Corinphila Auction 284-290 Day 5

1854: Local Entire letter within St. Etienne, bearing Napoléon imperf. 5 c. green yellow, a fine and fresh horizontal pair with fair to huge margins all round, centrally cancelled by superb Gros Chiffres '3581' numeral lozenge and tied in addition by "St. ETIENNE 5 JUIL 63" despatch cds. Pre-use marginal cut at base just mentioned for accuracy, an attractive cover within the city, also a late usage of the Napolèon imperforated issue after January 1863 when the perforated definitives had been already in circulation and the Gros Chiffres obliterators had already replaced the Petit Chiffres lozenges. Signed Calves & Roumet; opinion von der Weid (1982).