365 / September 2017

RED CROSS ACTIVITIES: Entire letter franked with Lauré 2 c. in horizontal strip of 6, pair and 2 singles and 10 c. to the "Bureau des renseignements de l'agence internationale a Bâle"; left stamp of the strip and 10 c. with faults, otherwise fine

"AGENCE INTERNATIONALE BALE", oval marking on mourning cover (faults) from "BERLIN P.E. 26 29 / 8 70" to the secretary of the Red Cross at Basle with original contents; very interesting item

"COMITÉ DE SECOURS POUR LES BLESSÉS MILITAIRES LYON", preprinted envelope with clear red seal to Orléans, usual small faults, still fine

"SOCIÉTÉ DE SECOURS AUX BLESSÉS MILITAIRES DES ARMÉES DE TERRE ET DE MER / COMITÉ AUXILIAIRE DE STRASBOURG", red seal on red cross card to Dijon, fine and scarce

"AGENCE INTERNATIONALE BÂLE", oval marking in red and greenish-blue "CENTRAL NACHWEISE BUREAU BERLIN" on small envelope to Königsberg, fine and scarce

Swiss POW label, just tied by clear cds. "THUN 29 III 71" to small envelope to the French embassy at Bern with arrival mark of the same day, fine and scarce, certificate Moser-Räz (1958)

Swiss label, just tied by clear cds. "ZÜRICH 4 III 71" on small envelope to France with several transit marks, fine, certificate Kimmel (1997)

2 covers from Dübendorf March 3 resp. March 11, 1871 to France, the first one still without postage free label, instead with straight line "Franco"; in the small camp of Dübendorf the labels were not available in early March

PAPILLONS DE METZ: Flimsy letter dated "Lory le 26 septembre 1870 près Metz" to Amiens without postal marking

Small flimsy letter, dated "Metz 1er oct. 1870" to Versailles without postal marking

L'UNION: Envelope franked with Lauré 20 c. (slightly rounded corner) tied by star cancel "3" with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA MADELEINE 21 SEPT. 70" to Poitiers with arrival mark of October 20. The 'L'union' was an old exhibition balloon owned by Gabriel Mangin, loaded on September 21, 1870 with 275 kg of mail with pilot Albert Bertaux at Vaugirard Gas Works, where it burst on inflation. The mail was recovered and put on the following official flights; a rare and interesting entire, certificate RPS (2006)

NEPTUNE: Small envelope with original contents, dated "Paris 22. Sept.", written by Colonel Maximilien Foy, 2nd in charge of the General Staff to his sister in law Rachel Trubert at Château la Vallière with arrival mark of September 26 and private arrival notation of the same day, taxed on front with "3" decimes; the envelope with small tears and seal on reverse removed, otherwise very fine. One of the rarest "Pli confié" of all 'ballon monté'; certificate Roumet (2015)

VILLE DE FLORENCE: Entire letter franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. ST.-LAZARE 24 SEPT. 70" to Niort with arrival mark of September 29, sign. Calves

ETATS-UNIS: Entire letter franked with Lauré 10 c. and 20 c. (both defective), tied  by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 26 SEPT. 70" to London with arrival marks on front and reverse; supposed to be the earliest recorded 'ballon monté' item to abroad, sign. Roumet

Postcard with long text, franked with Lauré 10 c., unusually cancelled by cds. "PARIS R. ST. DOMQUE. ST. EN ... / 3 OCT 70" to Calvados; most likely finally transported by VICTOR HUGO, arrival mark of October 21; card with small tear at top, otherwise very fine

ARMAND BARBÉS: Entire letter with interesting contents, franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by light strike of GC "3997" with adjacent date stamp "TOURS 10 OCT. 70" to Le Havre and redirected to Angoulême with arrival mark of October 12; a fine and scarce 'Pli confié'

ARMAND BARBÈS: Entire letter dated September 30, franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by dotted "CT1o" with adjacent clear "PALAIS A PARIS 8 OCT. 70" to Marseille, showing on reverse clear red "RÉPUBLIQUE-FRANCAISE 1 Aérostiers Nadar-Dartois Duruof", transit and arrival marks; the name in the address was inked out and re-written, otherwise a fine and rare letter, sign. Baud

GEORGE SAND: Entire letter franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by clear "LILLE A PARIS 8 OCT. 70" to Palud with arrival mark of October 11; very fine and scarce

Entire letter franked with Lauré 40 c., tied by clear cds. "LILLE A PARIS 8 OCT. 70" and boxed "P.D." to London with transit mark "PARIS A CALAIS" and arrival mark, both of the same day; a fine and rare 'Pli confié' to abroad, the stamp overpaying the rate by 10 c., very interesting item

NOM DÉNOMMÉ No. 2: Postcard with very short text, franked with Lauré 10 c. tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) 5 OCT. 70" to Vitre, finally transported by the GARIBALDI with transit mark "1987/23 OCT." and arrival mark of October 24, very fine

Entire letter franked with Lauré 30 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. ST. DOMQUE. ST GN 56 / 8 OCT." to London "Poste Restante" with arrival mark on front and adjacent "UNSUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED"

VICTOR HUGO: Entire letter franked with Lauré 10 c. and 20 c., tied by cds. "TOURS 22 OCT. 70" with adjacent "P.D." to the Isle of Jersey with clear arrival mark, on reverse also good strike of rare red "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE Aerostiers Nadar, Dartois Duruof"; the 10 c. applied around the edge of the cover; a fine and very rare 'pli confié' to a foreign destination

LAFAYETTE (Supposed): Postcard "Par ballon non monté" franked with Lauré 10 c., tied by star cancel "36" with adjacent "PARIS Bt DU PRINCE EUGÈNE 12 OCT: 70" to Etretat with arrival mark of Le Havre of October 20. The balloon landed in Belgium which might be the reason that the card was taxed "2" decimes at arrival; the card with small rubbing at upper left, otherwise very fine, certificate Behr (2013)

GARIBALDI: Small entire letter, franked with 2 copies Napoléon perforated 5 c. green and Lauré 10 c., tied by star numeral "11" with adjacent "PARIS R. ST. HONORÉ 20 OCT. 70" to Chartres in the occupied territory, few short perfs, otherwise very fine; a rare and very attractive franking, certificate Roumet (2015)

GARIBALDI: Entire letter franked with Lauré 20 c. and Siège 10 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA MADELEINE 20 OCT. 70" to London with arrival mark on front; stamps small faults, where over the edge of the entire, still fine

GARIBALDI: Entire letter franked with Lauré 40 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 20 OCT. 70" to "Monsieur Jules Marcaire, Chef de la 1ère Section de Canal Maritime Port Said Egypte" with transit mark of Marseille and blue arrival mark of the French PO of November 15; a fine and rare letter with rare destination and interesting connection to the Suez Canal; certificate Robineau (2005)

MONTGOLFIER: Entire letter franked with Siège 20 c., tied by clear star cancel "4" with adjacent "PARIS RUE D'ERGHIEN 24 OCT. 70" to Bordeaux with arrival mark of November 4. In the area of the small village of Nixéville the balloon came under heavy gun fire and the balloonist jettisoned 2 bags of mail of which parts came into the postal system, socalled "Pli de Nixéville". A fine and scarce piece

VAUBAN: Entire letter on flimsy paper franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by GC "4290" with adjacent "VINCENNES 26 OCT. 70" to Algier with arrival mark of November 7; small faults to the thin paper, otherwise fine and scarce

COLONEL CHARRAS: Entire letter with Lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel "37" with adjacent "PARIS Bt. MALESHERBES" to Chateaubriand with arrival mark of November 2 and matching reply, dated November 4, 1870 from Chateaubriand to Paris, franked with Lauré 20 c., cancelled by Paris star cancel and showing on reverse faint cds. "PARIS (60) / 8 / 1... JULI 71"; an interesting and scarce 'pair'

FULTON: Entire letter, personal communication of M. Rey, one of the managers at the Godard Balloon Factory, franked with Siège 20 c., tied by clear "P.LA.R." to Arcachon with arrival mark of November 4, scarce and very fine, certificate Robineau (1997)

LE FERDINAND FLOCON: 'Gazette des Absents No. 4" with supplement, franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel "3" with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA MADELEINE 3 NOV. 70" to Brulon, here additionally franked with 10 c. ocre and re-directed to London with part of arrival mark on front; fine and scarce, certificate Roumet (2012)

VILLE DE CHÂTEAUDUN: Entire letter with Siège 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS CORPS LÉGISLATIF 4 NOV. 70" to Dieppe and re-directed to Bruxelles poste restante, taxed "3" with adjacent red "AFFRANCHISSEMENT INSUFFISANT", both arrival marks on reverse, very fine

GÉNÉRAL UHRICH: Entire letter franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) 14 NOV. 70" to Coutances with arrival mark of November 24; 3 pages of text incl. the just introduced allowed 4 questions, fine

Envelope with original contents, 3 pages letter with the allowed 4 questions and franked part "DÉPÊCHE-RÉPONSE" prepared in the same handwriting, the envelope franked with Lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 12 NOV. 70", addressed to Nievre without arrival mark; a fine and scarce ensemble

GÉNÉRAL UHRICH: 'Gazette des Absents no. 8" franked with Siège 10 c. and 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA MADELEINE 17 NOV. 70" to Neufvilles in Belgium and re-directed to Mons with arrival marks on front and reverse, fine

Small envelope with original 3 pages letter on stationery "SERVICE DU BALLON", written by printer Renée Stern to his wife in Bruxelles, franked with Siège 10 c. and 20 c. (affixed partly around the edge of the small cover), tied by 2 strikes of red "PARIS (SC) 14 NOV. 70" with adjacent faint "LUZARCHES 20 NOV.", on reverse transit and arrival marks. The stationery endorsed at top "ballon du Gouverneur". An interesting and unusual piece