Folded letter from Paris office at the Place de la Bourse
This folded letter originated from the Paris office at the Place de la Bourse on November 4, 1870, (sixth collection) and was prepaid 20 centimes for the French internal letter rate to Limoges, “Par Ballon Monté.” Based on the date and time of collection plus the arrival datestamp of November 9, 1870, it is likely that this letter was carried out of Paris by the balloon Ville de Chateaudun.
The Ville de Chateaudun carried 455 kilograms of mail, and although the Germans fired at the balloon for more than two and a half hours, no bullets found their mark, and the flight took place without noticeable incident. The dispatches were taken to Voves, where the letters entered the French mail system.
Date:
Paris/Pl de la Bourse (collection) 4 November 1870
Limoges (arrival) 9 November 1870
Glossary
