1816 Hamburg, Thurn and Taxis Prephilately, German States, Folded Letter from Hamburg to Bordeaux with Rarer Straight-Line R4 Hamburg Postmark, Black Wax Seal

1816 Folded letter from Hamburg to Bordeaux from March 19th, 1816 with rarer straight-line R4 Hamburg Postmark, arriving on April 1st, 1816 (according to the tracking notes on reverse). The classification "R4" identifies Hamburg as belonging to Rayon 4 (postal zone 4) for mail directed toward France. This allowed French postal clerks to calculate the correct distance-based fee.

It is addressed to the renowned wine merchant house Schröder, Schÿler & Co. in Bordeaux, a major hub for trade with Hanseatic cities.

Dating to early 1816, the letter represents the revival of European trade following the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna. After the lifting of the Continental Blockade, business correspondence between German ports and French wine regions flourished again.