We presume that this office - initially serving as a desk within the Lloyd's agency in the marina of Larnaca port - should have started operations as early as the first liner vessel of the Company called at Larnaca in 1837 and ended up in August 1878. Last mail carried under this office procedures was that of 6th August 1878 following the transfer of administration of Cyprus by the Ottoman Empire to the British on July 12th that year.
The mail cost was paid either by the sender or by the receiver of the letter without the use of any adhesives. Only proper postmarks were used. While such stampless letters are recorded since late 1840s, the use of Venetian at first and Austrian adhesive stamps afterwards is known to have started in 1864.
More information about the Austrian Lloyd Co. can be found in this page
-
AL1
First of three types of handstruck stamps used by the Austrian Lloyd in Larnaca to mark the mail. Seen only in green ink, actually the seal of the Agency, this marking was very seldomly used on mail in the early years of the office.
-
AL2
2nd type of handstruck stamp used both on letters and on adhesive stamps, after their introduction in June 1864, to cancel them. The date without the year. Seen in black or greenish blue ink. Known as the straight line Larnaca. No frame.
-
AL3
The 3rd type of handstruck stamp, more specific in what it indicates but still with no year of use. It appears both as cancellation and arrival stamp. Black or greenish blue ink.
-
AL4
Fragment of letter with block of four of the low value of the first set of adhesive stamps used on mail. Cancelled with straight line Larnaca as all survived used specimens of this set.
-
AL5
These have been the most commonly used AustroHungarian adhesive stamps used by the Austrian Lloyd Agency in Larnaca.
-
AL6
Entire letter dated back in 1868, which was folded with the script inside to form an envelope leaving the reverse blanc side of the paper free to place the receiver's address, the stamps and other markings.
-
AL7
Letter sent to Livorno in Italy. The first collector of this group of mail deleted all the receiver's and the sender's info to preserve their anonymity. Cancellation with type 3 on 2nd set of AustroHungarian adhesive stamps.
-
AL8
The backside of the folded letter under AL7 shows thru its markings the route of the carrier steamship from Larnaca to Brindisi and then to Livorno. These ports' markings unlike Larnaca's show also the year (76 i.e. 1876).
-
AL9
Letter to isle of Meteleno, East Aegean. The usual rate for the destination was 10 soldi the normal weight and 20 for double weight as was probably the case here.
-
AL10
The marking on the backside of AL9 shows that the carrier delivered the letter to the Lloyd agency of Smyrne the port on the mainland facing Meteleno.
-
AL11
This folded letter is a specimen of incoming mail to Cyprus mailed from the Lloyd agency office in Smyrne.
-
AL12
Letter envelope in use in the late 1870's from Larnaca di Cipro addressed to a Greek lawyer in Constantinople. A most clear example of type 3 stamp on a pair of 5 soldi adhesives.
-
AL13
An example (1861) of earlier AustroHungarian stamps that covered the cost of mail from Larnaca to Athens, with added Greek stamp paying for onward delivery from the Agency office in Piraeus to its final destination in Athens.
-
An Austrian Lloyd Steamship.
-
Austrian Lloyd Trieste
Visit www.imperatrix.co.uk
-
The Badge
The Austrian Lloyd House Flag
