One area of postal history that has always piqued my interest is the field of coffee house mail. I have picked up a few English letters here and there, thinking perhaps this will become a research project “once I get around to it,” but I am afraid that has not happened quite yet.  Whether it is the romantic appeal of having one’s mail delivered at the local coffee house that intrigues me I’m not quite sure – though I do like the idea of picking up my mail at Starbucks every morning.

It could also be the appeal of collecting an area that represents an early germination of the postal service- an advertisement in Mercurius Civicus, on April 6, 1680, included the note

Turkish Coffee House Mail

“…ordered their Messengers to call for all Letters at all Coffee-Houses in the High Roads and Streets following, every hour in some places and an hour and a half in the rest…”

Every hour! What service!

Though the role of coffee houses in UK and colonial USA postal history has been examined, I pose a question to you all about the cover depicted at the side of this post. While I cannot read the script, I’m advised that it is addressed to “Abdulkadir Efendi, one of the noble Esraf, care of the Diyarbakir Coffee House in the Cemberlitas quarter of Istanbul.” To those of you who may be more informed about this area, how common was it for mail to be delivered to coffee houses in this part of the world? More importantly, does anyone have any interesting coffee house mail they would like to share?

Stanley Gibbons’ recent sale of the rare 1906 6d Pale Dull Purple (I.R. Official) has generated worldwide media coverage, from the BBC to Pravda.

The stamp was reportedly sold to an unnamed private collector for £400,000. It’s rise in price in recent years is testament to the continued strength of the philatelic market, particularly for the rarest pieces. The stamp’s new owner is likely to be pleased with the result when, perhaps several years down the road, he (or she) decides to sell.