"GEZUIVERD" cachet of 1831/32

  • The straight-line cached "GEZUIVERD" (cleaned) was applied to letters at the following purification offices in the Netherlands:


    Arnheim (September 1831 to August 1832): the border post office for Prussian mail and frontier office for mail from France

    Deventer (October 1831 to April 1832): the border post office for Bremen, Hamburg and Hannover

    Winschoten (1831): the frontier with East Friesland

    Brielle (February 1832 to July 1832): the "frontier office" for the English Packet service for Harwich

    Hellevoetsluis (March 1832 to ? 1832): Naval quarantine station

  • Letter from Feb. 29th, 1832 from Devizes (Wiltshire, England) to Bonn (Prussia).

    "Engeland / over Brielle"


    The GB inland + sea postage was prepaid from the sender.

    "20" cts was the fee for the transit in the Netherlands

    The receiver had to pay "8" Sgr.


    The letter was disinfected at Brielle.
    Dry fumigation was used, the letter has 3 chisel slits (15 mm).



    7S7J3909.jpg

    7S7J3910.jpg

  • Letter from April 19th, 1832 from Gibraltar to Schiedam (May 10th, 1832).

    "DE GIBR. / S. ROQUE / ANDA. BAXA" (sent by the Spanish overland route)

    "ESPAGNE PAR / ST. JEAN-DE-LUZ" (French transit)

    "Frankryk / over Arnhem"

    Rated 85 Stuivers


    The letter was disinfected twice:

    – San Roque (Spain), 15 mm slit

    – treated externally at Arnheim, "GEZUIVERD"


    7S7J3911.jpg

  • The three chisel slits applied to the letter from 1832 from Devizes (England) to Bonn (Prussia) are in the same manner as they were applied in Standgate Creek. I have sent Denis an e-mail and asked for his opinion.

  • Denis told me: " ... mail was NEVER slit or treated on leaving this country" (this country = Great Britain)

    "Remember that almost all countries were quite unconcerned at the danger from outgoing mail. The only significant exceptions were Russia and the Ottomans, both of whom were periodically worried that their ships might not get access to European ports."


    This means that the three slits – even if they are done in the same manner as in Standgate Creek – have been applied on arrival in the Netherlands.

  • Entire letter from Hamburg to London, m.s "VIA HOLLAND", 11 November 1831. I believe the letter was disinfected at Deventer, the border for Bremen, Hanover and Hamburg. The "GEZUIVERD" cachet was struck on the reverse as always at that station. On my envelope it measures 39 X 5 mm, which differ from the other descriptions. Three chisel slits, 23 mm long an five punch holes.

    On front also dotted framed "Oz at 6/8, above s d, per oz' applied at London. On reverse London receiver foreign post cachet "FPO/NO 23/1831".

    Does the chisel slits were done at Deventer? Where the punch holes were done?

  • An interesting double disinfection. Have you checked if the pattern of the punch holes correspond to one of the rastels used at the different post offices of Hamburg?

  • The holes pattern I know from the different post offices at Hamburg are not as on my letter. I will be happy if somebody can help.