Sure, Esch-sur-Sûre! And Happy Halloween.

Misaddressed Incoming Mail

 

 

  
New York, N.Y. Sta. A

22 Oct 1928
to
Esch-sur-Alzette, Belguim [sic]
 

The Demuth brothers were prominent curtain makers in Esch-sur-Sûre. They received mail from many foreign countries, including mail from geographically challenged writers who simply addressed their correspondence to “Esch” (see below) or to “Esch-sur-Alzette” when “Esch-sur-Sûre” was the correct destination.
 

And the geographically challenged writer of the postal card shown above added to the confusion by directing the card to “Esch-sur-Alzette, Belguim” (his misspelling, not mine). A postal clerk has corrected the address to “Esch Sauer” (German for Esch-sur-Sûre). By car on A4, Esch-sur-Alzette and Esch-sur-Sûre are about 72 km. apart.

Elsewhere, I have blogged about mail to “Luxemburg, France.” That post is here.

San Francisco, Calif.
25 Feb 1924
to
Esch Sur, Luxembourg

transit
Esch-Sur-Alzette,
17 Mar 1924 [7:00-8:00 a.m.]

received at
Esch-sur-Sûre,
17 Mar 1924 [4:00-5:00 p.m.]

In the 1920s, postal clerks were amazing. Some still are!

Beware! Backdated Use of the Luxembourg-Ville V Cancel on Scarce Postal Stationery

 

 

 

Used examples of the 12 1/2c Message-Reply card are scarce, seldom appear on the market, and command high prices.  But be careful.  Here the Luxembourg-Ville V double-circle cancel was backdated to 3 July 1879, making this 12 1/2c Message card appear to have been postally used to Metz.  But the double circle cancel did not come into use until 1883!  So obviously this is a backdated cancel. 

The absence of a receiving mark is another clue that this is a bogus use of the 12 1/2c card.

The card comes from an old German worldwide postal stationery accumulation of about 4000 cards, which were collected before WW1 and stored away until a few years ago.  So the fakery occurred long ago.

Let me know if you have seen other backdated uses of the Luxembourg-Ville V cancel, or any other cancels. 

Thanks to Luxembourg’s outstanding proofer, Lars Boettger, for alerting me to the bogus status of this usage!

Sometimes mourning need not be sad (updated below)

Luxembourg-Ville IV
23 Sep 1918

Censored at Trier

Special Delivery to
Munich, Bavaria

Nothing to be sad about when you find a mourning cover sent by special delivery with G.D. Marie Adélaïde franking!

But who was the sender who was in mourning?  Where is/was Koenig Rieg in Luxembourg?

F. Zimmer

Bei den Krankgebruedern

Koenig Rieg. Luxemburg

And who was the “high-born” recipient?

Hochwohlgeboren

Frau Oberst-Lieutenent

Rothlauf

Prinzregentenstraße 11a

Muenchen / Bayern

Dieter Basien kindly answers some of my questions:

Bei den Krankenbrüdern

= (Convent / Kloster)

Königs-Ring = Boulevard Royal

in Luxembourg-Ville