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Auction: 26015 - "The Treasure of the Eagles" Collection of Albania - Part I
Lot: 3167

(x) Wartime Transitional Period (1914-1920)
Local Issue of Elbasan (1919)
1919 (May 14). Official cover from Tirana to Elbasan, with "drejtoria e financavet të prefekturës/në tiranë" in blue, from the Directorate of Finance of the Prefecture of Tirana, and "Zyra e Postës/Tiranë" (Tirana Post Office) brown cachets at base, the latter indicating postal involvement at dispatch, with manuscript endorsement denoting a payment of 20 centimes, and violet "zyra e telegrafëvet/elbasan" c.d.s. at top on receipt. Addressed to Francesco Consoli, appointed by the Italians as a counsellor to the Durrës Government in postal matters. Nine covers are recorded with this Directorate cachet, seven of which are dated May 1919, and four of which include these two handstamps and the c.d.s., as well as the signature of “Hallulli” and dispatch receipt No. 56 (which may refer to the same shipment).

provenance: "Cihangir" collection and Markus Gmähle
note: Postage stamps became available in the territory of the Durrës Government only on 5.6.1919. On 6.1. 1919, the Minister of Finance ordered the regional finance offices to require cash payment of 20 centimes for letters weighing up to 20 grams, refusing those unpaid. This appears to have been a fiscal measure for an empty treasury rather than a postal charge. At that time, Albania was fragmented: the central part of the country was occupied by the Italians, who closely supervised the government they had allowed to be established in Durrës in December 1918. The government exercised effective control only over the districts of Durrës, Krujë, Lezhë, Tiranë, Elbasan, Peqin and Lushnjë, and part of the Fier district. The ministers responsible for finance and posts were Fejzi Alizoti and Mustafa Kruja respectively; Lef Nosi, who had been Minister of Posts in 1912–13, was also involved in an advisory capacity. Captain Francesco Consoli was appointed by the Italians as a counsellor to the Durrës Government in postal matters; 25 years after the shipment of these covers, Consoli published an article in "Italia Filatelica" in 1944 drawing attention to such letters, stating that he had come across covers relating to his period of service in Albania in 1919, without specifying to whom they were addressed. He described the procedure -requiring visits first to the finance office and then to the post office- but made no mention of any tax being payable. Mr. Ballauri suggests that Consoli may have refrained from revealing his possession during the Fascist regime for fear of disciplinary action for abuse of his official position, but felt secure enough at the end of the war to bring them to the collectors’ market.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£800 to £1,400

Starting price
£750