For many years researchers tried to understand where the cachet shown below was applied.

The cachet it is different from others Austrian cachets used at the Ottoman-Austrian boreders.

As you can see articles were written and in fact there were four alternatives: Semlin, Alt Orshova (Dr Wurth and Leon Gobbles), Schuppanek and Mehadia. The later ones were assigned by Luciano de Zanche, Denis and Klaus Meyer.

Now it is the time to take a look into the books. Many years ago I had to spend weeks at Vienna to reaserch the libraries. Today I had to research…….Google book. They did and still are doing a great work.

The Austrians' published yearly books under the name Militar-Schematismus des Osterreischen Kaiserhumes. A chapter, usually at the end of the books, was dedicated to "Contumaz-Anstalten".

Well I made captures for you from the books printed in different years and no mention of Orshova and Mehadia during the time the cachet was used. I show a few letters from Wallachia sent to Pesth and struck with this cachet. That make clear that it cannot been use at Semlin. The only Contumaz which appears in the books and correspond to the letters dates it is Schuppanek. I gave some different colors to the pages to differentiate the printing years.

I think that we can attribute this cachet to Schuppanek together with the well known two wax seals.

Dear Andre

Thank you for the answer. The left letter has a slit which I do not belive it is for disinfection. Possible all were disinfected in the same place. I am still looking for the route and place of disinfection.

I would appreciate your opinions about two letters sent from Smyrna to Trieste, 1790. I presume that both letters accompany money. The first question it is where were disinfected with vinegar. I tend to think they were sent with Neapolitan courier. Between 1788-1791 the Austrians suspended their postal services thru the Balkans because the war with the Ottomans.

If my supposition it is correct where the disinfection took place? Ragusa? Carlobago? Perhaps Venice? If you have other knowledge please let me know.

The second question it is if the number 1000 it is a money amount? Third question it is the meaning for "CAV". It is an abbreviation for Cavaliere?

Thank you

In Giorgio Migliavacca anthology "CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STUDY OF MAIL DISINFECTION IN IMPERIAL RUSSIA" he describes the same double pattern of three slits and punch holes done at Odessa.

I attach a letter sent from Odessa to Genoa, December 13/25, 1854. It has same pattern of three slits, two in the lower part and one in the upper one and three rows of punch holes. D.A.a.L for "Due Austria in Lire"-45. In the right side the Odessa p.o. cachet. "6" centesimi. It was sent via Vienna, cancelled on the back 25/1.

Dear Andre, thank you very much. You are right. Great help.

Letter written on October 25, 1839 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon sent to France via Martinique. M.s "per Monfarieu" (the ship). It was received on December 4^th in Martinique and was forward to France. On left uper side it is a eliptic cachet which I suspect it is from the forwarding agent in Martinique ".....OLANY /MARTINIQUE". It is somebody which can help with the complete name and some data? The ship entered in quarantine at Trompeloup. After the letter was slit, not straight , 7.5 mm long not penetrating the whole letter and chemical disinfected a messenger was send to Pauillac post. On front struck with red cachet of Pauillac 20/Jan/40 and on reverse Bordeaux cachet struck in black, 21/Jan/40.

Charged 11 Decimes calculated from Saint Pierre and Miquelon via Martinique to France. 10 Decimes for the maritime voyage+1 Decimes sea tax. Postal tariff for French Territories. (the tariff it is 4 Decimes, three from Paillac to Bordeaux, 59 km+1 sea tax).

The book it is a true gem. It is a must for all disinfected mail lovers.

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.

Letter sent from Florence to Venice, 1459. It was disinfected with vinegar. Authenticity confirmed by three laboratories.

Florence to Venice 1459.jpg

A bogus cachet was added to a philatelic envelope sent from Bethlehem, West Bank, at that time under Israeli occupation to Graz, Austria.

During August-September 1970 it was a cholera outbreak confined to Jerusalem. The mail was not disinfected.

The cachet date, 4 October 1970, it is after the epidemic was eradicated.

Nice and interesting. The "30" on right upper corner are grams written by T&T post clerk?

Thank you for the question. Inspecting dozens of covers disinfected at Boian I did not find any pattern. It looks that the letters were punch-hole in a quite chaotic way. Distances between the holes may vary from 2, 3 cm to 5, 6 cm on one letter.

The holes have a diameter of 1 mm. It is possible that they had an paddle which during the time needed repairs.

Fully prepaid letter sent on February 16, 1856 from Botoshani, Moldavia to Coeln (Koln Cologne), Kingdom of Prussia. The letter was sent with the Austrian post in the last period of the Crimean war. It was charged at Botoshani 12 kreutzer. The Austro-German Postal Union of 1850 and an extended Union Treaty was drawn up to operate from 1st July 1852 allow the Austrians to charge for the North Germany three silbergroschen for a distance over 20 German miles (aprox. 150 km). The nine kreuzer were charged for the Austrian transit. Route: Botoshani - Czernowitz - Krakov - Myslowitz - Coeln. Disinfection performed at Boian.

Pre paid letter sent from Galatz on May 1, 1845 to Genoa with the Austrian post. Double disinfection. First one was done at Galatz. A rectangular cachet with the dimensions 59x8.5 mm and reading "SAU CURATAT" lit. it has been clean" Type I. In the future I shell show the second type. From Galatz the letter passed thru Iassy and Boian quarantine where it was disinfected again and inscribed RN 36. Finally it was received in Genoa on May 10. It was charged 29 kreuzer.

Added October 5, 2017

It is important to note that this is a quite rare letter. Only a few pre-paid letters are known sent with Austrian Post from Moldavia to Sardinia.

Here it was charged 10 kr. C.M. till the Austria-Moldavia border and 19 kr. including the amount to be paid to Sardinian Post. The tariff of April 1, 1844 was used.

From the 19 kr, 7 kr. were paid to Sardinian Post for transport to Rayon 3 in which Genoa was located.

In an article published in Pratique volume xxx, (2005), number 3 page 87, Denis Vandervelde wrote an article about a remarkable envelope from Andy Chung collection. The envelope has a cachet reading "DISINFETTATO/SANITA MA*BRINDISI". Denis explained the reason why it is spelling "disinfettata" instead of "disinfettata". Now I present an envelope dated October 20, 1873 sent from Messina to Corfu. It was routed via Brindisi where was disinfected. The cachet reads "DISINFETTATA/SANITA MA-BRINDISI". I will be happy to hear other collectors opinion. These cachets are original or fake?

I add a scan of the article Denis wrote.

1831 from Bromberg to Janowiec