2021-06-05 Sat

David Feldman hosted a sale of worldwide stamps and postal history from 27th to 30th June in Geneva, Switzerland. The catalog spanned several volumes, featuring France, Russia, and other areas. One of the most remarkable items was a French “ballon monte” cover from the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian war.

In late 1870 and early 1871, German forces cornered the French capital, and mail was unable to get in or out. This made the Parisians resort to the world’s first airmail service, sending mail out through a balloon or a pigeon.

Most of the balloon flights ended in disaster but a remarkable number of them were successful. The majority of letters were addressed within France, although a few scarce foreign destinations are known.

Among these is a rare ballon monte cover to Tampico, Mexico. Posted Dec. 28, 1870, and franked with an 80-centavo carmine Napoleon III stamp (Scott 36a), the letter presumably flew early the next morning on the balloon Bayard. Soon, after that, the balloon landed and the mail was recovered. The cover passed through London on 3rd January and left for Southampton on a steamship bound for the Caribbean or Central America. Image Courtesy: linns.com