diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte
index c56b048c..1e3b334f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte
@@ -32,10 +32,12 @@ let {
 
 const isEventVariant = $derived(variant === 'event');
 const dateLabel = $derived(timelineDateLabel(entry.eventDate, entry.precision, entry.eventDateEnd));
-// Inside an event card the year frames the time, and these archive titles already
-// embed the date — so the compact in-card letter drops the redundant date chip when a
-// title is present, halving the row height and killing the duplicate date (#850).
-const showDate = $derived(!compact || !entry.title);
+// Inside an event card the band frames the time, so a compact in-card letter drops the
+// redundant date chip — but ONLY when the (free-form OCR) title actually embeds the formatted
+// date, e.g. "H-0023 – 6. Juli 1916". A title without the date keeps its chip, so a letter like
+// "Brief an Mutter" never loses its month/day (the band frames only the year) — #850, finding #4.
+const titleEmbedsDate = $derived(!!dateLabel && !!entry.title && entry.title.includes(dateLabel));
+const showDate = $derived(!compact || !titleEmbedsDate);
 const sender = $derived(entry.senderName === '' ? m.timeline_unknown_person() : entry.senderName);
 const receiver = $derived(
 	entry.receiverName === '' ? m.timeline_unknown_person() : entry.receiverName
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte.spec.ts
index f7957637..349a2e72 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/LetterCard.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -152,14 +152,26 @@ describe('LetterCard — event-cluster variants (#850, REQ-002)', () => {
 		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="tag-chip"]')).not.toBeNull();
 	});
 
-	it('drops the redundant date line in the compact variant when a title is present (#850)', () => {
-		// Inside an event card the year already frames the time, and these archive titles
-		// embed the date — so the compact in-card letter omits the date chip.
-		render(LetterCard, { entry: makeEntry({ title: 'H-0023 – 6. Juli 1916' }), compact: true });
+	it('drops the compact date chip only when the title actually embeds the formatted date (#850)', () => {
+		// An archive title like "H-0023 – 6. Juli 1916" already carries the date, so inside an
+		// event card (where the band frames the time) the redundant chip is dropped.
+		const entry = makeEntry({ eventDate: '1916-07-06', precision: 'DAY' });
+		const dateLabel = timelineDateLabel(entry.eventDate, entry.precision, entry.eventDateEnd);
+		render(LetterCard, { entry: { ...entry, title: `H-0023 – ${dateLabel}` }, compact: true });
 		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="letter-date"]')).toBeNull();
 		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('Karl Raddatz'); // sender still shown
 	});
 
+	it('keeps the compact date chip when the title does NOT embed the date (#850, finding #4)', () => {
+		// Titles are free-form OCR text — a titled letter whose title carries no date must keep
+		// its month/day, since inside an event card the band frames only the year.
+		render(LetterCard, {
+			entry: makeEntry({ eventDate: '1916-07-06', precision: 'DAY', title: 'Brief an Mutter' }),
+			compact: true
+		});
+		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="letter-date"]')).not.toBeNull();
+	});
+
 	it('keeps the date in the compact variant when the letter has no title (#850)', () => {
 		render(LetterCard, { entry: makeEntry({ title: undefined }), compact: true });
 		expect(document.querySelector('[data-testid="letter-date"]')).not.toBeNull();