Ottoman Empire, Lebanon, 1864

This captivating folded letter was posted from Beirut to Messieurs Isaac de Camondo & Co. in Constantinople (Istanbul). The cover is franked with two France, 1862 Napoleon III stamps—10c brown and 40c orange (Sc. 25, 27) —each cancelled with the numeral dot cancels used in Beirut at the time.

The cover itself bears several important markings: the sender's oval cachet for Aron Zadid Levi / Beyrouth, a Beirut double-ring postmark, and a boxed "PD" (Paid) mark on the front. The arrival is confirmed with a double-ring postmark on the reverse, dated August 24, 1854.

Addressed in three languages—Aramaic, Arabic, and French—the letter was directed to Messieurs Isaac de Camondo & Co., indicating it was sent to Isaac de Camondo and his business associates.

Interestingly, Isaac de Camondo (1851-1911), a French banker and art collector of Jewish descent, was instrumental in connecting the worlds of finance and art in the late 19th century. 

He was a major patron of the arts, owning works by Degas, Monet, and Cézanne, and his impressive collection was eventually donated to the Louvre, enriching the museum's holdings of Impressionist masterpieces.