MALTA postal history 1878 entire with green Petrocochino & Co. sender cachet to Constantinople with GB QV 2½d Plate 11 pmk'd "A25" duplex dated D/MALTA/MY 30 78 with blue crayon "11" alongside. £60
C used CONSTANTINOPLE, GB used abroad postal history 1875 cover with summer use "via Varna" to Maidenhead, Berkshire with GB QV 4d Plate 14 pmk'd "C" and signed "T. F. Hughes" lower left, reverse circled H.B.M.E.C handstamp and red Constantinople JU 23 1875/A datestamp (7 days prior change to 2½d rate with JY 1 1875 joining of the U.P.U.). Thomas Fiott Hughes (1825-87), Oriental Secretary at Constantinople from 1859 was regarded by Ambassador to Constantinople Sir Henry Elliott as "perfectly useless". After Hughes' retirement in 1875 the post was abolished. £150