This folded official letter was sent from Soissons to Laon in 1820 and is addressed to “Monsieur Defrere, Directeur de l’Instruction publique.” The front bears a clean straight-line “SOISSON” handstamp in black and a large manuscript “4” denoting the postal rate in decimes. The content is a formal administrative communication concerning matters related to public education, as evidenced by the sender’s title, “L’inspecteur de l’Instruction publique.” The letter is dated “31 juillet 1820” and is neatly handwritten in brown ink on laid paper with a discreet wax seal remnant still visible. The writing is clear and consistent, representative of the bureaucratic correspondence of the Restoration period under King Louis XVIII. Typical vertical and horizontal folds are present from mailing, with minor edge wear and a small missing paper segment at lower right. This document is a fine example of early 19th-century French postal administration, showing the flow of official communication between regional educational authorities. Estimate "$65 – 95"