back, opened up for display, a few minor faults

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN INCOMPARABLE 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COVER, PASSING THROUGH FIVE DIFFERENT POSTAL SYSTEMS ON ITS JOURNEY FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO A MISSIONARY IN ALEPPO, SYRIA, ONE OF THE OLDEST INHABITED CITIES IN THE WORLD.

This cover is pictured and described in Jeffrey M. Forster's 1982 Register article on 1869 mixed frankings (pp. 104-106), where he states "This cover is remarkable inasmuch as it passed through the United States, German, Austrian, Turkish and French postal systems. This writer knows of no other cover which demonstrates this outstanding accomplishment."

To summarize the cover's journey, it was stamped 15c for the North German Union Direct rate to Syria (Turkey). The U.S. retained 10c and credited the North German Union with 5c for postage beyond NGU boundaries. From Bremen the cover was sent to Vienna (Mar. 2) to enter the Austrian postal system, which maintained offices in Turkey. It was postmarked at the Austrian P.O. in Constantinople on Mar. 10. However, without an office in Aleppo to receive the letter, the Austrians turned it over to the Turkish P.O., which determined that it should be sent by French Mail. Two Turkish postage due stamps amounting to 1 piastre and 20 paras (approximately 7-1/2 cents) were affixed on back and tied by Turkish cancels (the "TAXE" handstamp is in identical ink). From Constantinople the cover was carried by French Mail to Beirut (Mar. 31), then to Alexandretta (Apr. 3) for the final leg of the journey inland to Aleppo. Evidently the French P.O. assessed postage due at 6 decimes (12c).

Ex Coulter. With 2006 P.F. certificate.

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