Switzerland (1937) Cover / Bienne to Porto Alegre (Brazil)

Description

Switzerland – 1937 – Commercial Airmail Cover – Biel/Bienne to Porto Alegre, Brazil

Commercial Swiss airmail cover sent from Biel/Bienne to Porto Alegre, Brazil, correctly franked with 2.30 Francs and bearing both dispatch and arrival datestamps.

Overview

Commercial airmail cover mailed by ERA WATCH Co. Ltd. (C. Ruefli-Flury & Cie.), Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, to Casa Hasson, Leopoldo Geyer & Co., Porto Alegre, Brazil. The cover was posted on 16 May 1937 and retains the Porto Alegre arrival datestamp of 20 June 1937, documenting the successful completion of the postal journey.

Technical Details

• Country: Switzerland
• Date of Dispatch: 16 May 1937
• Origin: Biel/Bienne
• Destination: Porto Alegre, Brazil
• Postal Service: International Airmail
• Sender: ERA WATCH Co. Ltd. (C. Ruefli-Flury & Cie.)
• Addressee: Casa Hasson, Leopoldo Geyer & Co.
• Total Franking: 2.30 Francs
• Airmail Etiquette: Original Swiss trilingual “Mit Luftpost / Par avion / Con aeroplano” label

Philatelic Description

The cover is franked with a 30 Centimes Swiss Airmail stamp and a 2 Franc Helvetia definitive, giving a total franking of 2.30 Francs. The stamps are cancelled by clear Biel-Bienne datestamps dated 16 May 1937. The reverse bears a clear Porto Alegre arrival datestamp dated 20 June 1937. The original Swiss trilingual airmail etiquette remains intact.

Postal History

This commercial airmail cover was mailed from Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, on 16 May 1937 and addressed to Porto Alegre, Brazil. The cover bears the correct 2.30 Franc franking for international airmail service and retains the Porto Alegre arrival datestamp, documenting the successful completion of the postal journey.

Historical Background

During the 1930s, the Swiss watch industry maintained extensive commercial relations with overseas markets. Brazil represented an important destination for Swiss manufactured goods, and business correspondence such as this illustrates the growing use of international airmail for commercial communications between Europe and South America.

Condition

• Commercial cover in well preserved condition.
• Complete 2.30 Franc franking.
• Clear Biel/Bienne dispatch datestamps.
• Clear Porto Alegre arrival datestamp on reverse.
• Original Swiss airmail etiquette present.
• Minor handling and filing wear consistent with commercial postal use.

Collecting Areas

• Switzerland
• Swiss Airmail
• Brazil
• Commercial Mail
• Swiss Watch Industry
• International Postal History
• South America
• Biel/Bienne Postal History
• Porto Alegre Postal History

Philatelic Significance

This cover is a well documented example of pre-war Swiss international commercial airmail. Its significance lies in the correctly paid 2.30 Franc airmail franking, the identifiable commercial sender from the Swiss watch industry, the preserved arrival datestamp at Porto Alegre, and the complete postal documentation of an overseas business communication between Switzerland and Brazil in 1937. It is an attractive item for collections of Swiss postal history, commercial correspondence and international airmail.