Gallery

 

has been charged, ignoring the incorrect payment.

Bank Handlowy w Warszawie Card, Fig. 5
Some explanation is nccdcd as to what these cards actually are. The I)anzig office of the hank Ilandlowy w Warsiawic dealt with somc payments in U.S. dollars sent by Americans to their relatives In lkland. while some were also handled by the head office in Warsaw. These payments were sent through the American Express Co.. at 65 Hroadway. New York city. The L)anzig office sent the moneyto the designated person in Poland via registered teller accompanied by these postcards, which were then nt hack to the hank a.s proof of delivery. I am not sure whether the sum sent was actually in U.S. dollars or in the equivalent amount in Polish marks. Contemporary cards [or payments to Russia always have the payment sent from MOScOW in Roubles.

The cards should be paid the internal posLcard rate in Polish marksfrom their origin in Poland to Danzig. Poland was in the throes of an inflation until 1st May. 1924. so rates were changing. I do have 14 of these cards from Poland to the t)anzig office sent at correct rates.

The problems occur if they are unstamped or Incorrectly franked. I have a card of 25th Nov.1923, unstamped and charged 20pi. due in l)an7.ig. which is twice the rate for a card from Daniig to Poland. But I also have a card from 23rd January 1924. unstamped and charged 2Spf.. which defeats mc.

This card in Figure 5 is very interesting indeed. It has been posted on 18th January 1924. at l’rza.snysz and is stamped with 2 x 10.0(N) marks on 25m. and at the top-right, there is a note that a furtlier40.00() marks has been paid in cash (reads approx. 7.aliciono 40,0(X) gotowka). So 60,0(X) marks has been paid In all. This is still an underpayment, as. from Xth January 1924, the rate was 80,0(X) marks, then on 17th January, the rate rose to 120,0(X) marks. Double the deficiency is thus 120,(X)() marks, and it might be expected that the due charge might be IOpf.. the rate from [)anzig. However. ISpI. has been charged. I suppose ills possible that the note of the partial cash payment has not been noticed. It is a rather scarce item, as. in my experience, cash.paid items from the Polish Inflation are found only very occasionally.

Parcel Card, Fig. 1,Page 19
I must now deal with the splendid and quite scarce parcel card described on page 39. It was very interesting to look up Report No. 29 and find the ecel1cnt article by R.K.Mickcy. It is just a pity that this article has not been carefully read and understood.

The Polish Post Office in the l)aniig Harbor - Nowy Port - was opened on 30th March. 1920, when the first shipment of gift packages arrived froni the U.S.A.. via the Polish ship Krakus. The 20th of April is the date of signing the general agreement. in which the estahlishment of the Polish post in I’)aniig was only a few paragraphs. i’hi date is regarded as the official date of opening, although It was opened earlier without ceremony. ISee Note I at end.I us sole function, for some time was to

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 103 - April - May - June - 1999, Page 24.