365 / September 2017

DUQUESNE Group of 4 letters: 'Gazette des Absents' no. 21, 22, 23 and 24, all carried on the same flight with dispatch marks between January 3 and 7, 1871 and except one all with arrival marks; a fine group

Printed matter of the insurance "LA NATIONALE" franked with lauré 20 c. with star cancel and adjacent "PARIS PL. DE LA BOURSE 6 JANV." to Oloron with arrival mark of January 18; fine and scarce; 'Ballon Monté' printed matters to be found only very rarely, certificate F. Feldman

'DÉPÊCHE-BALLON no. 21' with one page of text, franked with Siège 10 c. in horizontal tête-bêche pair, tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) 7 JANV. 71" to Carcassone with arrival mark of January 22; a fine and rare letter; only few ballon monté letters are known with tête-bêche franking, a popular highlight of any 'Ballon Monté' collection; signed Calves and certificate Brun (2017)

GAMBETTA Entire letter with siège 10 c. and Napoléon 20 c. (slightly rounded corner), tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. TAITBOUT 9 JANV." to Delémont in Switzerland with Swiss transit and arrival marks of January 14/15; a fine letter

Plis confiés: Entire letter franked with siège 20 c. (small nick at top) tied by dotted "A.P." (railroad auxerre to Paris) to Lons-le-Saunier with unclear arrival mark and clear "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE DARTOIS & YON AÉRONAUTES DU GOUVERNEMENT" on reverse; a fine and rare letter, signed Calves with certificate (1982)

KEPLER "BALLON POSTE" no. 19 franked with lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) / 10 JANV." to Langoiran with arrival mark of January 15, little stained, signed Brun with certificate

VAUCANSON Entire letter with 3 pages of text, franked with siège 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS MINISTÈRE DES FINANCES 13 JANV." and on front and reverse a red cachet "GARDE NATIONALE DE LA SEINE / INTENDANCE MILITAIRE" to Douai with small part of arrial mark; stamp with small perforation faults where applied at the edge of the cover, otherwise fine and scarce

'Gazette des Absents no. 15' with long text (small part of inside torn a little by opening) franked with siège 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. D'AMSTERDAM 12 JANV." to Trouville with arrival mark of January 19 and re-directed to London with transit and arrival marks; on front two strikes of rare red "Timbre Poste insuffisant" and manuscript tax; slightly restored in the address area, fine, attractive and rare; signed Roumet with certificate (1999)

Folded lettersheet with original contents, franked with lauré 30 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS RUE D'ENGHIEN 11 JANV." to London with arrival mark on front, very fine

POSTE DE PARIS Entire letter with lauré 20 c. and 30 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. TAITBOUT 16 JANV." to Copenhagen, Denmark with arrival mark; the entire with light creasing and a thin paper break in the line below "Par Ballon Monté" backed, not affecting the adhesives, still fine; a very rare Scandinavian destination, signed Calves and certificate Sismondo (2001)

Entire letter franked with 2 copies siège 20 c., tied by star cancel "18" with adjacent "PARIS R. D'AMSTERDAM 16 JANV." to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs at Lisbon, Portugal, endorsed "Voie d'Espagne", adjacent oval "FRANCO"; somewhat unclear arrival mark; also letter from the same correspondance posted the day after armistice endorsed "Par Ballon Monté", returned to sender as the German postal authorities would not accept sealed letters; a fine and scarce pair nicely documenting the end of the Siége and the beginning of the armistice

Envelope franked with pair lauré 30 c. tied by star cancel "21" with adjacent "PARIS R. ST. ANTOINE 17 JANV." to As in Sweden with arrival mark "BKXP. Nr. 2 / 30 1 1871"; two marginal tears in the envelope closed, otherwise fine and most attractive, several signature incl. Calves and Sismondo with certificate (2001)

GENERAL BOURBAKI 'Gazette des Absents' no. 27 and 28, each franked with siège 20 c. to Bologne-sur-Mer resp. Alzonne with arrival marks

GENERAL DAUMESNIL 'Correspondance de Presse' agence Havas German edition, franked with siège 40 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS (60) / 20 JANV." to the Frankfurter Zeitung without arrival mark, signed Roumet with certificate (2001)

TORRICELLI Envelope with lauré 20 c., tied by star cancel "35" with adjacent "PARIS MINISTÈRE DES FINANCES 23 JANV." to Labastide d'Armagnac with arrival mark, very fine

'Gazette des Absents' no. 28 and 29, both franked with siège 20 c. to Lyon resp. Angoulême with arrival marks

RICHARD WALLACE 'Gazette des Absents no. 31' with cds. "PARIS PASSY-LES-PARIS 24 JANV.", stamp lost in sea water, adjacent boxed "P.P.", addressed to Caen and re-directed to Granville with transit and arrival marks of February 19/21; parts of backflaps missing, otherwise fine condition for this 'disaster mail'

Entire letter with cds. "PARIS R. DE LA STE-CHAPELLE 28 JANV." and red boxed "P.D." addressed to Chatelineau in Belgium without arrival mark; franking lost in sea water; a scarce foreign destination entire; certificate Brun (1979)

GENERAL CAMBRONNE Entire letter franked with siège 20 c., tied by star cancel with adjacent "PARIS R. SERPENTE 27 JANV." to Langrune-sur-Mer with arrival mark of February 8; fine letter of this last flight

Square medal "AUX AERONAUTES DU SIEGE DE PARIS" with engraved name "ED.GOUDCHAUX", copper silver plated

NEPTUNE, token in copper and lead

CELESTE, token in copper and lead

ARMAND BARBES, token in copper, does not exist in lead

WASHINGTON, token in copper, does not exist in lead

LOUIS BLANC, token in copper and lead

GUILLAUME TELL, token in copper and lead

GODEFROY CAVAIGNAC, token in copper and lead

JULES FAVRE I, token in copper and lead

JULES FAVRE II, token in lead, does not exist in copper

JEAN BART, token in copper and lead

VICTOR HUGO, token in copper and lead

LAFAYETTE, token in copper and lead

GARIBALDI, token in copper and lead

MONTGOLFIER, token in copper and lead

VAUBAN, token in copper and lead

FERDINAND FLOCON, token in lead