365 / September 2017

"Eidgenössische Grenzbesetzung. Feldpost.", preprinted envelope with blue oval "EIDGENÖSSISCHER OBERFELD-ARZT" from "OLTEN 23 VIII 70" to Basle, plus envelope with blue "SERVICE MILITAIRE BON. 84" and straight line "Offiziel" dated 1.11.1870 to Geneva, both sign. Kimmel BPP  

10.9.1870, Fieldpostcard endorsed "Belagerungs-Corps vor Straßburg" to Prussia; a scarce and interesting document of the siege of Straßburg

7.1.71, "Feldpost-Correspondenzkarte" used on large linnen envelope from Berlin to a volunteer of the German siége army before Paris, interesting item

"K:PR.FELD-POST-AMT 10. ARMEE CPS. 27/2" on sealed letter containing 100 Thaler to Nordheim; a rare money letter

"LAISSEZ-PASSER" for an English lady retourning to London, dated "Paris le 3 février 1871", little unfresh

'LAISSEZ-PASSER." dated "Paris le 17 février 1871" for a French worker and his family; at bottom checkpoint handstamp "ETAPPEN-KOMMANDO ZU VITRY S/S"

"VERSAILLES AUSWECHSLUNGS STELLE", blue boxed marking on reverse of opened-out envelope, franked with Siège 20 c. from "PARIS SENAT 18 FEVR. 71" to Switzerland, charged in red crayon

"VERSAILLES AUSWECHSLUNGS STELLE", blue marking on reverse of envelope with Siège 20 c. from "PARIS MONTAIGNE 12 FEVR. 71" to London, charged with "4 d."; a scarce cover to abroad

Part of sketch book of a French soldier with also some other notations

"Feldpostbrief frei laut Ordre vom 7. August 1870....", POW envelope, preprinted on reverse with seal and signature of German officer, sent from Altdamm 26.4.1871 to France with arrival marks

"TAXE ALLEMANDE", straight line of entire letter from "PARIS 21 FEVR. 71" to Abbeville with tax mark "20", stamp with faults

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