A bureau de passe was a special transit office located at major railway junctions in France. These offices handled mail passing through the rail network and applied a distinctive circular transit mark. This mark was usually struck on the back of the letter, but it can sometimes be found cancelling the stamp itself. Bureau de passe cancellations were used between 1864 and 1884 in 23 different offices.
This collection shows examples of these transit marks on single stamps and on full covers, illustrating routing, receiving offices, and the complexity of mail transport during that period.
