SWITZERLAND 1874 5c BROWN AND 25c GREEN SEATED HELVETIA ON CROSS-BORDER COVER LAUSANNE CANTON VAUD TO PARIS FRANCE WITH BLUE PONTARLIER ENTRY WITH COMPLETE ORNATE ILLUSTRATED BAZAR VAUDOIS LETTERHEAD
1874 (Jun. 19), Cross-Border Commercial Folded Cover from Lausanne (Canton Vaud), Switzerland, to Paris, France. Addressed to renowned safe and vault engineer "Monsieur J. Frété / Fabricant de coffre-forts / Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle N.° 7 bis / Paris". Franked at upper left with a two-color composite franking of single 5c brown and single 25c green Seated Helvetia (perforated) totaling 30 centimes, paying the international letter rate, tied by two circular dispatch datestamps "LAUSANNE / 19 VI 74 - 7 / EXP. +". Face features boxed "PD" handstamp, crisp circular blue French railway entry datestamp "SUISSE / 21 / JUIN / 74 / PONTARLIER / 3*", and blue oval merchant corner cachet "PFLÜGER & BURNAND / BAZAR VAUDOIS / LAUSANNE". Complete with extraordinary internal manuscript commercial letter dated June 19, 1874, written on large-format ornate illustrated corporate letterhead of the Bazar Vaudois; fresh, clean, and sound folded letter sheet with piece missing due to seal removalon light blue paper.
Dispatched across the Franco-Swiss Jura frontier through the railway exchange at Pontarlier, where the French mobile sorting office struck its distinctive circular blue entry datestamp. Delivered to the Grands Boulevards of Paris to master safe manufacturer J. Frété, whose patented burglar-proof and fireproof bank safes secured major European financial institutions. The magnificent internal letterhead features elaborate engravings detailing Swiss wood carvings and patent medicinals (Eau d'Arquebusade and Baume Chiron). The letter from partners Pflüger & Burnand corrects a commission billing error (20% vs. 25%) on a 100-franc draft, delivering a caustic mercantile barb advising the Parisian manufacturer that he could have easily located the banking house on Rue Halévy himself simply by consulting the Didot-Bottin trade directory ("dans le premier almanach Didot-Bottin venu").
Please examine lot scan carefully and please send any questions at least 48 hours before the auction closes. Please note that cover condition usually includes normal wear and tear to cover edges, opening tears and some creases and wrinkles. Only exceptional or extreme condition issues will be mentioned.
Legend:
PS - Postal Stationery
FL - Folded Letter
SFL - Stampless Folded Letter
RPO - Railway Post Office
CDS - Circular Date Stamp
DPO - Dead Post Office
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