Irak

Los Nr. 31

1851 U.S 3¢ Washington imperforated, (vertical tear re-attached) tied by ”New York Jan (20)” datestamp on entire from MOSUL IRAQ MESOPOTAMIA to ST. LOUIS, U.S. Lower left ms ”STEAMER / D.W MARSH, MOSUL” 3 page letter, datelined ” Mosul, Mon. Nov. 23rd 1856 ”. The cover was taken to Bagdad per steamer along the Tigris and then carried by British dromedary service through the Syrian desert to Beirut where it was put on board a packet (postal route opened by the British in 1843 between Beirut and Bagdad). The letter travelled nearly 3 months till its final destination, St. Louis U.S. Written by the missionary Dwight Whitney Marsh who was posted at Mosul from 1850 to 1860. After graduating in 1849 he was sent by the The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (A.B.C.F.M) to reopen the station at Mosul, closed in 1845. He sailed from Boston December 7 1849, arrived in Smyrna Jan 20, and arrived in Mosul on March 29, 1850. His voyage went via Beirut (Lebanon), Iskenderoun, Aintab, and Ourfa. In 1852, Mr. Marsh went back to America, and was married in October to Julia White Peck, and brought out his bride early in 1853 to Mosul. On May 5th 1859, his only child, a boy of two, died, and then on August 12th of the same year, his beloved wife passed away in Mosul. It was a blow that led him to return to the U.S in 1860. During his stay in Mosul, Marsh acquired two Assyrian reliefs from Nimrud for his alma mater, saying he hoped students would ”look upon the relics of the past and think wisely of time”. The reliefs were the first of their kind to arrive in the U.S. In this letter the author makes reference to the Anglo-Persian war (Nov. 1 1856 - Apr. 4 1857) ”News from Persia and India is warlike but Persia will probably yield and England be saved the cost of another war - Persia ought to be humbled, she has treated England hautighly” He concludes the letter by saying ”I hope slavery will not prevail tomorrow” in reference to the U.S presidential elections which took place on the 4th Nov (18th quadrennial presidential election), where Democrat James Buchanan defeated Republican nominee John C. Frémont. THIS AMAZING 1856 COVER REPRESENTS THE EARLIEST USE OF A POSTAGE STAMP IN IRAQ AND THE ONLY KNOWN COVER TO BEAR A U.S STAMP. ONE OF THE MAJOR ITEMS OF IRAQ POSTAL HISTORY.

Los Nr. 32

1854 Stampless envelope (without contents) sent from MOSUL, IRAQ MESOPOTAMIA, with postmark ”BOSTON/18/APR/5 cts” and manuscript endorsement ”STEAMER/MOSUL” at lower left. Reverse side manuscript date ”April 22nd `54”. Written by the U.S missionary Dwight. W. Marsh (1823-1896) stationed in Mosul (1850 - 1860) to his sister Clarissa Dwight Marsh. The cover was carried by river steamer along the Tigris after which it was taken per dromedary service to Beirut via Damascus through the Syrian desert (postal route opened by the British in 1843 between Beirut and Bagdhad). THIS IS THE EARLIEST RECORDED TRANSATLANTIC MAIL COVER FROM IRAQ OF WHICH ONLY TWO ARE KNOWN (the other one franked with a U.S stamp offered in the next lot). Included in this lot is a further letter from the same correspondence: 1860, July 14, stampless four page entire letter (send outside of the post) from CONSTANTINOPLE to ST. LOUIS, MO. USA. Date lined ”CONSTANTINOPLE ON BOARD CUNARD STEAMER OLYMPIA, JULY 14, SAT. EVE.” Manuscript lower left ”Steamer / D.W.”. Written by the missionary Dwight W. Marsh (1823-1896) on his last return voyage from Mosul to St.Louis, Mo addressed to his sister. After having spent 10 years doing missionary work in Mosul and area. This letter is his last one written from the Middle East, as he never set foot there again. He mentions interesting chronicles of the events taking place at the time. Regarding the 1860 Lebanon civil war (23 may - 11 July 1860), he says ” our souls have been stirred this week by the news from Syria and the terrible massacre of Christians by the Druzes ” (Druze turning against the Maronite Christians. Around 20,000 Christians were killed by the Druze, and 380 Christian villages and 560 churches destroyed). He goes on ”it will have no slight affect on the future of Turkey. May God overrule it for good ”.

Los Nr. 33

1995, Freimarken mit neuem Wertaufdruck 4 Werte komplett in tadelloser postfrischer Erhaltung. Zusätzlich ist noch der postfrische Kalligraphie-Block (Bl. 116) von 2008 enthalten. Michel 440,- Euro