Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

The explanation that I have heard is a card stuffed with photographs. Too far and too expensive to fly home in those days so photos were sent.

Hello Tim & DW,

to Tim, many thanks for alerting me to your Decimal Rates posts
- along with all the great responses, these are a fantastic resource

this is my first post to let you know that I have recently added some draft Decimal Postage Rates tables to my website under the "Postal Rates" heading at left

I have only just started this project and would appreciate any feedback
- it was prompted by preparing around 300 decimal covers for an on-line auction that is currently running on my website
- to date I have only worked on overseas airmail rates in the 1966-82 period, but hope add more over time, and plan to list these here for anyone to use

regarding the Zone 4 Greeting Card & Postcard Rates posted by DW, according to my reading of the Australia Post rates booklets, the initial airmail rate from 14 Feb 1966 to Zone 4 was 10c rather than 13c per 1/2oz, increasing to 13c in 1968 when the airmail letter rate went to 25c
(there is a footnote in the booklet that postcards and greeting cards are half the rate for letters, rounded up to the nearest cent)
- please let me know if I have got this wrong

and that prompts me to ask a question:

The October 1967 rates booklet copy that I have shows the Zone 4 airmail letter rate was increased to 25c in October 1967, but all the covers I have seen after this date up to October 1968 are still at the 20c rate, making me think the rate increase took place in 1968 not 1967
- what do other people's covers show?

many thanks

_________________
Torsten Weller
http://www.torstenweller.com

Torsten,

Yes, I have both single and double rated covers from both between Oct 1967 and Sep 1968, and after Oct 1968 that seem to indicate the increase was from then, not 1967.

There appears to be a problem with the Oct 1967 postage list, which I assume is the same one we are both looking at. In it, all the zone 3 rates are listed as going up to 20c, though I'm sure they remained at 15c till Oct 1968.

Scott

Scott,

I think all the airmail rate increases shown in the 1967 list actually did not occur until 1968 (and possibly the same for other rates, although I have not checked these)

It is worth noting that the 1967 list I am working from (off Richard Peck's CD) only has the date typed on it later (ie. not printed on it by Australia Post), so its possible that whoever annotated the list made a mistake

_________________
Torsten Weller
http://www.torstenweller.com

I noticed that too, and I think you must be right.

Scott

Where can I get a copy of Richard Peck's CD?

DW,

from Richard directly or through me
- email me for details

_________________
Torsten Weller
http://www.torstenweller.com

dw,

I'm sure there's an error in the above table somewhere around 1971/2 - there was definitely a period where 18c should appear on this.


Scott

After posting I identified several errors. I will re-post, but not for a while. Vacation beckons.

Jolly good. Enjoy your break.

New Australian rate booklet, March 2010. Easiest time to acquire a digital copy is now.

Tim didge, are you around? You haven't posted for a while so maybe you're away on hols. This is for when you get back:



In your write up of Special Delivery Fee, you've got that this service was renamed Messenger Delivery on 1 October 1970.

I've just bought the cover below that I believe makes it not as clear cut as that.

A Messenger Delivery cover dated 21 July 1970. At first I thought someone might have added the MD sticker, but now I'm confident it wasn't and that the MD service must have begun before 1 October 1970.

I believe this cover is letter rated 5c + 4c + 4c + 4c = 17c plus 25c MD fee of 25c = 42c total.

(So a fourth weight step Messenger Delivery cover - very nice!)


Scott

Very interesting when this is researched a bit.

The 1 Oct 68 rate booklet has a rate for Special Delivery of $ 0.20.

The announcement about the changes to occur on 1 Oct 68 shows the Messenger Delivery rate increasing from $ 0.20 to $ 0.25, but has no mention of Special Delivery.

The 1 Oct 70 rate booklet has no mention of Special Delivery but has Messenger Delivery at a rate of $ 0.25.

So Special Delivery became Messenger Delivery, officially on 1 Oct 70. My guess is stickers were out in Post Offices sooner. And the rate no longer works out like you want it to. With a Messenger fee of $ 0.20 you need to come up with $ 0.22 in postage. I can get to $ 0.21 or $ 0.25.

dw,

Is the date above right?

Scott

I've got it!

It's a third weight step (ie 3oz to 4oz) airmail article, for which the listed rate is 22c + 20c Messenger Delivery Fee = 42c.

I still say the change from Special Delivery to Messenger Delivery must have happened before 1 October 1970 though. There's nothing in the rate book of that date to say it's a new service - in fact it says the rate is going up for Messenger Delivery from 20c to 25c, ergo it must have already been around. The change must have happened somewhere between 20 March 1970 (didge's fabulous Expo cover that has been sent Special Delivery is dated 19 March 1970) and the date of my cover - 21 July 1970.


Scott

This cover narrows it further to after 16 June 1970:

Or alternatively the post office really did nothing but change the name of the service. So it changed when the stickers ran out?

I'll keep looking for material, it may be able to be proved.


Scott

This beast was hand addressed as Express but had a Messenger label attached (probably at the P.O.)

Does it help your cause?

_________________
We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

Not really, to be honest.

I need covers of either type dated between 17 June and 20 July 1970 to narrow the date down.

To prove there was not an official date for change, and that POs were able to use either sticker for a period, I need to find a Special Delivery cover with a date later than the earliest Messenger Delivery date I can find.

Personally I have trouble believing they were used together for a time - I just don't think the PO worked that way then - but if material seen proves me wrong so be it.

Scott

Yes I cannot imagine anything that weight in postcard size!

I end up with some interesting new-to-the-market finds now and again.

This came in an estate today, of some chap who'd thrown nothing away from business mail, and kept this off a parcel, in a cigar box along with other lesser lights on piece.

Lucky, as most things like this a half century ago were soaked off for used stamps.

I am curious if anyone might suggest the weight this paid from Sydney GPO in 1958?

I make the franking as £2/14/6½d ... does that look right to others? We can see it was airmail and from the crayon, it was Registered.

I am guessing it was domestic not overseas, but that can only be a guess.

Does anyone have a table of PRE-DECIMAL postage rates?

Perry has 2 similar tags on offer now, and both are already bid to $A360 apiece - plus the ubiquitous 10% extra for everyone these days it seems.

His rates may assist with the higher value piece?




In this instance the franking of 24/1d represents 3d 1st oz. Letter rate + each additional 1oz.(at) 2½d x112 + 6d registration fee = 24½d.



1949 £1 Arms + 5/- etc 1951 (18 Sep) gold parcel label. In this instance the franking of 26/0½d represents 3½d 1st oz. Letter rate (increased from 3d on 9.7.1951) + each additional 1oz. (at) 2½d x120 + 9d registration fee = 26/0½d.

I left this piece sitting on the computer table. Perhaps I'd better put it away when I get home when you consider the price of Rod's lots.

_________________
We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

Rod's are auction lots and those are CURRENT bids.

I know that in the 1980's you had those novelty giant cards that were larger than A3 size. I never posted one but did give one to a girlfriend.

Technically they were greeting cards and weighed a bit. That would be the only item I can think of.

_________________
We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

A greeting card stuffed full of photographs also comes to mind.

Do we have a thread here or an on-line resource with PRE Decimal Aust rates, does anyone know?

_________________
.
Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

I have just viewed this post and I think there could be some errors. Regarding the first schedule showing the rates from 1966 to 1983, these rates were detailed by Collyer and Peck in their 1985 publication "T for Tax".

The original listings are included in the latest T for Tax CD.

I have prepared a similar schedule using the values detailed in T for Tax.



Not sure of the details past 1983, will be looking at these.

The Underpaid fee schedule was also addressed by Collyer and Peck who listed these up to October 1983. The values in the schedule posted seem correct, it's just the comencing date is incorrect.

I have prepared a schedule to current date with Bernard Doherty supplying the fees from 83 to current.

_________________
Davo from Oz

Good work Davo.

Suggestion - you have all that data on ONE photobucket scan and the font is miniscule for the main table.

If you do 2 or even 3 scans of that same table, it will be FAR more readable!

And the wizard waved his magic wand:-

[url][/url]

[url][/url]

[url][/url]

[url][/url]

OK?

_________________
Davo from Oz

Hi All,

Messanger Delivery service started Monday 20th July 1970
and the Special Delivery finished Mid 1970.
I would take a guess that the Special Delivery service finished Saturday 18th July 1970.


Hope this helps?

Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

It does indeed!

Though may I ask where this info comes from?

If correct, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, this cover of mine is a second day useage:




Scott

Though may I ask where this info comes from?

Not a problem Scott,
I've taken a photo of the front of the book incase you would like to find a copy.


Next are the 2 sections with the information.




I often use this book with regards to information as above.
I purchased this at an exhibition quite some time ago from the Cinderella Society.

Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Wonderful, thanks Tracy.

Brads64. Would you be able to scan the pages concerning the POST OFFICE SPECIAL DELIVERY (noted at the bottom of the detail about SPECIAL DELIVERY).

The attached PO Special Delivery (dated 5th Oct 1965 with LSD stamps) service had obviously commenced earlier than the SP. Also, would you know when SPECIAL DELIVERY commenced?

Also, could you please scan the page concerning Priority Paid?

Thanks

_________________
Davo from Oz

Hi Davo,

No worries! I'll get it done today for you.

Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Folks,

Interesting discussion. I would love to get a copy of the book that this information came from.

Tim

Okay, The book info I have found for anyone trying to find a copy.
Published By Cinderella Stamp Club Australasia
P.O. Box 889, Chatswood 2057 NSW

My Copy is from 1999
ISBN 0 9577573 01

Next requested info for Davo

This is my earliest cover for Special Delivery 18th Dec 62
I believe this service started in 1961.








Sorry all I only have a camera not a scanner so hope this is clear enough.


Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Sorry had to do this in several parts, it wouldn't let me do it all together.
Priority paid.






Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Hopefully last part.





it worked

Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Hope this is all okay,
I'll be away for 3 days although happy to help with anything else when I return.

The info on this WIKI has been of great help to me, so thanks all for the information.

Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Tracey, many thanks for the info, have a good break.

_________________
Davo from Oz

Folks,

This thread has been a bit quiet for awhile. I thought I would give it a nudge.

Tim

I have only just come across this thread.

What a great source of information.

Taz,

Its basically my decimal rates collection with a lot of work from Pertinax on the tables. I did not realise that you would not have known about it or I would have given it a nudge earlier. I probably should do some more work finishing it off.

Tim

Tracey, Would you please check the Fraser/Occleshaw's work on Postal Labels and see if either of these two labels (Express Courier) & (Receipted Delivery) are listed. If so could you please publish the pages.





Many thanks

_________________
Davo from Oz

Hi Davo,

No worries , I'll take a look tonight & Post up results tomorrow.

Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Hi All,

Here we go Davo.

Express Delivery, all page are in sequence.













Next is Receipted Delivery.









Cheers Tracy

_________________
Shall always be a Covernut.
Postal History site www.Brads64.com

Tracey, Many thanks for the info, it is most helpful.
Regards,

_________________
Davo from Oz