The Danube and Black Sea Railway. THE LOCAL POST of Kustendje and CzernawodaThe Danube and Black Sea Railway (D.B.S.R.) ran between Czernawoda( today Cernavoda-RO ) on the Danube , via Medjidie( Medgidia) and Kustendje (Constanta) on the Black Sea , the latter being the terminus of the main line from Budapest; the railway was 46 miles ( abt. 63 km ) in length.
The D.B.S.R was incorporated in 1857 and completed on 4th October 1860 by the English firm of John Trevor Barkley and John Staniforth. From the date of its completion the D.B.S.R. operated solely for the transit of passengers and mail from the Danube Steam Navigation Company's boats (D.D.S.G.) on the Danube to the Austrian Lloyd Line vessels on the Black Sea .
One train ran in each direction daily and Kustendje became such an important link with the East that Austrians opened a consular post-office in the port.
The local post came into being in 1867 due to an arrangements between D.B.S.R. and the Kustendje Harbour Company for the carriage of mail by the railway ; at the same time a stamp of 20 paras denomination was issued by the D.B.S. R. to frank these letters.
The stamp ( #1 attached , from my collection ) was lithographed by M.Kaiser of Vienna in black on yellowish green paper. Stamp description : within the panel on the left are the letters D.B.S.R, within that at the top LOCAL-POST , on the right KUSTENDJE & CZERNAWODA, while the bottom contains the inscription 20 PARAS . In the corner squares there are Turkish numerals for 20.
The stamp shows a rough drawing of a harbour , surrounded by a mountain range, with a railway line and train running close to the sea-shore , while the sky contains the star and crescent of Turkey ; the view represent the harbour of Kustendje ( today Constanta) and D.B.S.R. train.
The DBSR stamps are generally found used in two ways, (a) on local letters between the towns Czernawoda ,Medjidie and Kustendje on the 46 miles long railway, (b) in combination with the stamps of Austrian Levant or Lombardy-Venetia ( # 2 attached )
Three types of handstamped cancellations are known , all single line circle : LLOYD AGENZIE KUSETNDJE, with day and month in centre, and no year indication ; KUSTENDJE – TURQUIE, with day, month, year in centre; KUSTENDJE, with day, month and year in centre ( # 3 attached ).Manuscript cancellation are occasionally encountered.
On the celebration of 125 years of D.B.S.R. inauguration , in 1985 the Romanian Post Office issued a set of 6 postal stationery ( Code 0110-0115/85) which illustrate : the old rail away station of Kustendje(1900); "Ovidiu" first locomotive of the company ( built by Beyer,Peacock & Co. Ltd,Manchester,1860) ; 1st class coach ( Wright & Sons, Birmingham); 2nd class coach ( Wright & Sons, Birmingham); 3rd class coach( Wright & Sons, Birmingham); luggage van ( Wagon Comp. Glocester, 1860 ).
On October 4, 1985 the Philatelic Club of Constanta ( former Kustendje) used on the above-mentioned postal stationery two special postmarks . Attached ( #4) you can see (from my collection) one special postmark on the postal stationery showing the first locomotive of DBSR, and the second postmark on postal stationery ( # 5) illustrating the luggage van.
Bibliography :
1. The Danube and Black Sea Railway (The Local Post of Kustendje and Czernawoda 1867-1872) : Denwood N. Kelly, The London Philatelist, 1951, Vol. LX, pages 68 & 81
2. The private ship letter stamps of the world, Part 2, Australia-Europe-South America: by S.Ringstrom and H.E.Tester, 1976 ,Skogs Trelleborg,
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
Posted 06/18/2013 08:17 am
...I was headed more in the direction of 'forgery.'
