Autumn and it’s raining special offers

52 pages of A4 with almost five hundred lots: this is the net price sale catalogue “Autumn 2010” from Zanaria… Every aspect of Italy
The Italian States, Kingdom and Republic in all their variations: so, new and hinged stamps, used stamps, stamps on fragments and, above all, on their original documents. There are nearly five hundred lots from Zanaria on offer at particularly advantageous net prices.
The “Autumn 2010” catalogue, hot off the presses, is available for free by requesting it at our shop (via Santa Margherita 6 Milano, telephone 02.805.24.27, fax 02.805.11.86, e-mail info@zanaria.com), or by downloading it from our website. Stamp collectors will be spoilt for choice, with something for everyone, even the most refined of palates. Take for example (staying on the subject of pre-unification philately) the 30 centesimi stamp from Lombardy-Venetia (numbered 7a, the light brown version from the first issue) with sheet edge, on an envelope which travelled from Venice to Fiume on June 1st 1850. Hence it was franked on the first day of issue, and has an extra special detail: it’s not on the front of the envelope with the address, but on the back, as used to be the custom for letters paid for by the sender. A different hand – that of the receiving post office? – added the note “franca vedi retro” (“PTO for frank”). The Sassone values this piece at more than 85,000 euros; Zanaria is offering it at a price upon request; it is lot number 5113. Another lot with price upon request is that of a document sent from Teramo to Ancona on 12th April 1862. It bears the greyish light blue 20 centesimi of Sardinia (catalogue 15Db, in this sale it is numbered as lot 5183) which had … double life: it was used for a previous dispatch and then reused. Only philatelists noticed this: indeed, it does not bear any signs of postage(tassa). Still in fantastic condition, it is an example of a very rare use of Vittorio Emanuele II’s issues in the Neapolitan Provinces; in this area, the issues would only have been officially accepted after October 1st 1862. A third proposal, numbered 5215 (also priced upon request), bears a very rare postage tariff: we are in the Papal State, 29th January 1859, and the sender decided to post an important message from the Rome district to Ancona, which is why he chose registered mail. In order to pay for the service, priced at 9 bajocchi, two pieces of the grey-light bluish 6 baj stamp were used, the second of which was cut in half diagonally, making this item unique. Again with reference to the Church State, how can we fail to mention the 80 centesimi “Fragolone”, part of a group of stamps (together with a solferino of 20 centesimi) preserved on a fragment and franked in Rome on 8th July 1870. Presented as lot number 5224, its theoretical value is in excess of 120,000 euros, while the actual sale price is available on request. There is also a large assortment from the subsequent period. A few examples? The 20 centesimi on 15 of the second variety of “De La Rue” with the horseshoe overprint is available, hinged but excellently centred (lot 5404, priced at 9000 euros compared to the 20,000 euro catalogue price) or without hinge and well-centred (5405, 15,000 euros instead of 40,000). While the third type of the same stamp is offered unhinged and well-centred (5406, 1600 euros instead of 2850), unhinged with sheet corner (5407, 1400 euros; Sassone does not give a value for it), used with upside-down overprint (5408, price upon request while the mercurial/market “barometer” values it at 100,000 euros). There is also the first type, on a document with clearly shifted overprint (5410, 4500 euros although the catalogue values it at 10,000 euros). Also included are a “Manzoni” with full gum with the 5 lire on the edge of the sheet (lot 5469, the series: 1250 euros instead of more than 3250), a “Volta violetto” with full gum (5475, 7000 euros instead of more than 11,500), a complete “Firma di Badoglio”, without filigree and without hinge (5502, 11,000 euros instead of 18,000). To close the catalogue is a dream piece: the full sheet of 50 stamps of the “Piperno” 50 centesimi series, perfectly preserved with full gum and good centring (lot 5555). It is very likely that this is the only one of its kind, making it a dream come true for collectors of Advertising stamps and more generally, stamps from the Kingdom of Italy ().