Posts by Andre

    Dear Hedy,

    In the case of your letter from Pesth to Mainz I assume that the letter was disinfected in Neuhaus or Passau. The Kontumaz-Anstalt of Passau (Mariahilf) had its own cachet but this cachet is only known applied on official letters from the Kontumaz-Anstalt. Maybe they also used the “KONIGLICH / BAYERISCHES / SANITAETS / SIEGEL” to proof the disinfection of letters – I can't say it for sure.

    Yours sincerely,

    André

    Björn also informed me about an article written by Karl Huber for newsletter #50 (published in 2008) of the Bavarian stamp society. In this article the author described two letters which bear the cachet “KOENIGL. / BAYERISCHES / SANITAETS / SIEGEL”. Karl mentioned the existence of a closed mail from Innsbruck to Augsburg, which would explain a probably disinfection in Augsburg. The postal treaty between Austria and Bavaria of 1819 doesn't mentioned this closed mail. For this reason I contacted the author and we had an interesting discussion. Karl told me that he has no official proof for his statement but that the postal routes and relations permanently developed.


    Please find attached a provisional map with the postal route from Triest to Verviers. I added two alternative routes: one via Mittenwald and one via Füssen. The crossing from Reutte to Füssen was more important than the one from Seefeld to Mittenwald. At this time no disinfection took place at both entry points to Bavaria. If the letter took one of the alternative routes than the letter was probably treated in Augsburg.

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    Björn kindly draw my attention to a letter from Glauchau to Kempten , sold at the 357th Köhler auction (Los 4334). This letter was disinfected in Hof at the Bavarian border and bears the cachet "GEREINIGET IN HOF I.V.". The Kgl. Bayerisches Sanitäts Siegel in red shows that the letter was disinfected a second time in Bavaria. On the postal route from Hof to Kempten no border had to be crossed which implies that the letter was possible treated in Augsburg.


    "Auslagen" postmark of Hof with handwritten entry "5" Kr. rheinisch (= 1 Groschen), the Saxon postage from Glauchau to Hof.

    "16" Kr. rheinisch Bavarian postage for the transport from Hof to Kempten (42-48 Bavarian miles, 1 Bavarian mile = 7,47 km).

    The addressee had to pay 21 Kr. rheinisch (5+16).

    Dear Hedy,


    This is really a wonderful letter. I showed this item in a German forum for postal history and got some help to interpret it. The letter was sent from Austria to Bavaria. From Bavaria it was sent in a closed transit to Coblenz (Prussia). From there probably via Cologne and Aachen to Verviers. It is not clear where it entered the Austrian-Bavarian border. One assumption is via Salzburg/Freilassing.


    The letter was prepaid until the Austrian-Bavarian border with 25 Kr. CM. Prussian charged 16 1/2 Sgr. (12 1/2 Sgr. for the transit until Prussia and 4 Sgr. for the Prussian transit). 16 1/2 Sgr. = 140 Cent. The receiver had to pay 150 Cent (140 Cent + 10 Cent for Belguim).


    I intensively studied the literature I have about disinfection of mail during Cholera epidemic 1831/32 in Bavaria. The result is the attached provisional map. Towns which have disinfected mail and have an individual cachet are marked in blue (the cachet of Mariahilf, Simbach, Schirnding are not known on letters; the cachet of Eussenhausen is only known on letters of conveyance). The cachet “KOENIGL. / BAYERISCHES / SANITAETS / SIEGEL” was used in towns marked in red. Towns marked in green disinfected mail but no letters with cachets are known. Towns marked in ochre had a Rastel station, were situated at a postal route near the border but until now no disinfected letters are known.


    Bavaria was very cautions regarding foreign mail from suspect countries during the Cholera epidemic 1831/32. I couldn't find a hint that mail was disinfected in Augsburg which is situated up-country (far away from the border to Austria). Augsburg had a postal connection to Strassburg but Bavaria has not done any precautions against France. The only exception of a town situated up-country is Nuremberg. Nuremberg already disinfected mail from Prussia and Austria at a time before the Contumaz stations at the border were established.


    Kind regards,

    André

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    Dimension: 22 mm

    Color: black and red

    Form: round cachet with a single line


    Meyer: page 158

    Feuser: No. 50

    Grobe: Bayern No. 2

    Ravasini: page 326/7

    Vorphila Handbuch by Friedrich Pietz: No. 13


    The cachet “KOENIGL: / BAYERISCHES / SANITAETS / SIEGEL” (Royal Bavarian Health Seal) is known in black and in red colour

    and was used from August 1831 up to spring 1832.


    The black cachet was applied in Freilassing, Höll (Waldmünchen) and Neuhaus.

    The red cachet was applied in Augsburg and Ziegelhaus (Lindau).

    It is possible that this cachet was also used in other places.


    KBSS.jpg

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    Dear Hedy,

    The omission of rastel perforation make me think that both letters have not passed the Austrian military sanitary cordon. I assume they were sent by ship to the Italien states and disinfected there. Maybe Caroli has an idea which rout may be possible.

    Kind regards,

    André

    Well done Hedy! The digitisation of rare books will enable us to study at home. I'm also very happy about that.


    I do not know if noticed that Dr. Gertlieb Gmach issued an interesting book in three parts from 2014/16:

    "Österreichische und ungarische Posteinrichtungen in den Donaufürstentümern (Rumänien) : (1782 bis 1880)"

    – 1. Historisches Umfeld, Begriffe, Postwege, Desinfizierung, Postorte, Stempelkunde. - [2014]

    – 2. Konsulatsposttarife, Auslandsposttarife (1836, 1844, 1851) je mit internationalen Korrespondenzen, Postverträge, DDSG, Lloyd. - [2015]

    – 3. Postverhältnisse in der Zeit um den Krimkrieg ab 1853, Telegrafie, Exkurs zu Krajova, österreichische Währungsreform 1858, auch im internationalen Kontext (z.B. DÖPV, ÖIPV und Risorgimento, fremde Staaten), Soldimarken ab 1864. - [2016]


    I do not have these three books but I lent two of them (part 1 and 2) from the Philatelic Library in Munich some month ago. These books are describing postal routs and the disinfection of mail very detailed. The Austrian cachet you mentioned is also illustrated and it is mentioned that it was used in Schuppanek (Supanek, Zsupanek). The author also stated that the quarantaine station Schuppanek was erected based on an edict of 1775. Especially during the revolutionary movement of Tudor Vladimirescu in 1821/22 Schuppanek was used to disinfect letters because the normal postal route from Constantinople to Vienna via Bucharest was closed and mail was sent via Cernatal.


    Kind regards

    André



    P.S. The author Dr. Gmach is referring to the following article: Cserni, Carantiniele din Transilvania si Banat, Filatelia 2004 (magazine no. 3 and 4)

    There are some new additions to the list:


    – Barcelona to Agde (1805), with punch holes (sold at an auction in 2015)

    – Barcelona to Schwyz (1804/05), with punch holes (collection of Rudolfo)


    Status report:

    There are several disinfected letters known which were sent from Cataluna to or via France. Letters from 1804 are usually treated with vinegar only. From December 1804 onwards until the end of 1805 the letters were additionally punched with holes. All these letters were probably disinfected in or near Perpignan, when they were entering France.


    Kind regards,

    André

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    Dear Jean-Luc,


    The letter shows the same pattern (marginal slits + punch holes) which is characteristic for the quarantine station in Odessa. The postmark from Odessa on front of the letter was used from 1845 to 1856 (Postmarks of the Russian Empire by A. Gadlin). The Russian cachets of the quarantine stations are really hard to find and high priced. There is a listing of these cachets in the newsletters of our study circle: Pratique XXXIV #1 and #2. If you don't have them I will digitalize them tomorrow.


    Yours sincerely,

    André

    Dear Jean-Luc,


    Thank you very much for showing the two nice letters! In 1840-1849 Russia was suffered from Cholera ("Disinfected Mail" by Meyer, page 290). All disinfected letters from Marseille to Nicola Simone in Odessa, I have seen have three or four marginal slits and irregular arranged punch holes. I think this is the typical pattern for Odessa and was already used in the 1830s. The reason that these letters don't show postal marks maybe that they were transported privately.


    Kind regards,

    André

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    Two further letters with punch holes of 1805: Barcelona to Schwyz (Pratique XXVI, #3)


    In the article is stated that the letters were punched with an awl on arrival at the Schwyz frontier. In my opinion this is only a speculation which I not share – please see the other letters from Catalonia to other destinations. We still need some more information ...


    Im Artikel wird zu den beiden Briefen ausgesagt, dass diese bei Ankunft an der Genze zum Kanton Schwyz mit einer Ahle durchlöchert wurden. In Anbetracht der weiteren bekannten Briefe aus Katalonien mit anderen Destinationen teile ich diese Ansicht derzeit nicht. Weitere Informationen sind nötig ...



    Barcelona_1805.png


    – Bernicarlo to Agde (1803) with 3 to 5 punch holes (mentioned in "Disinfected Mial of Spain" by Nathan)
    – Tarragona to Marseille (1804) with 5 punch holes (collection of Denis)

    – Mahón to Toulon (1804) with punch holes (collection of Guy Dutau, illustrated in his book on page 369)

    – Barcelona to Bruges (1804 and 1805) with 2, 3 or 4 punch holes (collection of André)

    – Barcelona to Schwyz (1805) with 4 punch holes

    – Barcelona to Tarragona (1805) with 8 punch holes (collection of a Spanish collector)

    Lieber Rudolf,

    die italienischen Gebiete sind leider nicht mein Schwerpunkt, evtl. kann Caroli oder Hedy hier weiter helfen. Die Abbildung ist zwar sehr gut, doch leider sind die Desinfektionslöcher kaum zu erkennen. Die Bräunung allein müßte nicht unbedingt von einer Desinfektion stammen. Eine Vorschau mit PDF ist leider nicht möglich.

    Beste Grüße

    André


    Dear Rudolf,

    Unfortunately the Italian Territory isn't my field of attention, maybe Caroli or Hedy can help in this matter. The illustration is very good but I can't detect the punch holes for a closer inspection. In my opinion the brownish colour of the paper can be the result of a disinfection but it also can have other reasons. A preview with a PDF document is not possible.

    Kind regards,

    André



    Dear Caroli, dear Hedy,

    Rudolf is showing a letter from Intra to Switzerland. This letter is described with punch holes and discoloring probably from a treatment with vinegar. Are there any suggestions where the treatment took place and if there was an epidemic at this time in Sardinia?

    Kind reagards,

    André