George VI Wilding Period
1949 - 1953
International Mail : Surface Rates

This post deals with international surface mail, excluding mail to the United States, during the George VI Wilding period, 1949 - 1953 :

1. Letter
a) Preferred Rate
b) UPU rate
2. Post Cards
3. Printed Matter
a) To April 1, 1952
b) From April 2, 1952


1. Letters

a) Preferred Letter Rate

A preferential surface letter rate applied to mail for Great Britain and all other places in the Commonwealth, France, Spain and North and South America. The letter rate was 4 cents for the first ounce and 2 cents for each additional ounce.


House of Assembly, Toronto to Edinburgh, December 7, 1949
4 cents letter rate to Great Britain



Toronto to East London, South Africa, October 29, 1951
4 cents letter rate to Commonwealth destination



Toronto to London, January 20, 1951
4 cents letter rate to Great Britain
Missent to London, Ontario
"TRY ENGLAND" instructional marking handstamp



Cordam Landing to Sliema, Malta, October 28, 1952
4 cents letter rate to Commonwealth destination



Perth to San Sebastian, Spain, July 15, 1952
4 cents letter rate to Spain



Brantford to Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 11, 1950
4 cents letter rate to South America



House of Commons, Ottawa to Nassau, Bahamas, October 27, 1951
4 cents letter rate to Commonwealth destination
Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent correspondence



Montreal to Bourg, France, December 3, 1951
4 cents letter rate to France
Shortpaid 1 cent and French charge 9 francs




b) U.P.U. letter rate

The U.P.U. letter rate was 5 cents for the first ounce and 3 cents for each additional ounce.


Toronto to Bois d'Haine, Belgium, September 21, 1950
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate



National Revenue Canada, St. Johns to Wolgan bei Hamburg, Germany, December 17, 1951
"G" overprint official stamps paying the 5 cents U.P.U. letter rate



Toronto to Hanover, Germany, February 24, 1953
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian Tax : 6 centimes ( 1 cent = 3 gold centimes)
German charge : 9 pfennig


Canadian Tax
6 centimes


German charge
9 Pfennig



Toronto to Hanover, Germany, December 2, 1952
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate



Ayton to Berlin (U.S. Zone), June 21, 1951
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate



Toronto to Tel Aviv, Israel, October 17, 1951
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate



Mount Brydges to Vienna, Austria, December 7, 1950
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate
Austria censor handstamp



Rodney to Copenhagen, Denmark, February 14, 1951
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate



House of Commons, Ottawa to Athens, Greece, October 14, 1951
Official "O.H.M.S." overprint stamp paying the 5 cents U.P.U. letter rate
Correspondence from Member of Parliament Robert Knight



Toronto to Haadyai, Siam (Thailand), November 6, 1950
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate

Aklavik, NWT, to Copenhagen, April 2, 1951
5 cent UPU letter rate

Prior to living in Aklavik, Dr. Laurent-Christensen had spent over 20 years in Greenland.



Quebec to Copenhagen, Denmark, December 10, 1950
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian Tax : 6 centimes ( 1 cent = 3 gold centimes)
Danish charge : 15 ore


Canada Tax Marking
6 gold centimes



Copenhagen postage due meter
"PORTO/ 0.15 ORE / DANMARK"
December 18, 1950





Moose Jaw to Leipzig, (East) Germany, April 2, 1951
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian Tax : 6 centimes ( 1 cent = 3 gold centimes)
German charge : 20 pfennig



Canadian Tax
6 gold centimes


German Tax
20 Pfennig


Thetford Mines to Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 7, 1950
5 cents U.P.U. letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian Tax : 6 centimes ( 1 cent = 3 gold centimes)
Dutch charge : 8 cents


2. Post Cards

The post card rate to all destinations was 3 cents.


Sarnia to Haarlem, August 30, 1951
3 cents post card rate


Haarlem Transorma ident CZ



Vancouver to Inverness, Scotland, June 2, 1952
3 cents post card rate



Welland to Kinghorn, Scotland, March 5, 1952
3 cents post card rate



Montreal to Aruba, September 3, 1951
3 cents post card rate


3. Printed Matter

a) To April 1, 1952

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



Ottawa to Helsinki, undated machine cancellation (Helsinki receiver February 28, 1951)
1 cent printed matter rate


Helsinki receiver
February 28, 1951

Uprated wrapper to Tournai, Belgium
Received may 9, 1951

b) From April 2, 1952

The printed matter rate to all destinations was 2 cents for the first ounce and 1 cent for each additional ounce.


Toronto to Stockholm, December 6, 1951
2 cents printed matter rate



Toronto to Lahti, Finland, December 3, 1952
Christmas card mailed at the 2 cents printed matter rate



Enclosed Christmas card

George VI Wilding Era
1949 - 1953
Rates to the United States





The following rates and fees between Canada and the United States are considered in this post:

1. Letters
2. Post Cards
3. Air Mails
4. Printed Matter
5. Parcel Post
6. Services
a) Registration
b) Special Delivery


1. Letters

The surface letter rate to the United States was 4 cents for the first ounce and 2 cents for each additional ounce.


Guelph to Whitford, Pa., May 2, 1951
4 cents letter rate to the United States



House of Commons, Ottawa to Montpelier Vermont, April 27, 1951
4 cents letter rate to the United States



Correspondence from Member of Parliament Hilliard Beyerstein
House of Commons, Ottawa to Portland, Ore., February 1, 1953
4 cents "G" overprint official stamp paying the letter rate to the United States


2. Post Cards

The post card rate to the United States was 3 cents.


Montreal to Jersey City, N.J., October 15, 1952
3 cents post card rate



Wasaga Beach to Niagara Falls, N.Y., Augsut 21, 1951
3 cents post card rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and charged 2 cents due (double the deficiency)


3. Air Mail

The air mail rate to the United States was 7 cents for the first ounce and 5 cents for each additional ounce.


Vernon to New York, October 14, 1952
7 cents air mail letter rate



Medicine Hat to Cleveland, March 21, 1951
7 cents air mail rate



Montreal to East Aurora, N.Y., July 13, 1950
7 cents "Peace"issue booklet stamp paying the air mail rate



National Revenue, Canada, Gander to Fort Worth, Tex., September 27, 1951
7 cents "Peace" issue OHMS overprint paying the air mail rate



Department of Agriculture, Lennoxville to Downingtown, Pa., March 27, 1951
7 cents air mail rate paid with Official stamps
"G" overprinted 1 cent stamps
"OHMS" overprinted 5 cent stamp


Shortpaid


Vancouver to Indiana, Pa., October 6, 1953
7 cents air mail rate
Shortpaid 3 cents and charged 6 cents due (double the deficiency)



Toronto to Boca Raton. Fla., April 1, 1951
12 cents paying the 2 ounce letter rate : 7 cents for the 1st ounce + 5 cents for the 2nd ounce


4. Printed Matter

a) To April 1, 1951

The printed matter rate was 1 cent for each 2 ounces.

[Not shown]


b) From April 2, 1951

The printed matter rate was 2 cents for the first 2 ounces and 1 cent for each additional 2 ounces.


Montreal to New York, April 26, 1952
2 cents printed matter rate



Le Devoir, Montreal to Brattleboro
2 cents printed matter rate
Montreal "0700" numeral precancel


5. Parcel Post



The Canada Official Postal Guide advised that a special fee of 5 cents was collected in the United States on delivery of all parcels from Canada, and a fee of 10 cents was collected from addressees of all parcels for Customs clearance and accounting. It was compulsory to attach a Customs Declaration to every parcel to the United States weighing over 8 ounces.


Over 7 lb. up to 8 lb. rate


Windor to Windham,Ohio, December 6, 1950


$1.12 paying the over 7 lb. up to 8 lb rate


U.S. 5 cents special fee on parcels + 10 cents Customs clearance and accounting fee



Customs Declaration 91B
The parcel contained biscuits, syrup, and cakes


Over 10 lb. up to 15 lb. rate


Aklavik, N.W.T., to New York, July 22, 1950


$1.75 paying the over 10 lb up to 15 lb. parcel rate to the United States
U.S. "COLLECT 15 CENTS" handstamp on the tag




6. Services

a) Registration

i) To April 1, 1951

The registration fee was 10 cents.



Vancouver to San Francisco, September1, 1950
4 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee
Canadian "PASSED FOR EXPORT" handstamp



Penetanguishene to Brooklyn, January 2, 1951
6 cents two ounce letter rate + 10 cents registration fee



A handstamp indicated that a U.S. customs fee was charged:


LETTER PACKAGE
COLLECT TEN CENTS


ii) From April 2, 1951

The registration fee was increased to 20 cents.


Saskatoon to Lansdowne, Pa., February 22, 1952
4 cents surface letter rate + 20 cents registration fee



National Reenue, Toronto to Passaic, N.J., August 11, 1952
4 cents surface letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
Official stamps paying postage and registration
"G' overprint 4 cents stamp
"OHMS" overprint 10 cents "Peace" issue stamps



Ste-Agathe-des-Monts to New York, August 8, 1951
7 cents air mail rate + 20 cents registration fee

b) Special Delivery

The Special Delivery fee was 10 cents.


Mount Brydges to Silver Creek, N.Y., March 20, 1951
Original design coil stamps paying the 4 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee



Nelson to Milwaukee, August 19, 1951
14 cents "Peace" issue paying the 4 cents letter rate + 10 cents registration fee



Edmonton to Cudahy, Wis., January 30, 1951
7 cents air mail rate + 10 cents special delivery fee



Registered, Special Delivery, Air Mail, Montreal to Jersey City, November 2, 1950
27 cents paying 7 cents air mail rate + 10 cents registration fee + 10 cents special delivery fee