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PHILATELIC & POSTAL HISTORY DESCRIPTION

1858 (Feb 18) Marseille to Barcelona — Stampless Cover to “Ribas y Cantallops” via La Junquera

An elegant 1850s international folded letter sent unpaid (“port dû”) from Marseille to the prominent mercantile and banking house of Messrs. Ribas y Cantallops in Barcelona. Features exceptionally crisp and highly collectible postal markings in blue.

Postal & Historical Context:

Under the 1850s Franco-Spanish postal treaty, letters could be dispatched unpaid, with the taxation collected from the recipient. This folded mercantile letter was processed through the Pyrenean border office of La Junquera, where the Spanish authorities struck the beautiful blue “FRANCIA” entry marking.

The letter was subsequently taxed 2 Reales (indicated by the distinct blue “2 R” handstamp) to be paid by the prestigious Barcelona firm of Ribas y Cantallops. Correspondence from this renowned commercial archive is highly prized by specialists of Catalonia’s financial history and Spanish classic pre-philately due to the superb quality and preservation of the paper and inks.