1798 "SANITATIS SIGILLUM" : letter from Constantinople via Vienna to Bassano

  • 1798 : letter from Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) via Vienna (Austria) to Bassano (Venedig)

    The receiver of the letter is Bartolomeo Gamba, manager of the Remondini press.



    The letter has the "SANITATIS SIGILLUM" circular single-line frame cachet (31 mm), tiny irregular punch holes and was resealed. Unfortunately the seal is not readable. Meyer listed such a cachet (1815) on page 53 in his book "Disinfected Mail" for Rothenthurn (Rothenthurm). The cachets of Semlin and Rothenthurn are often similar. Are there any further characteristics to differentiate between the two quarantine stations?



    7S7J3194.jpg


  • In my opinion it was disinfected at Rothenturn. During 1794-1800 instability in Serbia with riots forced the Austrian post to use the route Constantinople-Schumla-Rustschuk-Bucharest-Herrmanstadt (Brasov today)-Vienna. The cachet looks very nice with thin letters. Possible it is an early example. Your example closes some gaps in literature (Teil). In Mr. De Zanche article Pratique pages 8-12/1998 and Dennis comments pg. 13-15 it is possible to read more.