1928 - 1930
Foreign Rates and Fees
Rates and fees to the United States, Great Britain and the Empire, and UPU destinations are shown in this post.
1. United States
a) Letter
The letter rate to the United States was 2 cents for each ounce.
Toronto to New York, October 29, 1928
2 cents letter rate to the United States
Fort William to Athol, Mass., May 16, 1930
North Bay and Fort William RPO
2 cents letter rate to the United States
b) Post Card
The post card rate to the United States was 2 cents.
Winnipeg to Atlantic City, June 30, 1930
Manitoba Diamond Jubilee Slogan
c) Printed Matter
The printed matter rate was 1 cent for each two ounces.
Montreal to West Haven, Conn.
Montreal 1 cent precancel paying the printed matter rate
d) Airmail (February 1, 1927 - July 6, 1932)
The airmail rate was 5 cents for the first ounce and 10 cents for each additional ounce.
Vancouver to Oakland, March 27, 1929
5 cents airmail rate to the United States
e) Registration Fee
The registration fee was 10 cents.
Windsor to Akron, Ohio, June 9, 1930
2 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
Hunt's Point to Boston, October 11, 1929
2 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
Guelph to Rochester, N.Y., January 28, 1929
Registered Letter stationery
2 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
Vancouver to New Haven, November 4, 1930
Registered printed matter
8 cents printed matter rate + 10 cents registration fee
[Last day 8 cent Scroll in period. The Arch issue was released on November 5, 1930]
f) Special Delivery
The special delivery fee was 20 cents.
Hamilton to Buffalo, August 27, 1929
2 cents letter rate + 20 cents special delivery fee
2. Great Britain and Empire
a) Letter
i) To December 24, 1928
The letter rate to Great Britain and the British Empire was 2 cents for the first ounce + 1 cent War Tax.
Toronto to Cambridge, December 4, 1928
2 cents letter rate + 1 cent War Tax
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed double the deficiency
Canadian tax : 10 centimes ( 1 cent = 5 centimes)
British charge : 1 d.
ii) From December 25, 1928
The War Tax was removed on letters for Great Britain and the Empire.
Welland to London, March 14, 1929
2 cents letter rate
Post Office in Quebec to St. John's Newfoundland, January 28, 1929
2 cents Empire letter rate
St. John's receiver
b) Post Card
The imperial post card rate was 2 cents.
Walkerville to Perranwell, England, March 20, 1929
2 cent post card rate
c) Printed Matter
The printed matter rate was 1 cent for each two ounces.
Montreal to London, 1930
1 cent printed matter rate
d) Registration
The registration fee was 10 cents.
Vancouver to Brantford, England, December 11, 19 29
2 cents letter rate + 1 cent War Tax + 10 cents registration fee
France : From June 1929
Starting in June, 1929, the letter rate to France was the same as the domestic letter rate.
Canada Official Postal Guide Monthly Supplement June, 1929
Postmasters will please note that, effective immediately, the rate of postage on letters from Canada to France is 2 cents for each ounce or fraction thereof-single postcards two cents each. Other postage rates to France remain unchanged.
Winnipeg to Chennevieres, France, September 3, 1929
2 cents preferential letter rate to France
3. UPU Countries
a) Letter
The UPU letter rate was 8 cents for the first ounce and 4 cents for each additional ounce.
Montreal to St. Gall, Switzerland, March 13, 1930
8 cents UPU letter rate
Quebec to Orebro, Sweden, May 12, 1930
8 cents UPU letter rate
Toronto to Annaberg, Germany, August 22, 1929
8 cents UPU letter rate
Victoria to Lausanne, Switzerland, June 12, 1929
8 cents UPU letter rate
Taxation of Underpaid Letters: 1925 - 1930
During this period, the UPU had set the letter rate at 25 centimes but permitted members to increase the rate to 40 centimes or reduce it to 20 centimes. The Canadian post office elected to charge the maximum 8 cents, the Canadian equivalent of 40 centimes.
The tax by the Canadian post office however was calculated on the basis of the standard 25 centimes letter rate which resulted in a reduced tax. The reduction was obtained by multiplying the amount due by a reduction factor of 5/8.
The Canadian UPU letter rate was 8 cents (40 centimes).
Letter to Germany
The short paid letter from Toronto to Nurnberg, Germany mailed on November 27, 1929 illustrates how the reduced tax was calculated.
Letter Rate..........................8 cents
Deficiency............................6 cents
Double deficiency..............12 cents
Conversion to centimes....60 centimes (12 cents x 5 centimes/cent)
Tax Reduction Calculation
5/8 x 60 centimes = 37.5 centimes
37.5 centimes due rounded up to 38 centimes
Canadian T 38 handstamp
Instead of paying 60 centimes in postage due, the addressee was only charged 38 centimes, the amount that would have been charged had the Canadian letter rate been 25 centimes.
Letter to France
Saint John to Paris, April 5, 1929
Shortpaid 6 cents and taxed 37 1/2 centimes
(5/8 x 60 centimes = 37 1/2 centimes)
The tax was written in pencil
French equivalent to 37 1/2 centimes was 2.25 francs
Letter to Switzerland
The letter card below was mailed from the province of Quebec to Bale, Switzerland, in 1929, and taxed 19 centimes by the Canadian post office. The amount collected was 25 Swiss centimes. The Swiss postage due stamps were cancelled on June 29, 1929.
Tax Calculation
Letter Rate..........................8 cents
Amount prepaid..................5 cents
Deficiency............................3 cents
Double deficiency...............6 cents
Conversion to centimes...30 centimes (6 cents x 5 centimes/cent)
Reduction Calculation
5/8 x 30 centimes = 18.75 centimes (rounded up to 19 centimes)
T 19 ( centimes)
Instead of paying 30 centimes in postage due, the addressee was only charged 19 centimes, the amount that would have been charged had the Canadian letter rate been 25 centimes.
The tax by the Canadian post office however was calculated on the basis of the standard 25 centimes letter rate which resulted in a reduced tax. The reduction was obtained by multiplying the amount due by a reduction factor of 5/8.
The Canadian UPU letter rate was 8 cents (40 centimes).
Letter to Germany
The short paid letter from Toronto to Nurnberg, Germany mailed on November 27, 1929 illustrates how the reduced tax was calculated.
Letter Rate..........................8 cents
Deficiency............................6 cents
Double deficiency..............12 cents
Conversion to centimes....60 centimes (12 cents x 5 centimes/cent)
Tax Reduction Calculation
5/8 x 60 centimes = 37.5 centimes
37.5 centimes due rounded up to 38 centimes
Canadian T 38 handstamp
Instead of paying 60 centimes in postage due, the addressee was only charged 38 centimes, the amount that would have been charged had the Canadian letter rate been 25 centimes.
Letter to France
Saint John to Paris, April 5, 1929
Shortpaid 6 cents and taxed 37 1/2 centimes
(5/8 x 60 centimes = 37 1/2 centimes)
The tax was written in pencil
French equivalent to 37 1/2 centimes was 2.25 francs
Letter to Switzerland
The letter card below was mailed from the province of Quebec to Bale, Switzerland, in 1929, and taxed 19 centimes by the Canadian post office. The amount collected was 25 Swiss centimes. The Swiss postage due stamps were cancelled on June 29, 1929.
Tax Calculation
Letter Rate..........................8 cents
Amount prepaid..................5 cents
Deficiency............................3 cents
Double deficiency...............6 cents
Conversion to centimes...30 centimes (6 cents x 5 centimes/cent)
Reduction Calculation
5/8 x 30 centimes = 18.75 centimes (rounded up to 19 centimes)
T 19 ( centimes)
Instead of paying 30 centimes in postage due, the addressee was only charged 19 centimes, the amount that would have been charged had the Canadian letter rate been 25 centimes.
b) Post Card
The UPU post card rate was 4 cents.
Victoria to Ise, Japan, June 20, 1930
4 cents post card rate
R.M.S. Empress of Russia
Noranda to Copenhagen, Denmark, October 25, 1929
Ottawa and North Bay RPO
4 cents UPU post card rate
c) Printed Matter
The printed matter rate was 1 cent for each two ounces.
[Not shown]
d) Airmail to Europe ( June 1, 1930 - February 1, 1931)
Air mail service provided in North America and Europe.
Vancouver to Sala, Sweden, December 9, 1930
15 cents air mail rate to Sweden
e) Registration
The UPU registration fee was 10 cents.
Toronto to Udine, Italy, March 10, 1930
8 cents UPU letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
Sarnia to Berlin, Germany, March 17, 1930
Registered Letter stationery
8 cents UPU letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
f) Acknowledgment of Receipt
The acknowledgment of receipt fee at time of mailing was 10 cents.
Walkerville to Jugoslavia registered mail, September 3, 1929
Acknowledged and cancelled at Donje Prilace, September 18, 1929
