Cyprus 1881 6pi olive-grey, Watermark CC, neatly cancelled by bold large part '969.' of Nicosia, SG15.
A fine used example and much above average for this scarce high-denomination stamp.
The 6pi value fulfilled higher-rate postal and fiscal purposes, including heavier overseas correspondence, registered mail and official usage. As a result, used examples are scarcer than their catalogue value would suggest.
The bold “969.” numeral cancellation is the allocated obliterator for Nicosia, the administrative centre of the island. The clarity and boldness of this strike is most appealing. Large, legible numeral cancels on higher values are increasingly hard to find, especially without heavy smudging or ink saturation.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £550.
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