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Incoming registered charge

Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:00 pm
by Mike Jackson
A collector of Victoria (Australia) registered mail, Ronnie Winchester, contacted me recently with a GB query:

I'm writing at the suggestion of one of your members in this part of the world, Nick Anning. I specialise in Registered Mail from Victoria 1845-1891. During the 1850s the UK imposed a 6d collection fee on incoming registered mail - my earliest letter is dated 9/5/1856(UK) and the two latest 11/1/59 (London) and 21/5/1859 (Glasgow). I also have such a cover with the collection fee deleted.

My query is, when was this fee introduced, and was there a special reason? and when was it abolished? My information is that the date was 1/9/1858 but I do not know if this is correct, but if it is, it took a long time before PO postmasters ceased collecting.

I hope one of your erudite members can assist, and I can send scans if required.
Sincerely Yours,
Ronnie Winchester
Partner | HWL Ebsworth Lawyers

I replied to Ronnie as follows:

I can't find any mention of the collection fee in Raguin's British Post Office Notices for the period, nor in the 1857 British Postal Guide, nor anywhere else apart from in the Cavendish sales of Martin Willcocks' 'Worldwide Registered Mail' (25 June 1999) and Vivien Sussex's 'Valuables by Post' (6 March 2002).

Ronnie responded by sending a PDF of his covers (see link below), and added:

What I've just noticed is that letters to Switzerland which are understamped bear the d6 mark but not those fully pre-paid. However, the charge is universal on all fully paid registered letters to the UK during the relevant period.

Best Regards,
Ronnie

CAN ANYONE HELP?

http://www.gbps.org.uk/documents/incomi ... charge.pdf

Transfer from previous board: original post 930

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:00 pm
by frenchcongo
Dear Mike,

From memory the line of enquiry that you have to follow is the regulation by which the GPO in London apportioned the registration fee Victoria to the UK and the postage and registration fee to the Foreign country of colony if the UK was the transit country.

For example a registration fee of 6d on a letter colony to UK or vice versa would be split 3d/3d.

Years ago in my charge mark collection sold by RL in 1983 I had one of the Victoria to Locarno covers with this 6d on but I have no notes left to show how it was written up.

Colin Tabeart would be the best person to take this point forward.

All the best

Robert
[Johnson]