Second Balloon of the Siege: 1870 small entire letter to Clere franked by Napoleon III 20c Empire, cancelled by Star mark with Paris (60) cds for 24 Sept, carried on the 'Ville De Florence' Balloon which departed on 25th Sept, with Clere arrival mark for 29 Sept, a neat little item. (Image)

Third Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Switzerland, franked by Napoleon III 30c Empire, tied by Paris Star mark, with Rue Taitbout cds for 25 Sept, carried by the Balloon Les Etats-Unis, which was an incredible flying machine consisting of two balloons connected by a beam and a small central balloon which departed Paris on 29th Sept; backstamped by Delemont arrival mark for 24 Oct, archival folds otherwise attractive. (Image)

Fifth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 postcard to Argenton franked by Napoleon III 10c, Empire, cancelled by Star mark with Paris cds for 28 Sept, (first day of use for the 10c postcard rate) carried on the fifth Balloon which was unmanned and departed on 30th Sept, shortly afterwards it was brought down by the Prussians and landed in their lines at Ville d'Avray only 15km away from the west of Paris. The mail was recaptured by the French and re-despatched by other manned Balloons, fine and scarce. (Image)

Sixth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Birmingham franked by Napoleon III 30c Empire, cancelled by Paris '20' star cancel, with cds dated 29 sept alongside; carried on the 'Armand Barbes' which departed on the 7th October, backstamped by Birmingham arrival mark for OC 13, very fine. (Image)

Sixth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 postcard to Belgium franked by Napoleon III 30c Empire, cancelled by Paris star cancel, and Paris (60) cds for 5 Oct, carried on the 'Armand Barbes' which departed on 7th October, with Bruges, Belgium arrival mark at left dated 19 Oct, very fine and scarce. Roumet Certificate (2015) (Image)

Ninth/Tenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Arcachon, Bordeaux franked by Napoleon III 20c Empire, tied by red official Paris (SC) cds for 6 Oct, carried on either the 'Washington' or 'Louis Blanc' Balloons which departed Paris on 12th Oct at 8am and 9am respectively, with Bordeaux arrival mark for 16 Oct, most attractive. (Image)

Ninth/Tenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 postcard to Nantes franked by Napoleon III 10c Empire tied by part Star cancel, leaving profile clear, with Paris, Rue St. Honore cds marks for 7 Oct, carried on either the 'Washington' or 'Louis Blanc' Balloons which departed Paris on 12th Oct at 8am and 9am respectfully, card re-directed and surface bears Nantes arrival mark for 21 Oct, very fine. (Image)

Thirteenth and Fourteenth Balloons of the Siege: 1870 printed Par Ballon non Monte postcard to Villers sur Mer Calvados, franked by Ceres 10c Republic (10c postcard rate), tied by Star mark with Paris Rue Montaigne cds for 14 Oct, carried on either the Jules Favre No.1 or Jean Bart No. 2 Balloons which both departed Paris on 16 Oct, backstamped lightly with Villers sur Mer Calvados arrival mark, very fine. Roumet Certificate 2014 The first Balloon had a trouble-free Journey landing in Belgium, whereas the second Balloon 'Jean Bart' came under enemy fire and jettisoned bags of ballast to escape before landing in Belgium. (Image)

Fifteenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Angouleme franked by Napoleon III 20c Empire, tied by Star mark with Paris Rue St. Lazare cds for 17 Oct, carried on the Balloon 'Victor Hugo' which departed Paris on 18th Oct, backstamped with Angouleme arrival mark for 22 Oct, very fine, with contents attractively aritten in violet ink. Victor Hugo, renowned poet was invited by the Balloonist Nadar to the attend the departure of his namesake flying machine, upon receiving the invitation he said to Nadar '' I ask for nothing better than for you to take me up into the heavens''. The balloon however departed early and Hugo missed the event by mistake! (Image)

Sixteenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Spa, Belgium, franked by Napoleon III 30c Empire, tied by Star mark, with Paris (60) cds for 18 Oct, carried by the Balloon 'La Fayette' reverse bearing fine strike from Spa arrival ds for 21 Oct, very fine. (Image)

Seventeenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Loue, franked by Ceres 20c Republic tied by red Paris official cds, for 19 Oct, carried on the 'Garibaldi' which departed Paris on 22 Oct, backstamped by Loue arrival d/s for 2 Nov, fine. (Image)

Eighteenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Calvados, franked by Ceres 20c Republic, tied by part Star mark, with Paris St. Lazare cds for 24 Oct, carried by the Balloon 'Montgolfier' which departed Paris on 25 Oct, with reverse bearing numerous transit marks with final Caen arrival cds for 6 Nov, attractive. (Image)

Nineteenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Angers franked by Ceres 20c Republic tied by Star mark with Paris Ministry of Finance, dated 26 Oct, carried on the Balloon 'Vauban' which departed Paris on 27 Oct, backstamped by Angers arrival mark for 2 Nov, very fine. (Image)

Nineteenth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Manchester, England, franked by Napoleon III 30c Empire, tied by Star mark and Paris (60) cds for 26 Oct, carried on the Balloon 'Vauban' which departed Paris on 27 Oct, with crisp Manchester arrival mark for 2 Nov, very fine. (Image)

Twenty-first Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Jersey, Channel Islands, franked by two Ceres 20c Republic (over paying the overseas rate by 10c!), tied by Star marks with Paris Rue Bonaparte cds for 28 Oct, carried by the Balloon 'Colonel Charras' which departed Paris on 29 Oct, backstamped with Jersey arrival d/s for Nov 3, some filing folds, still very fine. (Image)

Twenty-second Balloon of the Siege: 1870 much-folded printed Ballon Monte lettersheet to Thiberville, franked by Napoleon III 20c Empire well tied by Star mark with Paris Auteuil cds for 1 Nov, carried on the Balloon 'La Fulton' which departed Paris on 2 Nove, backstamped by Paris Cherbourg rail route mark and Thiberville arrival mark dated 4 Nov, an attractive little item. (Image)

Twenty-third and twenty-fourth Balloons of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Yonne, franked by Ceres 20c Republic, struck by crisp red official cds for 3 Nov, carried on either the 'Ferdinand Flocon' or 'Galilee' Balloons as unusually two departed Paris on the same day, (4 Nov), this cover mostly likely was carried by the first of the two, no reverse markings, attractive item. (Image)

Twenty-fifth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 printed Ballon Monte lettersheet sent to Calvados and re-addressed to St. Saviour Jersey, franked by Napoleon III 20c (underpaying the 30c overseas rate) lightly tied by Star mark with Paris Rue Bonaparte cds for 4 Nov, carried by the Balloon 'Ville de Chateaudun' which departed Paris 6 Nov, with More to Pay mark applied in Jersey and taxed 4d on arrival, backstamped with transit marks and Jersey arrival for Nov 12, fine an interesting item. (Image)

Twenty-fifth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 printed Gasette des Absents (edition 3) lettersheet sent to Calvados franked by Ceres 20c Republic well tied by Paris Rue Cardinal Lemaine cds for 5 Nov, carried on the 'Ville de Chateaudun' which departed Paris on 6 Nov, no arrival marks, still very fine, offered with English translation of the Gazette. (Image)

Twenty-seventh Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Grand Camp, Calvados, franked by Napoleon III 20c Empire, well tied by Star mark with Paris R. St Antoine cds for 6 Nov, with additional Republique Francis Poudres et Salpetres cachet in blue (Munition Office), carried by the Balloon 'Gironde' which departed Paris 8 Nov, backstamped by Grand Camp arrival mark for 9 Nov, very attractive and scarce with cachet, Roumet Certificate (2005) During the flight the Balloonists savoured a bottle of fine wine thus resulting in the creation of 'First class Air travel'; once the bottle was finished a message was placed inside and strategically dropped over the heads of the unsuspecting Prussian soldiers. (Image)

Twenty-eighth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 postcard to London, England, franked by Napoleon III 10c and 20c Empire, making up 30c overseas rate, tied by fine strikes from Star mark and Paris, Rue des Villes Hdrttes cds for 9 Nov, neighboured by London Paid mark for Nov 30 and London arrival mark on reverse, slight corner bend, still an attractive two colour franking. (Image)

Thirtieth Balloon of the Siege: 1870 envelope to Beziers, South of France franked by Ceres 20c Republic well tied by 904 numeral with Paris Charonne cds for 16 Nov, with reply card with Napoleon III 5c adhesive applied, carried on the Balloon 'General Uhrich' which departed Paris on 18 Nov, backstamped with Beziers arrival mark for 23 Nov; cover a little fragile (due to the use of such a thin paper), still a fine and scarce pairing. Roumet Certificate (2012) (Image)

Thirty-first Balloon of the Siege: 1870 entire letter to Roisel, Somme franked by Napoleon III 20c Empire, lightly struck by Star mark, with Paris Place de la Bourse cds for 19 Nov, carried on the Balloon 'Archimede' which departed Paris on 21 Nov, backstamped with Roisel arrival mark for 24 Nov, filing fold, otherwise fine. (Image)

Thirty-third Balloon of the Siege: 1870 printed Ballon Monte Gazette des Absents (9th Edition) to Sisteron, franked by Ceres 20c Republic tied by part Star mark with Paris Rue St. Dominique cds for 21 Nov, carried by the Balloon 'Ville d'Orleans' which departed Paris on 24 Nov, backstamped with Sisteron arrival mark for 13 Dec, fine, offered with English translation of contents (Image)

Thirty-third Balloon of the Siege: 1870 envelope to Montpellier franked by Ceres 20c Republic, tied by red official cds for 24 Nov, carried on the Balloon 'Ville d'Orleans' which departed Paris on 24 Nov, backstamped with Montpellier arrival d/s for 12 Dec, small tear to envelope and light staining, still an attractive cover. (Image)