Lot #: 134054

Asking Price: $129.00


Buy It Now

0 61
Track this lot?

Description

Among the last mail from Vichy France to America: 27 OCT 1942 postmarked air mail Jewish correspondence cover, from LYON (unoccupied Zone of France) to NEW YORK, franked 16F & tied by 3 strikes of the local postmark; the cover was subsequently opened & resealed by the British censor in BERMUDA using PC 90 "Opened by Examiner 4058" label tied by Bermuda's censor code handstamp "I.C."; opened roughly, piece missing at lower left.
Vichy France (the "French State") was a neutral entity in the war following the armistice of France: at the time of posting she had full diplomatic relations with the United States, however on 8 November the US & UK invaded Vichy-held north Africa - effectively declaring war on Vichy France - and on the 10th Germany and Italy invaded Vichy France which brought about the termination of American relations with her. As such, barring postal markings indicating otherwise, this cover arrived close to or just after these events making this one of the last pieces of Vichy French mail to reach the US. Likewise, with complete German control over France and the arrival of figures like Klaus Barbi to Lyon in November 1942, this is also one of the last instances of Jewish mail abroad in a period of less persecution.