Extra 1/2 franking

[mcornes]

I have this cover from 1838 marked 8d from the Bank of Scotland so I am assuming that is Edinburgh, to Paisley which is 62 miles. The 8d matches the 50-80 mile band rate for 1838.
Why I am confused is the "Add 1/2" mark. The 1812 rate shows an additional 1/2d for Scotland but not in the 1838 table.

If it was still valid, should it not be marked 8 1/d instead of 8?
Does it mean that 8 1/2d actually paid?

[SteveBUK]

I am not a Scottish Postal History expert, but I am sure that the Scottish Wheel Tax applied to all mail within, to, or from Scotland and is usually a hand stamp such as yours, but sometimes added in manuscript.

[Winston W]

The 1812 rate shows an additional 1/2d for Scotland but not in the 1838 table.

If it was still valid, should it not be marked 8 1/d instead of 8?
Does it mean that 8 1/2d actually paid?

You are right, the 1838 table does not show the continuance of the additional ½ for Scotland. However it did continue into 1839 and the "Additional ½d display handout" link on that page corrctly states that the "Halfpenny mail tax discontinued on the introduction of the 4d.Uniform post" on 5 December 1839.

So yes, the recipient paid 8½d, Edinburgh having handstamped the cover with the additional ½d as well as rating it 8.

[mcornes]

Thank you for confirming that.

[admin]

The notes at the top of the page did describe the additional ½d -- I've expanded them a bit and added a note to the 1812-38 revision to make it clearer that it continued until 1839.