365 / September 2017

Unusually folded entire letter dated November 4, franked with lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel "10" with adjacent "PARIS R. DU CHERCHE MIDI 5 NOV.", addressed to Port-en-Bessin and re-directed to Bayeux with transit and arrival marks

Entire small letter franked on reverse with lauré 20 c. and frontside dispatch mark "PARIS R. ST. ANTOINE 5 NOV." addressed to Castres; the stamp cancelled in transit with losange "BC" (Bordeaux à Cette) with additional strike on front, further transit mark "BORDEAUX A IRUN" and arrival mark, both of November 9, a fine and scarce letter with stamp cancelled in transit

Gazette des Absents no. 4 with long text franked with lauré 30 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS GARE DU NORD 5 NOV." to London with adjacent red "P.D." and "LONDON PAID 9 NO. 70", very fine

Plis confiés: Bouquillard lettersheet with long text of November 4, franked with lauré 20 c., tied by clear GC "3997" of Tours without date stamp, addressed to Arcachon with transit mark of November 9 and arrival mark; stamp small perforation fault at lower left, otherwise fine, signed Brun

GIRONDE Entire letter with extensive text, franked with siège 20 c. tied by star cancel "20" with adjacent "PARIS R. ST. DOMINIQUE ST. GN 58" to Brest with arrival mark of November 10, fine, signed Brun

Plis confiés: 'Le ballon poste No. 2', unfranked with dispatch mark "PARIS A CHERBOURG 9 NOV." addressed to Montargis with part of arrival mark of the next day; some faults due to thin paper but overall fine. A rare piece, signed Calves with certificate (1999) accompanied by extensive explanation on the entire being unfranked

DAGUERRE Preprinted entire letter with 2 pages of text, franked with siège 20 c., tied by "A.R.A.M." with adjacent "ARMEE DU RHIN BAU. AM. 11 NOV." to Sables d'Olonne without arrival mark; minor creasing in the stamp area, otherwise very fine, signed Calves and certificate Sismondo (2001)

Entire letter with Lauré 40 c., tied by star cancel and cds. "PARIS (60) 8 NOV." to Tunis with transit mark of Livorno of November 29 and arrival mark of December 5; in Tunis the letter was taxed with "3" decimes and franked with 3 copies postage due stamps 10 c., tied by Tunis cds., very rare and most remarkable letter, one of very few and most desirable 'Ballon Monté' items carrying postage due stamps, certifcate Brun (2017)

GENERAL UHRICH Entire flimsy letter franked with siège 20 c., tied by clear cds. "ARMEE FRANCAISE QUARTR GAL 12 NOV." with additional strike alongside, addressed to Lyon with arrival mark of November 29; the entire with some paper breaks, fine and scarce

"GAZETTE DES ABSENTS no. 7" with supplement and one page of text, franked with 2 copies lauré 10 c., tied by star cancel "9" and adjacent "PARIS R. MONTAIGNE 15 NOV." to Compaigne with arrival mark of November 26; the entire re-folded with light creases, one affecting the right stamp The crucial supplement giving details of the new "dépêche réponse" card system which became the main means, using pigeons to get personal information into Paris

Entire preprinted lettersheet 'Aux Drapeaux' with more than 3 pages of text including the now allowed 4 questions, franked with siège 20 c. tied by star cancel and adjacent cds. "PARIS ST. LAZARE 16 NOV." to Mans with arrival mark of November 26; very fine and most impressive preprinted lettersheet, signed Calves

Envelope with original contents (4 pages of text) franked with 2 copies siège 40 c. (one stampe originally affixed around the edge of the cover) tied by clear numeral "35" with adjacent "PARIS MINISTÈRE DES FINANCES 25 NOV." to St. Petersburg, Russia, without arrival mark

Opened out envelope with lauré 80 c., tied by star cancel "6" and adjacent "PARIS SENAT 17 NOV." to Rio de Janeiro endorsed "VOIE BORDEAUX"; on reverse clearly struck arrival mark of December 19; the entire toned and neatly restored in some places. A very rare destination; signed Calves with certificate (1979) and certificate Vavrovsky (1979)

Entire letter with 3 pages of text, correctly franked with Lauré 80 c. (rate for a letter to Chili as of 1.1.1869), tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) / 12 NOV.", to Valparaiso, Chile, showing on front red "LONDON PAID 26 NO 70" and faint greenish-blue tax stamp; a very fine and very rare letter to South America, certificate Brun (2017). The letter will be sold 'as is' Note: A 20 c. stamp (included) had been added to the cover bottom left at a later stage to make the cover "more attractive".  After consultation with Mr. Brun, we decided to remove this stamp, leaving behind slight traces of the tying cancellation mark. Besides being a fantastically rare destination of a 'Ballon Monté' cover, it nicely documents the sometimes obscure fantasy of forgers...

ARCHIMÈDE 'Gazette des Absents no. 8' with long text, franked with siège 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent cds. of November 18 to Gigean with transit and arrival marks (November 27 resp. 28)

'Gazette des Absents no. 9' with long text, franked with lauré 20 c. with star cancel "25" and adjacent "PARIS R. SERPENTE 19 NOV." with transit and arrival marks of November 25 resp. 26

"Gazette des Absents no. 9" together with short text, franked with lauré 40 c., tied by star numeral "22" with adjacent "PARIS R. TAITBOUT 19 NOV." to Sevilla with arrival mark of November 28; stamp with corner perf crease, very fine and appealing, signed Calves

VILLE D'ORLÉANS 'Gazette des Absents no. 9' with long text, tied by star cancel "20" and adjacent "PARIS R. ST. DOMINIQUE ST. GN 58 / 22 NOV.", to Bayeux with arrival mark of December 10, certificate Fourcaut (1984)

'Gazette des Absents no. 9' with one page of text, franked with Siège 20 c., tied by tax mark "15" with adjacent "PARIS (60) 21 NOV." to Yvetot without arrival mark. A few 'Ballon Monté' letters are recorded with stamps cancelled by tax marks "30" or "20"; this is supposedly the only entire with tax mark "15" cancelling the stamp, the first one recorded by us. A magnificent piece and in superb condition, certificate Brun (2017)

Lettersheet with 1 sheet of text, franked with lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. ST. HONORÉ 23 NOV." to Mezidon with transit marks "CAEN A PARIS" of December 9, further transit and arrival mark; tear in the entire due to uncareful or nervous opening, otherwise fine, signed Brun with certificate

'Gazette des Absents no. 10' with 1 sheet of text, franking fallen off due to humidity, adjacent "PARIS R. BONAPARTE 23 NOV.", addressed to St. James, London, showing on front and reverse arrival marks of December 2; signed Roumet with certificate (1998)

JACQUARD 'DÉPÊCHE-BALLON no. 8" with long text, franked with siège 20 c. (faults at top), tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. BONAPARTE 24 NOV." to Mont-de-Marsan with arrival mark of December 21; slight water staining; a very fine piece of this disaster flight, only few envelopes are recorded with franking intact, certificate Brun (1983)

Envelope with original contents, stamp lost in sea water, with "PARIS R. ST. DOMQUE. ST. GN 56 / 24 NOV." and boxed "P.P.", addressed to St. Etienne de St. Geoirs with transit mark of December 23 and arrival mark; fine and scarce, signed Brun with certificate (1993) and Sismondo with certificate (2001)

'Gazette des Absents no. 9' with long text; stamp lost in sea water, apparently not cancelled and without dispatch mark, with boxed "P.D." to Ventnor on the Isle of Wright with arrival mark of December 22; a fine and rare letter, signed Sismondo with certificate (2001)

'DÉPÊCHE-BALLON no. 8' with long text, stamp lost in sea water, adjacent "PARIS R. ST. HONORÉ 23 NOV." addressed to Carignan and re-directed to Bordeaux with 3 transit and arrival marks of December 22; backflap with tear, otherwise very fine, signed Calves with certificate (1991) and certificate Baudot (1991)

JULES FAVRE no. 2 'Gazette des Absents no. 12' franked with lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel "1" and "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 30 NOV." to Etretat with transit and arrival marks of December 4, fine

"LA CLOCHE" no. 326 of November 30, 1870, microphotographic issue and "Gazette des Absents no. 13" with which it is said to have been transported, franked with Ceres 20 c., tied by red "PARIS (SC) 30 NOV. 28 (month and date inverted)" to Loué with transit mark of December 2 and arrival mark of December 3; the stamp affected at top, where affixed over the edge of the entire, otherwise fine; a very rare ensemble, described in "Le Pileur" and coming from the Courtois collection; signed Roumet with certificate (2002)

FRANKLIN 'Gazette des Absents no. 13' with one page of text (mentioning that the writer's last letter travelled via Christiania) franked with lauré 20 c. (small faults), tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 3 DEC." to Etretat with arrial mark, fine

'Correspondance de Presse' Agence Havas of December 4, franked with Ceres 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) ... DEC." to Valenciennes with arrival mark, very fine, certificate Fourcaut (1985)

'Correspondance de Presse' of December 2 with envelope franked with Ceres 10 c. and 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 2 DEC." addressed to the 'Gazette du Valais' at Sion, Switzerland with arrival mark, an attractive cover fine and scarce

Entire letter with 2 pages of text, franked with lauré 20 c. and Ceres 10 c., tied by star numeral "1" with adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 3 DEC." to a prisoner of war at Mayence without arrival mark, very fine

Entire letter with 3 pages of text, franked with lauré 20 c. and siège 10 c., tied by star cancel and the 10 c. additionally with boxed "P.D.", with adjacent "PARIS R. D'ANTIN 3 DEC." to Surry, England with arrival mark of December 11; stamps slightly affixed over the edge of the entire, otherwise very fine

Lettersheet with 1 page of text, franked with lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS 4 DEC." to "Monaco près Nice" with arrival mark (partly unclear); a fine letter with a rare and remote European destination, an appealing entire signed Roumet and Calves and Sismondo with certificate (2001)

DENIS PAPIN Entire letter with long text franked with Ceres 20 c., the adhesive with crease and with large part of right side missing (postal fraud with a stamp that had been used before?) tied by numeral "11" and "PARIS R. ST. HONORÉ 5 DEC." to Troyes without arrival mark; an interesting item with room for interpretation, certificate Calves (1999)

'Le Ballon Poste no. 10', franked with lauré 40 c. (applied with creases) and Ceres 10 c. and 20 c., tied by star numeral "15" with adjacent "PARIS R. BONAPARTE 5 DEC." to Louisville, Kentucky with frontside transit mark of London, overlapping New York arrival mark and red "2 CENTS"; slight transportation marks; most interesting letter to the United States with a 3-colour-franking via England, a great rarity signed Calves

GENERAL RENAULT 'Gazette des Absents no. 14' with Ceres 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) 10 DEC." to Tartas with arrival mark of December 20, fine