Thursday, March 18, 2010

The first Caritas Issue -- December 21, 1925

 

  004a

First Day Cover
December 21, 1925
Luxembourg-Ville IV to La Louvière, Belgium

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In 1925, the Luxembourg postal administration decided to issue a set of semi-postal stamps each year during the Christmas season with the surtax going to charitable organizations.  The first such "Caritas" issue appeared on December 21, 1925, and remained on sale only until January 15, 1926.    A surtax of five centimes was added to each of the three lower denominations; ten centimes to the one-franc denomination.  The Ligue contre la Tuberculose was the beneficiary.

The stamps were valid until June 30, 1926, after which unsold stocks were destroyed.   Ben Hamilton, Jr., writing in the July 1, 1933 issue of Weekly Philatelic Gossip, provides these statistics:

  Issued Sold Destroyed
5c 500,000 326,618 173,382
30c 300,000 215,834 84,166
50c 200,000 195,731 4,269
1 F 200,000 184,108 15,892

 

Prifix lists 10 varieties.  Check your stock!  You might find some hidden treasures!

 

Some Town Cancels

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                                     Bettembourg      Luxembourg-Gare         Mersch
                                        2 Jan 1926                   Jan 1926                     Jan 1926

 

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                                                           Schifflange                  Vianden
                                                            2 Jan 1926                  30 Dec 1925

 

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                     Luxembourg-ville           Remich          Troisv-Luxbg TPO
                                       19 Feb 1926                  5 Jan 1926                           ? 

 

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                                                                          Esch-sur-Alzette
                                                                                        1926

 

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                                                   Esch-sur-Alzette                  Kayl
                                                           10 Feb 1926                31 Dec 1925

 

New Year's Visiting Card
(5c domestic printed matter rate)

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Luxembourg-Ville, December 31, 1925 to Remich

 

Letter to the French Army stationed at Trier, Germany
(50c letter rate to Germany)

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Luxembourg-Gare B, January 4th, to French Army S.P. 22, January 5, 1926

 

COD use of the set to Belgium

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Luxembourg-Ville IV to Couvin, Belgium
January 15, 1926
[front]

2.35 F total franking

0.60 F

20-40 g letter to Belgium

1.00 F

Registry fee

0.75 F

Minimum COD fee

 

Multiple of 50 (lower half)

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Variety:  Top right corner of "M" slopes (3d stamp, bottom row -Pos. 93)

Capture2010-3-23 19-6-39-359x

Prifix 160a

 

Variety:   "r" of "Fr" broken (first stamp of the sheet - Pos. 1)

Capture2010-3-24 18-12-40-923

Prifix 163a