It’s a fascinating glimpse into the birth of the Kingdom of Italy that stands out in the Stamps catalogue offered at the auction scheduled for Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
Complete and unpublished collections on the market reveal a philatelic passion of rare meticulousness, where each carefully selected item becomes a fundamental piece in reconstructing our complex Risorgimento history. Standing out in this section are indeed pieces that are difficult to obtain, such as letters sent during the Oltrepò Montavano period (1859).
For instance, correspondence from Moglia di Gonzaga (lot 3, € 2,500 - 3,500), from Revere (lot 4, € 1,500 - 2,000), and San Benedetto (lot 5, € 1,500 - 2,000), which bear witness to the very brief period in which these territories, during the Second War of Independence, were annexed to the Kingdom before returning under Austrian control.
Lot 3
LOMBARDO-VENETO 1859 (Aug. 26).
Oltrepò mantovano. Cover with text from Moglia di Gonzaga to Castel Goffredo,
franked with 20c dark blue Sardinia. Signed A. Diena. (Sass. D3).
Estimate € 2,500 - 3,500
Lot 4
LOMBARDO-VENETO 1859 (Oct. 19)
Oltrepò mantovano. Cover without text from Revere to Mantua, franked with 20c dark blue Sardinia.
Signed G. Oliva, G Bolaffi. (Sass. D3).
Estimate € 1,500 - 2,000
Lot 5
LOMBARDO-VENETO 1859 (Sept. 21)
Oltrepò mantovano. Cover with text from San Benedetto to Gazzuolo, franked with 20c dark blue Sardinia.
Gazzuolo did not have a post office, so the cover was not cancelled on arrival.
Signed A Diena, L. Raybaudi, G. Bolaffi. (Sass. D3).
Estimate € 1,500 - 2,000
Still referring to the various Provisional Governments that emerged during the national unification project, two more letters stand out, bearing postage marks from Sardinia but still with Ducal stamps. One is from Borgo San Donnino (lot 11, € 1,200 - 1,500), and the other is from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (lot 8, € 800 - 1,200).
Additionally, there is a “short” series of 6 values from the provisional government of Tuscany in 1860, when the old Grand Ducal emblems were replaced with those of the House of Savoy (lot 29, € 500 - 1,000).
Lot 11
PARMA 1859 (Aug. 3)
Provisional Government, I period. Cover without text from Borgo San Donnino to Parma,
franked with 20c dark blue Sardinia, narrow upper margin.
Signed Firma Em. Diena, G. Landmans. (Sass. A3).
Estimate € 1,200 - 1,500
Lot 8
MODENA 1859 (Aug. 2x)
Provisional Government, across the Modenese Appenine. Cover with text from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana to Modena,
franked with 20c dark blue Sardinia, cancelled with related stamp in blue. Signed F. Grioni. (Sass. C3).
Estimate € 800 - 1,200
Lot 29
TOSCANA 1860
Provisional Government short series of 6 values. Exceptional quality.
Numerous Bolaffi certificates, almost all “1890” quality. (Sass. 17/22).
Estimate € 500 - 1,000
The section dedicated to "Foreign Post Offices" also offers another intriguing perspective on the territories where the fledgling Kingdom of Italy had commercial interests. This is evident from a letter with text from Cairo, via Alexandria of Egypt, to Florence in 1863 (lot 54, € 2,000 - 3,000), which, along with other pieces (ex. lots 52, 53), testifies to Italy’s strong presence in the management of the Egyptian postal service.
Lot 54
UFFICI POSTALI ALL'ESTERO 1863 (June 4) Alexandria of Egypt.
Cover without text from Cairo (stamp “European mail”) through Alexandria to Florence,
franked with 20c grey light blue and 40c carmine pink, both cancelled with framed stamp “P IROSCAFI / POSTALI / INGLESI" in light blue.Signed A. Diena. (Sass. 15Db, 16E - Pt. R3).
Estimate € 2,000 - 3,000
From historical significance to artistic value, stamps in their creation stage claim numerous collaborations with artists capable of turning these small, perforated paper squares into propaganda tools and even iconic snapshots of a historical event. This is evident in the postal envelope illustrated by William Mulready, which was worth the postage for the letter itself, but which also served the purpose of celebrating the exploits of English colonizers during the imperialistic era (lot 64). Similarly, there is the 1000 lire stamp dedicated to Italy’s victory in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, featuring the autograph of the master Renato Guttuso (lot 41).
Lot 64
GRAN BRETAGNA 1842 (April 22) "Mulready".
One Penny Postage envelope from Hoyston to London, cancelled with Maltese cross.
Estimate € 50 - 100
Lot 41
REPUBBLICA 1982
1000 lira “Italy World SoccerChampion”, signed by the designer of the stamp Renato Guttuso. (Un. 1613).
Estimate € 70 - 100