Hello fellow collectors!
Today I have only this cover to show you...
Today I have only this cover to show you...
I won't post anything about its background nor its stamps... Lets just take some free time to enjoy it and I'll be waiting for your comments... Is it a good item? Don't like the stamps but love the cancellation? Or vice-versa? Or both? Let us all know... if you are too shy and prefer emailing... stamp.friends@gmail.com is the route to take!
See you soon!
1 comment:
The cover is GB postal stationary and there are two types of this type of prepayment of postage. The first was stamped by the postal authorities and sold via Post Offices, the second, (of which this is an example), was stamped on the publics own envelopes and letter sheets. This is termed Stamped to Order, (STO).
The STO covers were usually prepared by companies who sent a lot of mail at standard rates, thus they did not need to hold stocks of stamps or spend time affixing them to envelopes. Hence most covers are at standard rates and even when up-rated when postal charges changed, the whole batch would have another STO put beside the old one making the new rate.
Most covers to Europe at this time are single rate, a few are double rate and a very small number are for three or more rates. Out of this small number very few are STO covers and thus are rare.
On the 9 October 1874 a treaty was concluded at Berne and this in effect brought into existence the General Postal Union ... later to become the UPU. In the UK this information was passed onto the postmasters with the issue of GPON (General Post Office Notice) number 25/75 dated the 14 June 1875 and the new rates of the UPU took effect from the 1 July 1875
There is a fair list of places covered, which includes Germany, and postage to these places, provided not sent via France was at a standard rate of 2 1/2d per 1/2 oz. The exception of the ‘Via France’ status ceased on the 1 January 1876.
I would suggest that the cover was STO by a company that sent a lot of mail to the UPU states, thus they had the envelopes ready to use as detailed above. The up-rated cover would be 3 rates ... thus a 1 1/2 oz cover at 7 1/2d rate
I have only recorded 11 up-rated 2 1/2d STO covers, this being number 12
Sadly this is a very under-rated area of collecting and cover rarely sell for their true value in terms of scarcity. I have contacted a few dealers to see what sort of price they would offer this cover at and will post the details later
ALLAN
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