1852 rate to Geneva ?

[leamphil]

I have an envelope from the UK to Geneva dated 20th January 1852 which was prepaid 1/4d and appears to go via France.

I find that in Oxley the rate from December 1845 was 11d for under 1/4 oz.

Can anyone please cast any light on the 1/4d rate, was it perhaps the next weight step ?

[Mike Jackson]

From Raguin: Instructions No. 32, 1845: 'On and after the 1st December next . . . Switzerland . . . sent by way of France . . .': 11d under ¼ oz (as in Oxley), but the next step is 1s 5d (5d British plus 1s foreign). (These particular rates were confirmed in Instructions No. 13, 1852.)

[leamphil]

Thanks - any thoughts on why this cover should be charged 1/4d rather than 1/5d ?

Why should there be 1d off ?

[admin]

Are the postmarks clear enough to say it's definitely 1852? From 1/1/1855 the second step was 1s 4d (8d per ¼oz).

[leamphil]

Yes it is 1852 - there is also a receiving mark on the reverse which is clearly 1852.

[admin]

OK, well I guess the clerk must have made a miscalculation then -- there aren't any 1s 4d rates listed in Moubray for that date?

[leamphil]

... the next step is 1s 5d (5d British plus 1s foreign).

How does the "5d British" arise ? .... I can't see any UK 5d rates at the time ?

[admin]

... the next step is 1s 5d (5d British plus 1s foreign).

How does the "5d British" arise ? .... I can't see any UK 5d rates at the time ?

British rate on mail to/via France -- this is the period 1843-54 where the rates get complicated because they're made up of a British component of the postage on the British 1-2-4-6... scale, plus a French component at so much per ¼oz.

See https://www.gbps.org.uk/tools/rates/gb-france-1843-54.php.

[leamphil]

Thanks very much - I hadn't spotted the rates calculator.

[admin]

That's because it wasn't there -- I'd forgotten to add it to the menu.