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From the ARGE
Our first in the series of interesting articles from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Danzig, we see a study of a well-traveled cover, described by Karl Kniep as: Wie man ohne Porto die Post mehrerer Linder beschäftigen kann. Don’t you agree?

The Story:                                         Origination of Cancel:
1. Johann Burtschik gave over to the Post Office a 12.6 x 9.6 cm envelope addressed to Mr. William Koplin—Pondichery, General Delivery, San Francisco
Neufahrwasser 1.9.1890
2. He affixed no postage, resulting in the stamping of the Nachtaxierungsstempel •‘T” in an octagon.
T-Stamp from Danzig 5
3. Upon its arrival in New York, a 10—cent postage due stamp was placed on the cover.
New York 12.9.1890
4. The letter wandered to San Francisco, yet it was received, somehow, in Cairo.
San Francisco 17.9.1890
5. Next it went to back to New York, where the postage due was cancelled, and then over the Atlantic to Africa.
New York 29.9.1890
6. The attractive cover must have been mixed up in its direction, as it made connection with a ship to Cairo.
Tunis 14.10.1890
7. Since there was no direct route from Tunis to Cairo, it was necessary to make some detours.
Malta 21.10.1890
8. Slowly the letter wended its way to its Egyptian destination, although it wasn’t Cairo.
Port Said 30.10.1890
9. It arrived at the main destination, but on the same day and also here another postage due was stamped.
Cairo 30.10.1890
10. Naturally, Mr. Koplim-Pondichery has already a big wait, as the Rahmenstempel (frame cancel) shows.
Non reclame
(without date)
11. Therefore must also the Egyptian postal autherities ascribe another postage due, one using a red rectangular stamp with slanted corners. Bureau des Reputs
Egypte 5.1.1891
12. The cover’s travels took five months and nine days before returning again to Danzig, as the sinqle circle stamp attests.
Danzig 1 m 9.2 • 1891

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 66 - January - February - March - 1990, Page 27.