The Treffenberg Story

We begin with an excerpt from Notes and Queries, London, May 3, 1856, series 2, vol. 1, no. 18, p. 351 (link).



The source of this except is Galignani's Messenger, an English-language newspaper published in Paris from 1814 to 1884.  The first Swedish postage stamps were issued in 1855, so that may have been the occasion prompting the original article.

There are a number of errors in Galignani's retelling, starting in the first sentence with 1839 for 1840, and, as often, England for Britain.  The correct spelling of the Stockholm paper is Friskytten, which translates as The Free Shooter, or The Marksman.  It was a weekly paper (Sundays) in Stockholm, published 1847 – 1857 by Rudolf Wall.  The correct spelling of the Swedish officer's name is Treffenberg, and his full name was Curry Gabriel.  For a biography in Swedish, with further references, see http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_Gabriel_Treffenberg; he lived from 1791 to 1875.

Where did the story originate, who copied it, and when were the errors introduced?


Not yet found - Swedish Chamber of Nobles, minutes, 23 March 1823


Not yet found - the original reference in Friskytten, 1856

Library catalogs --


Journal des Débats, Paris, 30 Mars 1856, p. 2 (link).
Here, Treffenberg's first names are given incorrectly.





Le Moniteur Belge, Journal Officiel, 1 Avril 1856, 26e annee, no. 92, p. 1087 (link).
Copied directly from Journal des Débats, two days earlier.




Journal de Toulouse, 6 Avril 1856, p. 3 (link).
Copied directly from Journal des Débats, one week earlier.




Galignani’s Messenger, Paris, April 28, 1856.
<not located yet>

The edition on Gallica is April 28-29, 1856, Country and Foreign edition.  There was a separate edition for Paris and Environs.
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb32779538j/date.r=
not found in - 1856, April 28-29, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 21-22


Notes and Queries, London, May 3, 1856, series 2, vol. 1, no. 18, p. 351 (link).
Without having seen the original, we must assume this is an accurate and complete transcription of it.




Courrier de la librairie: Journal de la propriété littéraire et artistique pour la France et l'étranger, Paris, 3 Mai 1856, vol. 1, no. 18, p. 277 (link).
Several more errors are introduced.




L’Athenæum français, Paris, 24 Mai 1856, 5e annee, no. 21, p. 431 (link).
Adapted from Galignani.

Note that Félicien de Saulcy was one of the editors; he was a long-standing numismatist, and took up stamp collecting later in the 1850's.




The Wide West, San Francisco, 3 Aug. 1856, p. 2, Questions and Answers (link).




Littell’s Living Age, Boston, Sep. 13, 1856, vol. 50, no. 642, p. 672 (link).




Hunt’s Merchants’ Magazine and Commercial Review, New York, Sep. 1856, vol. 35, p. 350 (link).




The Bankers’ Magazine and Statistical Register, New York, Nov. 1856, vol. 11 [vol. 6, new series], p. 384 (link).




Marysville [California] Daily Herald, 20 Dec. 1856 [a one sentence version, but still with several mistakes]

Christian Secretary (1822-1889) 35.44 (Dec 26, 1856): p. 1.

Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion (1855-1859) 11.26 (Dec 27, 1856): p. 413.


Troisième et dernière Encyclopédie théologique, Paris, vol. 29,
Dictionnaire de technologie, Paris, vol. 2, 1858, col. 1057, “Timbre-poste” (link).

This volume is credited to M. de Chesnel.





Édouard Fournier, le Vieux-neuf, histoire ancienne des inventions et découvertes modernes, Paris, 1859, vol. 2, pp. 117-125.
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2023666/f120.image

(p. 124, footnote 2)


This part was quoted by Rondot in Magasin Pittoresque, and by Moens, Manuel, 2nd ed., both in June 1862.


Potiquet, in two editions from Dec. 1861 and March 1862, no mention of Treffenberg


Moens, Jan. 1862, first ed. – no mention of Treffenberg, or any other history of postage stamps


Mount Brown, in 5 editions from May 1862 to 1865, made no mention of Treffenberg.


Gray, 1862, first ed. – long intro, no mention of Treffenberg


Rondot, 1862, June, first installment


Moens, 1862, second ed., June, “Origine du timbre-poste”, p. 9-10, quotes Fournier about Treffenberg.

Moens, Les Timbres-poste illustrés, Mar. 1864, p. 19


le Timbre-Poste, 1863, vol. 1 (reprint ed.), p. 21, refering to Fournier, but really about the 1653 Paris Penny Post (link).

translated, The Stamp Collector's Magazine, May 1, 1863, p. 58 (link)


Moens, March 1864 – brief mention of Treffenberg


Once a Month, or, The Stamp Collector’s Advertiser, Aug. 1, 1864, vol. 1, no. 5, p. 75 (link).




American Journal of Philately, New York, June 1, 1868, vol. 1, p. 30-31 (link).





Chambers’s Journal, Edinburgh, Sep. 5, 1868, vol. 45, no. 245, p. 574-576, “Curiosities of the Post Office” (link).

(p. 576)



The Eclectic Magazine, New York, April 1869, vol. 9, no. 4, p. 492-495, “Curiosities of the Post Office” (link).

Copied from Chambers's Journal, Sep. 5, 1868.


Das Ausland, Augsburg, Sep. 17, 1868, vol. 41, no. 38, p. 902-903, "Merkwürdigkeiten aus dem englischen Postdienst" (link).

Translated and adapted from Chambers's Journal, Sep. 5, 1868.

(p. 903)


This, in turn, was referenced by Emanuel Herrmann, the Austrian inventor of the postal card, in his history Die Correspondenz-Karte, part 3 of Miniaturbilder aus dem Gebiete der Wirthschaft, Halle a/S., 1872, p. 116 (link).


le Timbre-poste, April 1874, vol. 12, p. 29-30, Timbre d'affranchissement Treffenberg.
A lengthy and detailed explanation, without reference to previous publications.

noted in The Stamp Collector's Magazine, 1874, vol. 12, p. 69


Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly, New York, April 1887, vol. 23, p. 416 (link).




Frank Leslie’s Sunday Magazine, New York, Feb. 1888, vol. 23, p. 112 (link).
The same as in April 1887.


"Swede's Idea in 1823 had beat UK's Hill." R. Norby. S COL. 1982. 2pp. Treffenberg's idea on stamped paper that was turned down by the Swedish Post Office and Parliament in 1823.


Philatelic Record (printed)


Hobbies, 1937, vol. 42, issue 2, p. 53
http://books.google.com/books?id=Z9NPAAAAYAAJ  (snippet view only)

The Criterion, Literary and Critical Journal, 1856, vol. 2, p. 78.
http://books.google.com/books?id=1OMPAQAAMAAJ  (snippet view only)
(not in vol. 1)


Lidman, Treasury


Philatelie, Netherlands, 1978, article by K. Kouwenberg, history of stamp collecting
(see next)


And it never ends …

History of Stamp Collecting, Free Stamp Magazine, May 11, 2015, http://freestampmagazine.com/2015/05/11/history-stamp-collecting/
In 1823 the Swede, Treffen von Berg, envisaged a shipping method with special envelopes and difficult-to-copy stamps. The Swedish Post thought his idea absurd and it was never implemented.



Credits