Saturday, June 02, 2018

Postage Partially Due - Taxed Under-franked Letter to Germany in 1917

Taxed Under-franked Letter to Germany in 1917


A letter from Diekirch, 23 May 1917,  censored at Trier, to a soldier stationed in Coburg, Germany in 1917.  It is shortpaid 7½c but was taxed 20 centimes ("T" hs and blue crayon "20").  Why?

Under the postal convention of 20 August 1902 with the German Empire, unfranked letters were charged 30 centimes.  This under-franked letter was treated as unfranked less its 10-centime postage, leaving 20 centimes unpaid and payable by the addressee.  Per Lars Böttger, the 20 centimes postage due was converted into pfennig at a rate of 10 Cent. = 8 pfg. -> 16 pfg.; the 16 pfg. was then rounded to 20 pfg.  The conversion to pfennig should have been indicated by the Diekirch post office.

The small circular "porto" marking at the top was probably applied at Coburg.  There are no markings on the back side. 

The cover provides an interesting "sole use" of the 10-centime Marie-Adélaïde definitive!

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