Postal history--Holy Roman Empire

folio (approx. 340 x 225mm.), together with a printed broadsheet giving the times and routes of mail-coaches leaving Vienna for Mantua, Prague, Krakow, Trieste and elsewhere in 1800, and nine blank forms for sending parcels by mail-coach during the eighteenth century in the name of Johann Wenzel Graf von Paar, and a manuscript decree dated Vienna, 8 May 1762, about Johann Wenzel as postmaster general, with the imperial seal (13)

Sale in these rooms, 29 November 1985, lot 374

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Reichspost had been established in the late fifteenth century by Jannetto de Tassis, and by the eighteenth century the Thurn und Taxis family had a virtual monopoly of the postal services in mainland Europe. These lawsuits related to the disputed postal revenues in the Empire, as the Paar family had set itself up in competition with the Reichspost in the seventeenth century. The accounts include many of the imperial decrees regarding the postal service in the Holy Roman Empire.