Today in Postal History




Russia to France
June 24, 1898

This postal card, albeit simple, is quite interesting.

The 3k. carmine card was uprated with a 1k. orange Imperial Eagle from the 1889 issue (Scott 46).

The card was sent from St. Petersburg.
There are two circular geometric killers from
post sub-office number 4 (supposedly in use from 1880-1895 -
I do not know why these were still in use in 1898)* and a St. Petersburg CDS.
Each sub-office had a different geometric symbol so,
even if the number is illegible, one can determine the sub-office from the geometric symbol.
The varieties of these sub-office killers provides opportunities for interesting collections.

The message side of the card has a neat business handstamp in Russian but otherwise is in French.

Guillaume van Turnhout has provided this translation:

"Sir, in answer to your letter of June 25th [note use of Gregorian Calendar from the reference letter] concerning the Napiersky case, I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Nedzwedzky, lawyer, who is conducting this case, is not in Saint Petersburg for the moment.  He will be back within one week and will then answer your letter.  Please, Sir, be assured of my diligent attention.  V. Blagovetchensky"

Vladimir Blagovetchensky was another lawyer in the office.**

The use of both the Julian and the Gregorian date in the message dateline should be noted.
At the time, it was June 23 for the Russians' Julian calendar
while it was July 5 for the French using the Gregorian Calendar - a 12 day difference.
I should note that the conflict was only mechanical and was eliminated
when Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918.*

*Thanks to Guillaume van Turnhout for this useful addition regarding
the St. Petersburg sub-office killers and calendar differences.
**Thanks to Guillaume van Turnhout  for the translation and
to Jim Whitford-Stark for pursuing the essence of the message.

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