firmato - France - Passeport Révolutionnaire - An VI (1798) - Département du Pas-de-Calais (Aire-sur-la-Lys) - - 1797

France - Revolutionary Passport - Year VI (1798) - Department of Pas-de-Calais (Aire-sur-la-Lys) - Directory

Rare and authentic historical document from the French Revolution era (Directory period). This is an official passport (leave-pass) issued on the 19th ventôse of Year VI (9 March 1798) by the Municipal Administration of Aire (present-day Aire-sur-la-Lys, Pas-de-Calais).
This printed document with period handwritten ink additions is an exceptional testimony to circulation controls under the First Republic.
• Beneficiary: Issued to citizen Jean Louis Jupin, merchant, aged 31, to travel to Paris.
• Complete era physical description: Detailed physical description of the traveler including his height (5 feet 2 inches), hair color (chestnut), eye color (gray), as well as the shape of his face and features (small nose, average mouth, round chin).
• Official elements: Magnificent header “République Française”, republican vignette of 25 centimes at the top center, dry revenue stamp and official wet stamp of the Aire Municipal Administration clearly legible at the bottom left.
• Signatures: Signed by the hand of citizen Jupin, the clerk (Engrand) and the Municipal Administrators (including Duvall).
State of conservation:
Document in its original condition, having traveled. Presence of era creases, foxing, signs of handling and slight fragilities/small tears at the folds and along the edges not affecting the legibility of the main text. The paper remains solid. A very beautiful historical object, ideal for collectors of revolutionary documents or philately/mark-splitting (marcophilie).