FRANCE, Par Ballon Monte. Cover originating in Switzerland with 10c and 20c Helvetia stamps tied by "Basel 3.IX 70" datestamps and addressed to Paris then forwarded to Spa, Belgium, and again to London, England, forwarding postage paid by France 20c and 10c Napoleon tied by lozenge cancel, "Paris 7 Oct. 70" double-circle datestamp, French stamps also tied by "London 20 OC 70" circular datestamp, some wear incl. stamps with flaws, large tear in 20c stamp

FINE APPEARANCE. A PHENOMENAL POSTAL HISTORY RARITY, SENT FROM SWITZERLAND TO PARIS JUST BEFORE THE SIEGE OF PARIS. IT WAS THEN HELD IN PARIS DURING THE SIEGE AND FORWARDED TO BELGIUM BY BALLON MONTE, WHERE IT WAS FORWARDED YET AGAIN TO ENGLAND.

The blue French receiving marking indicates that this was received in Paris on Sep. 5. The recipient must have already left the city in anticipation of the siege. The Siege of Paris started about Sep. 18, so the only way to forward it was by ballon monte. It was carried aboard the Godefroy Cavaignac which left Paris on October 14 and landed in occupied France on the same day. It arrived in Belgium on October 19 and was forwarded to London on the 20th where received on the same day.

The recipient, Elsie Bach, was one of the translators of Volume 2 of The French in America, which was based on her father's papers. The first volume was published by her father in 1872 in Paris, and no doubt their work was interrupted by the war.

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