Postcard Rates 1875-1891

Introduction

Overseas postcard rates were introduced at the commencement of the General Postal Union in 1875. As with the inland post, initially it was necessary to use a postal stationery card, possibly uprated with adhesive stamps, and it was not until 1894 that private cards were accepted.

Before 1891 the postcard rate depended on the destination and often the route, and there were some countries to which postcards could not be sent. Rates for territories in the GPU/UPU were usually fairly standard and reasonably inexpensive, but rates for other places could be high and variable. In the tables below the Postal Union rates are given first, together with an indication of which countries they applied to; non-standard rates are given separately.

GPU/UPU Rates 1875-1891

The postcard rate to UPU countries was initially set at half the basic letter rate, then in 1879 was set at the equivalent of 10 gold centimes (1d), with an additional 5 centimes (½d) allowed where cards had to be "conveyed by Sea for long distances".

There were additional charges for conveyance to places in the East via the quicker Brindisi route.

The 1st April 1879 and 1st July 1879 are the dates of the appropriate British Postal Guide in which the rates first appear – the Post Office Circular contains no previous instruction to postmasters that the rates had changed, so it must be assumed that this in itself constitituted the announcement.

Special Rates 1875-1891

In the early days of overseas postcards a variety of country-specific rates (sometimes varying by route) were quoted. These were often short-lived and dropped to the standard rates shortly afterwards.

They fall into three distinct classes – rates consequent on France's delayed entry to the GPU, early high rates to more distant places, and special Australasian rates – so it has seemed best to list them by type and destination with start dates.

End dates were recorded in the Post Office Circular or can be deduced from other lists in which the destination appears, and are given in the text below.

(1) Rates via France, 1875

All these rates were a consequence of French entry to the GPU being delayed for six months until 1st January 1876. During this period, rates on mail sent to UPU countries via France (specific routings shown in table) were higher than via other routes, and that included postcard rates where applicable – an additional 1d or 2d over the standard UPU "penny-farthing" rate.

(2) Initial Rates, 1876-79

The following rates were included in the announcements in the Post Office Circular, in most cases upon various countries joining the GPU/UPU. They were superseded by the general rates as of 1st April 1879.

(3) Australasian Rates, 1889-91

Although the Australian colonies and New Zealand did not join the UPU until 1st October 1891, postcards were introduced a couple of years before. The postage varied depending on whether they were sent by the long sea route or via Brindisi (the latter initially cost more).