1853-60, 10c-80c Napoleon
(14, 15, 18, 19). Singles of the first three and four singles of the
last, margins to slightly in, a high 3fr90c rate to New York tied by
numerals in diamonds of dots cancels on 1856 folded cover, black "N. York
Br. Pkt. 10" debit datestamp, Fine, a scarce four-color franking (Image) 
1871, 25c Blue on Bluish
(58). Tied by Alencon 1876 double-circle datestamps on spectacular
overall illustrated cover for Rowland's Wax Figures, rose-colored
design showing Rowland's museum with people on horseback, in a carriage or
standing in the foreground, the back with overall printing in the same
color and reads "Rowland's Collosal Exhibition of Automatic Wax Figures and
Mechanical Works of Art" in fancy ribbon, also "Patronized By Royalty" and
two small portraits, one an unidentifiable male (Prince Albert?) and the
other Queen Victoria, Fine, a stunning cover for exhibition (Image) 
1869, 5fr Laureated (37,
Yvert 33). Wonderfully well-centered, used with Napoleon 5c on Pale
Blue (24) and Ceres 15c Bister on Yellowish (56) and tied by "8" in
stars of dots on quadruple-rate folded letter to Arequipa, Peru,
commercial correspondence concerning shipment of hats and English perfume,
Paris double-circle datestamp, red London Paid and boxed "P.P.", "Voie de
Southampton" and "Voie de Panama" handstamps in two blue straightlines,
insignificant cover wrinklesVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE FRANKING AND USAGE OF THE 5-FRANC NAPOLEON LAUREATED ISSUE TO PERU.
Signed Calves and with his 1978 certificate. (Image)
1854, 20c Blue on Bluish
(15). Two closely cut singles, one in each corner of a small 1866 cover
to France tied by "CEM A" in diamonds of dots, black "Corps Exp.
Mexique.Bau A" outbound and red "Corps Exp. Mexique/V.Franc." receiving
datestamps, an attractive and rare cover
(Image) 
1853, 40c Orange on Yellowish
(18). Ample to huge margins,on 1861 cover to Alicante, Spain, tied by
two-line "Estrangero Barcelona" handstamp, Marseilles merchant's
blue oval cachet, "3" handstamp, Very Fine
(Image)
1870-71, Siege of Paris
Pigeon Post. Micrographed reproductions of newspapers sent to Paris by
homing pigeons, on exhibition page with write-up and illustrations, Very
Fine, the pigeons were sent out on balloons and if they got into friendly
hands, the microfilmed copies were placed in a quill and affixed to the
pigeons tail with a silk string, if the pigeon made a successful flight to
Paris, then the film was retrieved and projected onto a wall for copying,
fascinating lot (Image) 
1870, Gazette des Absents No.
13. December 1870 folded "newspaper" carried on Ballon Monte flight
from Paris to Calvados, 20c Napoleon tied by "12" in star of dots, carried
by the Franklin and backstamped on arrival, Very Fine (Image) 
1870, "General Ulrich" Ballon
Monte Cover. Printed form "Par Ballon Monte" folded letter to
Switzerland franked with 40c Orange (35), apparently a 10c overpayment,
tied by large star of dots, light Paris Nov. 17, 1870 datestamp, Fine (Image) 
1870, "Boules De Moulins"
Cover. Tiny folded letter franked with France 20c and 80c Napoleon (33,
36) and tied by "2293" in diamonds of dots, Mazamet Jan. 5 datestamp,
addressed to a French Lieutenant and inscribed "Paris par Moulins
(Allier)", the letter is datelined December 4, 1871, although it seems
it should have been "1870", the letter shows the slightest affect of
moisture, Fine and rare, there were 55 zinc balls which contained between
500 and 800 letters that were floated down the Seine river from Moulins to
Paris, each letter was required to be franked at the special 1fr rate and
bear the inscription of Boule service
(Image) 
GREECE, 1862-70, 5l-80l
Hermes Heads (18, 19, 21, 22, 34, 36). Five 1860's to 1871 folded
letters, outbound or inbound postage due usages, one 1866 from Venice to
Corfu with disinfection slits, all properly tied and with nice range of
markings, Fine-Very Fine group of material from this popular collecting
area (Image)