Postal History Corner

George VI "Mufti" Period
1937 - 1942
International Mail
Part 1: Surface Rates and Fees

The international surface rates which were in effect during the 1937 - 1942 period were unchanged from those which applied in 1931.

1. Letter

a) Preferred Rate

A reduced international letter rate was available for mail to the following destinations:

Great Britain and places within the Empire, Republic of Ireland, France, Spain , United States and all other countries in North and South America.

The rate was 3 cents for the first ounce and 2 cents for each additional ounce.

Montreal to London, April 1, 1937

3 cent letter rate to Great Britain

First day of issue

Toronto to Newton-Stewart, Scotland, August 18, 1941

3 cents letter rate to Scotland

Montreal to Howth, Ireland, November 11, 1941

3 cents letter rate to the Republic of Ireland

Winnipeg to Colombo, Ceylon, January 16, 1938

3 cents Empire letter rate

Montreal to St. Pierre, St. Pierre and Miquelon, June 20, 1942

3 cents rate to St. Pierre

St. John to Mended, Brazil, July 30, 1938

5 cents letter rate for two ounces to South America

Toronto to Mexico, June 15, 1940

3 cents letter rate to Mexico

Montreal to Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 24, 1941
3 cents preferred letter rate to South America
Sao Paulo Transorma ident CC

Edmonton to Caracas, Venezuela, September 10, 1937
5 cents paying the 2 ounce rate to South America

Sherbrooke to Postal Sector 390, French Army, May 9, 1940

3 cents letter rate to France

Montreal to Nice, Vichy France, March 29, 1941

3 cents letter rate to France

Toronto to Sydney, Australia, February 7, 1942

3 cents Empire rate

Halifax to Auckland, New Zealand, August 20, 1941
3 cents surface rate to British Dominion

Toronto to Calcutta, India, November 10, 1941

3 cents Empire rate

Toronto to St. Georges, Bermuda, December 11, 1940

3 cents Empire rate

Hamilton to Port Louis, Mauritius, July 30, 1940

3 cents Empire rate

Calgary to Hong Kong, April 24, 1942

3 cents Empire rate

Niagara-on-the-Lake to Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 11, 1941

3 cents letter rate to South America

Blacks Harbour to Grafham, England, August 7, 1940
3 cents letter rate to Great Britain



White Rock, B.C., to Port of Spain, Trinidad, October 8, 1941

3 cents Empire rate

b) UPU destinations

The letter rate to all other countries was 5 cents for the first ounce and 3 cents for each additional ounce.

Montreal to Zurich, Switzerland, AUgust 12, 1938

5 cents UPU letter rate

Hale, Ont., to Helsinki, Finland, January 28, 1938

5 cents UPU letter rate

Vancouver to Coburg, Germany, June 29, 1937

5 cents UPU letter rate

Montreal to Hannover, Germany, DEcember 27, 1937

5 cents UPU letter rate

Banff to Utrecht, Netherland, June 23, 1938

5 cents UPU letter rate for letter card

Vancouver to Shentung, China, October, 1938

5 cents UPU letter rate

Toronto to Sofia, Bulgaria, March 8, 1940

5 cents UPU letter rate

Montreal to Langnau, Switzerland, April 3, 1940
5 cents UPU letter rate

Toronto to Gemla, Sweden, November 14, 1938
5 cents UPU letter rate
Shortpaid 2 cents
Swedish Tax : 25 ore

Pit Meadows, B.C., to Yokohama, Japan, March 6, 1941

5 cents UPU letter rate

Montreal to Copenhagen, Denmark, November 16, 1939
5 cents UPU letter rate

Vancouver to Shanghai, China, September 6, 1941

5 cents UPU letter rate

2. Post Card

a) Preferred Rate

A reduced international post card rate was available to the following destinations:

Great Britain and places within the Empire, Republic of Ireland, France, Spain , United States and all other countries in North and South America.

Moose Jaw & Calgary RPO to FIND NAME, Republic of Ireland, May 10, 1938

2 cents post card rate to the Republic of Ireland

Toronto to Auckland, New Zealand, April 23, 1940

2 cents Empire post card rate

b) UPU destinations

The post card rate to all other destinations was 3 cents.

Edmonton to Budapest, Hungary, May 13, 1937

3 cents UPU post card rate

Winnipeg to Prague, Czechoslovakia, February 21, 1938

3 cents UPU post card rate

Montreal to Bois d'Haine, Belgium, June 17, 1938

3 cents UPU post card rate

Winnipeg to Vlaardingen, Netherlands, April 12, 1938

3 cents UPU post card rate

Innisfree, Alta., to Amersfoort, Netherlands, November 30, 1939
3 cents UPU post card rate

3. Printed Matter

The printed matter rate to all destinations was 1 cent for each two ounces.

Ottawa to Devon England, February 27, 1941

1 cent printed matter rate

Toronto to Makeni, Sierra Leone, June 11, 1941

1 cent printed matter rate

St. George to Capetown, South Africa, June 24, 1942

1 cent printed matter rate

Georgetown to Batavia, Netherlands East Indies, January 1, 1941

1 cent printed matter rate

Ottawa to Melbourne, Australia, September 22, 1939

1 cent printed matter rate

Montreal to Copenhagen, Denmark, December 4, 1939
1 cent printed matter rate

4. Registration

The registration fee was 10 cents.

Regina to Liskeard, England, December 3, 1937
3 cents letter rate to Great Britain + 10 cents registration fee



Toronto to London, February 15, 1939
13 cents letter rate for 6 ounces + 10 cents registration fee

Ottawa to Dunedin, New Zealand, April 8, 1938

3 cents Empire letter rate + 10 cents registration fee

Toronto to Bloemfontein, South Africa, March 10, 1942

3 cents Empire letter rate + 10 cents registration fee

Montreal to Rio Grande do Sol, Brazil, January 9, 1941

3 cents letter rate to South America + 10 cents registration fee

Toronto to Sebuitz, Germany, April 19, 1938

5 cents UPU letter rate + 10 cents registration fee

Montreal to St. Gall, Switzerland, June 29, 1939

5 cent UPU letter rate + 10 cents registration fee

Montreal to Stockholm, Sweden, February 10, 1940

5 cents UPU letter rate + 10 cents registration fee