Post by ameis33 on Jun 14, 2022 17:53:56 GMT
I don't know if i've already show this letter. It's a letter with declared value, sent from Starawieś (near Warsaw) to
Monsieur le Baron D'Autencourt
Mareshal de camp de l'armee francaise affiches
de la legion d'honeur, Chevalier de la croise
Militaire de Pologne...
On the front, the linear stamp of Warsaw and the one of Strzałkowo when the letter entered the Austro-Hungarian Empire, plus other additional stamps: CHARGE for the declared value, TP/PP for a prepaid letter and the transit stamp at the entrance in France PAYS BAS PAR GIVET.
Below you can also read notes on the route (Varsovie and Berlin) and the destination address, Paris Rue du Roule (?), Chez le Pepinieriste du Rois
The most interesting part of this letter however is on the back.
The sender of the letter applied only the central seal. But declared value letters required all opened sides to be closed (usually, with 5 seals). So, the post office clerk added the remaining four seals. The letter was initially weighed and the weight was 3 1/3 loth. Then, the clerk added the remaining selas, and after adding the wax seals, the letter was reweighed: 3 2/3 loth (the difference is the weight of the seals).
The contents of the letter can be read on the back:
Papiery w tym Pakuice (?) Zapieczentowane (cards sealed in this letter)
1. Akcja na 900 frankow z Dotacya ... (Akcja I think is a kind of letter of credit ... Akcja of 900 francs...)
2. Plenipotencja na Barona D'Autencourt (plenipotencja to Baron D'Autencort. The Baron was evidently a diplomat and the plenipotencja is the title that gives him the powers to act independently, a kind of power of attorney?)
3. Certificat Zycia (Certificate of life?)
4. Liot (?)
It is written in old Polish, or maybe not by a Pole ... The fourth point I think is the weight (i.e. 4 loths?) ...
Another curiosity is the French entry stamp, which reads "PAYS BAS" instead of "PRUSSE". Mail from Russia to France via Prussia refers to the postal treaty of 1817. According to this treaty, there were two entry points in France, GIVET and FORBACH, and incoming correspondence had to be stamped with the country of origin, the Prussia precisely. Why the letter took the Holland way? But I have the sister of this letter, same period, same path but not of declared value, which bears the transit stamp "PRUSSE PAR GIVET". Before about 1800, letters entering France were not marked with the entry point, but with a generic indication of the origin (i.e. "D'ALLEMAGNE"). More detailed stamps were introduced towards the end of the 1700s, mainly for administrative reasons, i.e. to find out who to charge penalties for non-payment of unpaid letters, etc.
Monsieur le Baron D'Autencourt
Mareshal de camp de l'armee francaise affiches
de la legion d'honeur, Chevalier de la croise
Militaire de Pologne...
On the front, the linear stamp of Warsaw and the one of Strzałkowo when the letter entered the Austro-Hungarian Empire, plus other additional stamps: CHARGE for the declared value, TP/PP for a prepaid letter and the transit stamp at the entrance in France PAYS BAS PAR GIVET.
Below you can also read notes on the route (Varsovie and Berlin) and the destination address, Paris Rue du Roule (?), Chez le Pepinieriste du Rois
The most interesting part of this letter however is on the back.
The sender of the letter applied only the central seal. But declared value letters required all opened sides to be closed (usually, with 5 seals). So, the post office clerk added the remaining four seals. The letter was initially weighed and the weight was 3 1/3 loth. Then, the clerk added the remaining selas, and after adding the wax seals, the letter was reweighed: 3 2/3 loth (the difference is the weight of the seals).
Before the introduction of postmarks, until the beginning of 1800s, on letters there were just few postal signs. The postmarks were not widely used. Mainly they marked the departing office and not the arrival. In Poland (when needed) wax seals were applied with the name of the office. The main reference of these things is the Mikstein's book "Postal signs in Poland in the 18th century". The first edition dates back to 1936, but this book has been fully integrated into the 1st volume of "Polskie znaki pocztowe" (ed. 1969). Also in the Fischer catalog there is a short introduction describing these seals, but also Fischer refer to the Mikstein's book. The shape of this seal is quite similar to the others recorded. Below, the post horn. Above, the name of the post office. In the center, the royal crown and on the edges the inscription "KON.PP.POST.WART.AMT". But this particular seal is not listed. It's also a late use, as in 1820, seals had been replaced by postmarks.
The contents of the letter can be read on the back:
Papiery w tym Pakuice (?) Zapieczentowane (cards sealed in this letter)
1. Akcja na 900 frankow z Dotacya ... (Akcja I think is a kind of letter of credit ... Akcja of 900 francs...)
2. Plenipotencja na Barona D'Autencourt (plenipotencja to Baron D'Autencort. The Baron was evidently a diplomat and the plenipotencja is the title that gives him the powers to act independently, a kind of power of attorney?)
3. Certificat Zycia (Certificate of life?)
4. Liot (?)
It is written in old Polish, or maybe not by a Pole ... The fourth point I think is the weight (i.e. 4 loths?) ...
Another curiosity is the French entry stamp, which reads "PAYS BAS" instead of "PRUSSE". Mail from Russia to France via Prussia refers to the postal treaty of 1817. According to this treaty, there were two entry points in France, GIVET and FORBACH, and incoming correspondence had to be stamped with the country of origin, the Prussia precisely. Why the letter took the Holland way? But I have the sister of this letter, same period, same path but not of declared value, which bears the transit stamp "PRUSSE PAR GIVET". Before about 1800, letters entering France were not marked with the entry point, but with a generic indication of the origin (i.e. "D'ALLEMAGNE"). More detailed stamps were introduced towards the end of the 1700s, mainly for administrative reasons, i.e. to find out who to charge penalties for non-payment of unpaid letters, etc.
