Gallery

> HISTORY OFF DANZIG'S MAIL AND POST CANCELATIONS

In 1821, the direct distance between post offices (as the crow flies) was determined which eliminated the interior postage. The schedule of l824 established a fee of 3 Pf. per pound per mile.

A postilion handbook from Klein-Katz (1841) contains 52 paragraphs of rules of behavior and regulations regarding punishments and rewards/decorations.

In 1847, the railroad brought with it new tariffs: 1 Pf. per pound per mile. The new fee brought about difficulties where mail was carried partly by train, partly by coach. This difference was abolished in 1852. 1 Pf. were levied per pound and mile. In 1848, a 10.50 and above zone was formed in money transfers. The differences in fees for paper, silver or gold transfers were abolished in 1853. As simply as the rates were structured inside Prussia, as complicated were they for consignments to the outside.

The agreement of the German postal administration (1857) removed these difficulties by accepting the Prussian principle of 1824. The accounts between the various postal administrations were settled every 2 to 3 years by joint commissions.

January 1, 1850, Danzig became Oberpostdirektion. Eighteen years later the postal service of the earlier, former North-German Federation passed on to the Federal area. The rates were established uniformly for all states of the Federation.

In the beginning the mailing of a letter was occasionally indicated by recording by hand the place of mailing on the address side. The red numbers, found on all letters, indicate the postage. The oldest German cancellations were created in 1771 by Thurn und Taxis. In 1817, Prussia instituted hand-stamped point of origin names, 9-12 mm high; under this place name was the date. This was the format of the first Danzig cancellation.

Figure 11: A lightly cancelled early cover with 2-line black 12 mm date stamp, apparently from 1817. No other identification on cover.
(Continued next issue)

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 13 – January - February - March - 1977, Page 8.