Scarce postal stationery–the 1926 25c/20c surcharged Coat of Arms card (large format - 148x105 mm)

 

 

Wiltz
24 Dec 1926
to
Dommeldange
25 Dec 1926

Earliest Reported Use

 

 

In response to the increase from 20c to 25c in the domestic postal card rate and the special rate to Belgium on August 1, 1926, an unknown quantity of the  20-centime large format (148x105 mm) Coat of Arms postal card was surcharged to 25 centimes.  Neither the quantity surcharged nor the date of issue is known.  The Luxembourg Handbook (2009) simply lists 1927 as the frühdatum, but the card shown here moves that date back at least to December 1926. 

Over many years, this is the only sole use I’ve found of this card; moreover, I’ve never acquired an unused example.  This card’s scarcity is surprising since the 25c domestic rate was in effect from 1 August 1926 to 1 April 1927 (243 days), and the 25c rate to Belgium from 1 August 1926 until 1 November 1926 (92 days ).  The obvious inference is that a very small number of 20c cards likely were surcharged.

Here’s an uprated use in January 1927 showing the 40c rate to France and Germany:

 

 

Mondorf-les-Bains
12 Jan 1927
to
Bonn, Germany

Oval Cachet:

Pharmacie des Bains
J. B. Harsch
Pharmacien
Mondorf-les-Bain