Following a period of rate stability during the preceding Wilding period, there were several international rate and fee changes during the Cameo era (October 1962 to February 1967). In addition to rate changes, the Canadian post office was required to replace the UPU gold franc system method of taxing unpaid and underpaid international mail with the Vienna fractional system* on January 1, 1966. However, the Canadian post office department incorrectly taxed certain classes of mail from January to July, 1966. Incorrect and correct examples of taxation are included in this article.
* See June 14, 2010 posting : Unpaid and Underpaid International Correspondence : Canada Post Office's Incorrect and Corrected Methods of Taxation 1966
The rates and fees are organized as follows:
1. Surface Letter
a) To December 31, 1965
i) Preferred
The rate for letters to Great Britain and places within the Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, and North and South America was 5 cents for the first ounce.
Montreal to London, February 18, 1963
5 cents surface letter rate to Great Britain
ii) UPU
The UPU surface letter rate was 6 cents for the first ounce. The Canada post office did not issue a 6 cent denomination Cameo stamp.
Toronto to Vienna, February 24, 1965
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Regina to Berne, Switzerland, April 8, 1963
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Bedford to East London, South Africa, December 13, 1964
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
 |
| Toronto to Alexandria, Egypt, November 10, 1965 6 cents UPU surface letter rate |
 |
| Winnipeg to Detmold, Germany, November 29, 1965 6 cents UPU surface letter rate |
North Bay to Valvasone, August 5, 1963
6 cents UPU surface letter rate ( 4 cents for each additional ounce)
10 cents could have been paying the rate for a 2 ounce letter or it could have been a convenience overpayment
Postage Due
The UPU monetary unit was a gold standard. The UPU monetary unit was the gold franc of 100 centimes of a weight of 10/31 of a gramme and of a fineness of 0.900.
The gold franc was a notional currency. No country actually minted the UPU franc. Nations converted their currencies to gold francs based on the definition above.
1 cent Canadian = 3 centimes (gold)
a) Minimum taxation 10 centimes (gold) period
During the Wilding period the minimum tax charged for insufficiently prepaid mail (excluding redirections) was 10 centimes. The minimum tax was charged on the cover below posted during the early Cameo period:
Early Cameo period shortpaid international letter (late use of Wilding stamp)
6 cents surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian taxation : 10 centimes
2 cents was equivalent to 6 centimes(gold) :
2 cents = 2 cents x 3 centimes (gold)/1 cent = 6 centimes
The Canadian tax marking is T 10 centimes(gold) :
10 centimes (gold) was the minimum taxation (excluding redirection)
b) No minimum taxation [introduced late 1962-early 1963]
The Canadian post office introduced a change in its method of taxation of international mail in late 1962 or early 1963. Insufficiently prepaid letters were now taxed the actual amounts due rather than a minimum charge which may have been greater than the actual amount due. The last date of use of the 10 centimes minimum in my collection is a cover to the Philippines dated December 8, 1962. The cover below without the minimum taxation, dated February 25, 1963, is the earliest example in my collection:
Alma to Brussels, February 25, 1963
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 6 centimes (gold)
Amount shortpaid..........1 cent
Double deficiency...........2 cents
Conversion of 2 cents to centimes (gold) @ 1 cent = 3 centimes (gold)
2 cents = 2 cents x 3 centimes (gold)/1 cent = 6 centimes (gold)
6 centimes (gold), the actual amount due was charged, and not a minimum 10 centimes (gold) as had been the practice during the Wilding period and the first months of the Cameo era.
Bedford to Zurich, March 4, 1964
6 cent UPU surface letter rate, shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian taxation : Cents
The Bedford post office probably applied the first marking:
The deficiency was 1 cent and the tax was 2 cents, double the deficiency
2 cents was equivalent to 6 centimes (gold)
2 cents = 2 cents x 3 centimes/1 cent = 6 centimes
The marking below was probably applied at a Canadian exchange office:
Conversion of centimes (gold) by receiving nation
Since I don't have access to a reliable conversion tables after 1950, my analysis of receiving office charges involves guess work. As well, methods used by receiving offices to calculate the postage due were not uniform. Some nations ignored the centimes charge and applied a fractional method (Vienna system) before it was adopted universally.
However, we can be certain that the Swiss post office charged 15 centimes (Swiss):
0.15 [centimes Swiss] in pencil
The amount was paid with a definitive stamp (Switzerland did not issue postage due labels) and cancelled with a "T" marking:
How did the Swiss convert 6 centimes (gold) to 15 centimes (Swiss)?
The UPU regulations (Ottawa) provide that the international surface letter rate was 25 centimes (gold).
Since the Swiss UPU letter rate was 50 centimes (Swiss), this suggests the following conversion factor:
50 centimes (Swiss) = 25 centimes (gold)
In our example then,
6 centimes (gold) = 6 centimes (gold) x 50 centimes (Swiss)/25 centimes (gold) = 12 centimes (Swiss)
The Swiss post office then rounded up the 12 centimes(Swiss) to 15 centimes (Swiss).
This is my best guess.
Toronto to Tel Aviv, August 19 1963
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Canadian taxation : 6 centimes (gold)
Israeli charge : 6 agorets
Hamilton to Amersfoort, Netherlands, November 28, 1965
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Canadian taxation : 6 centimes (gold)
Netherlands charge : 14 cents (Dutch)
Vancouver to Amsterdam, September 14, 1964
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Canadian taxation : 6 centimes (gold)
Netherlands charge : 14 cents (Dutch)
Nelson to Brussels, September 3, 1964
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Canadian taxation : 6 centimes (gold)
Belgian charge : 2 francs (Belgian)
The Belgian post office may have ignored the centimes charge and used a proportionality method:
Belgian tax marking
Brussels, November 21, 1964
a) From January 1, 1966
i) Preferred
The rate for letters to Great Britain and places within the Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, and North and South America remained at 5 cents for the first ounce.
 |
Revelstoke to Linstead, Jamaica, March 24, 1966
5 cents Commonwealth surface letter rate
|
 |
| Ottawa to Houilles, France, December 6, 1966 5 cents preferred surface letter rate to France |
Cite-de-Jacques-Cartier to Cassel, France, December 16 1966
5 cents surface letter rate to France
Shortpaid 1 cent
Vienna system tax fraction 2/10
French due collected 30 centimes (the minimum)
Due Calculation:
ii) UPU
The UPU letter rate was increased from 6 cents to 10 cents for the first ounce.
Victoria to Helsinki, November 22, 1966
10 cents UPU surface letter rate
Winnipeg to Okinawa, Japan, July 8, 1966
10 cents UPU surface letter rate
Rexdale to Vallingby, Sweden, November 14, 1966
Shortpaid 5 cents
Canadian tax fraction : 10/10
Swedish tax 60 ore
Port Credit to Thalwil, Switzerland, December 6, 1966
10 cents UPU surface rate
Canadian tax fraction : 10/10
Swiss charge 5o centimes
Denwood to Beaufort West, South Africa, May 12, 1966
10 cents UPU surface rate
Canadian tax fraction : 10/10
South African charge 4 cents
Beaufort West receiver, May 23, 1966
Toronto to Geneva, June 16, 1966
10 cents UPU surface rate
Shortpaid 4 cents
Canadian tax fraction : 8/10
No Swiss markings
2. Surface Post Card
a) To December 31, 1965
The surface post card rate to all destinations was 4 cents.
London to San Jose, Costa Rica, August 29, 1964
4 cents surface post card rate
Quebec to Bordeaux, December 6, 1965
4 cents surface post card rate
Montreal to Brussels, July 15, 1965
Re-directed to Bousval, August 3, 1965
b) From January 1, 1966
i) Preferred
A 4 cent surface post card rate was in effect for Great Britain and places within the Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, countries of North, Central and South America, and West Indies.
Toronto to Dundee, Scotland, August 8, 1966
Preferred 4 cents surface post card rate
ii) UPU
On January 1, 1966, the UPU post card rate was increased from 4 cents to 6 cents, and the Vienna fractional system for taxing international mail came into effect. For the first six months of 1966, the Canadian post office incorrectly interpreted the Vienna fractional system. The Vienna system was described in an earlier article.
Incorrect Taxation Period : January 1966 - early July 1966
Scarborough to Driehuid, Netherlands, March 14, 1966
6 cents post card rate, shortpaid 2 cents
Incorrect fraction: 2/6
Consequences of the Canadian Error for the Addressee
There are no Dutch charging marks on the post card. If the Netherlands post office had taxed it according to the Vienna system, the Canadian error would have caused the addressee to pay a charge 55% higher than the correct tax (27 cents instead of the 16 cents, not considering rounding and minimum charge) :
Niagara Falls to Budapest, May 6, 1966
6 cents post card rate, shortpaid 1 cent
Incorrect fraction : 2/6
Correct Taxation Period : From July 1966
Toronto to Judenburg, Austria, September 14, 1966
6 cents UPU post card rate, 2 cents shortpaid
Canadian tax fraction : 4/10 (covered by 50g Austrian postage due stamp)
Austrian tax : 120g
Montreal to Prague, Czechoslovakia, July 31, 1966
6 cents UPU post card rate, 2 cents shortpaid
Canadian tax fraction : 4/10
Czechoslovakian tax : 0.60 Kr.
3. Air Mail Letter
(Post Cards were treated as letters)
a) Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America and the West Indies
The rate was 10 cents for each half ounce.
Rockglen to Quezeltenago, Guatemala, September 1966
10 cents one-half ounce air mail rate to Central America
Machine receiver September 29, 1966
Quezeltenago receiver September 30, 1966
Beachville to Rio Cuarto, Argentina, May 17, 1965
10 cents one-half ounce rate to South America
Victoria to Culican, Mexico, July 15, 1963
20 cents paying the double air mail rate (1 ounce) to Mexico
Montreal to Nassau, November 8 1965
10 cents one-half ounce rate to the West Indies.
30 cents paying the triple rate ( 1 1/2 ounce)
a) Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Europe
The rate was 15 cents for each half ounce.
Tete Jaune Cache, B.C., to Norwich, England, February 16, 1963
15 cents paying the one-half ounce air mail rate
Jasper & Prince George R.P.O. (135) handstamp
Trois-Rivieres to South Shields, England, November 2, 1965
15 cents one-half ounce rate
Toronto to Digby, England, June 7, 1963
15 cents one-half ounce rate
Ottawa to London, December 1, 1964
15 cent one-half ounce air mail rate
Unpaid since the British stamp was invalid and sent as surface mail
Canadian taxation : 30 centimes (gold)
Vancouver to Coopthorne, England, March 14, 1966
90 cents paying 6 x one-half ounce rate ( 3 ounces)
Simcoe to Lundy Island, June 8, 1965
15 cents one-half ounce rate
Lundy Island local stamp (2 Puffins) affixed and cancelled June 12, 1965
Toronto to Wolfsburg, West Germany, October 26, 1964
15 cents one-half ounce rate to Europe
Kitchener to Stockholm, December 19, 1964
15 cents one-half ounce rate
Downsview to s'Gravenhage, November 21, 1965
The letter was sorted by a Transorma machine:
"VQ" Transorma ident
Lachute to Milan, May 18, 1964
15 cents one-half ounce rate to Europe
Montreal to Paris, May 4, 1964
15 cents one-half ounce rate to Europe
The 7 cent jet plane stamps are in period.
Montreal to Royen, France, April 27, 1964
7 cent jet plane + 10 cent definitive : a 2 cent convenience overpayment
The 7 cent jet plane stamp is in period.
St. Charles de Belchasse to Zurich, Switzerland, July 24 1964
Franking : 7 cent jet plane + 8 cent surcharged jet plane (in period)
A lovely usage of the stamps to pay the 15 cent rate
Thetford Mines to Goteborg, Sweden, October 19, 1964
8 cent jet plane + Cameos to pay the 15 cent rate
Booklet stamps
Prince George to Dietikon, Switzerland, April 3, 1964
1 cent convenience overpayment
Dartmouth to London, June 20 , 1965
c/o American Express
"hold until Aug. 30" in manuscript
The letter was unclaimed and returned to sender September 8, 1965
Brighton to Bicetre, France, December 15 1965
Returned to sender
Poland : opening of mail (censorship? rifling?)
Mail incoming to Poland had a nasty habit of opening up before its arrival in Warsaw. So much mail came in this way that the Warsaw post office prepared a handstamp stating that that the letter had somehow been opened in transit!
Toronto to Poznan, November 8 1965
Another letter that happened to be opened when it reached Poland:
Post Cards
The post card rate was 15 cents, the same as the first weight letter rate.
St-Anne de Beaupre to Salzburg, Austria, August 23, 1963
15 cents air mail post card rate
Winnipeg to Waldegg, Switzerland, November 15, 1965
Air Canada Menu/Post Card
The 1965 Menu:
Filet Mignon or Roast Chicken with barbecue sauce
The Rum Baba sounds nice
Shortpaid
Shortpaid air mail was conveyed by air if at least 75% of the air mail rate was paid.
Bath to Lodz, Poland, July 15, 1965
Shortpaid during the centimes (gold) period
Air mail rate.................15c
Amount prepaid...........12c
Shortpaid........................3c
Double Deficiency..........6c
Conversion to centimes (gold) @ 1 cent = 3 centimes(gold):
6 cents= 6 cents x 3 centimes/cent = 18 centimes (gold)
Canadian charge 18 centimes (gold)
Shortpaid: No Air Conveyance
Montreal to Bangor, Ireland, June 22, 1964
15 cent air mail post card rate
Prepaid 10 cents ( only 2/3 of rate) and thus sent by surface mail
c) Asia, Africa, Oceania
The air mail letter rate was 25 cents for each half ounce.
Toronto to Holon, October 27, 1962
25 cents one-half ounce rate
Calgary to Kobe, Japan, December 31, 1966
25 cent rate to Asia
Downsview to Gadag, India, October 1, 1964
25 cent rate to India
Goderich to Gilbert and Ellice Islands, November 13, 1963
25 cents air mail letter rate
25 cents air mail letter rate
Sorel to Elizabethville, Congo, December 21, 1964
25 cent rate to Africa
Vancouver to Utulei Vava'u, July 31, 1966
25 cent rate to Oceania
St. Stephane to Manila, May 1963
Damaged in Canada and repaired with tape at Montreal
Montreal handstamps May 15, 1963
25 cents rate to Asia
Vancouver to Numurkah, Western Australia, December 17, 1963
25 cent rate to Oceania
Redirected at Numurkah, January 8, 1964
Camp Borden to Accra, Ghana, December 7 1965
50 cents paying the 1 ounce air mail rate
Post cards
The post card rate was 25 cents, the same as the first weight letter rate.
Toronto to Alexandria, Egypt, July 20, 1965
25 cent air mail rate to Africa
Vancouver to Utulei Vava'u, July 2, 1964
25 cent rate to Oceania
Ottawa to Hong Kong, September 14, 1965
Posted at the House of Commons
25 cent rate to Asia
Richmond Hill to Aukland, New Zealand, September 16, 1965
25 cent air mail rate to Oceania
Union Ship Coy of New Zealand Limited receiver, September 27, 1965
City Hall Toronto
The sender writes:
"The City Hall was officially opened by Governor-General Vanier."
4. Air Mail Post Cards
On January 1, 1966, the air mail post card rate to all destinations was 10 cents.
Toronto to Loureco Marques, Mozambique, September 9, 1966
10 cent air mail post card rate
Delhi to Antwerp, Belgium, August 17, 1966
10 cent air mail rate
Tobacco harvesters near Delhi
Shortpaid
Lachine to Broma, Seden, May 1966
10 cent air mail rate
Shortpaid 2 cents
Tax Fraction: 4/10 (obscured by Swedish stamp)
Swedish charge : 25 ore
5. Air Letters (Aerogrammes)
The air letter rate was 10 cents.
Roxboro to Kowloon, Hong Kong, November 6, 1966
10 cent aerogramme rate
Calgary to Vavau, Tonga, November 26, 1963
10 cent aerogramme rate
6. Printed Matter
a) Surface
i) To March 31, 1964
The printed matter rate was 2 cents for the first two ounces.
Brockville to Hungary, November 16, 1963
2 cent printed matter rate
(unsealed and no Canadian taxation)
Taxed 1.34 forints in blue pencil. The letter was treated as a shortpaid UPU surface letter.
ii) From April 1, 1964
The printed matter rate was increased from 2 cents to 3 cents for the first two ounces.
Granby to Helsinki, Finland, November 23, 1965
3 cent printed matter rate
Toronto to Berlin, November 23, 1964
3 cent printed matter rate, shortpaid 1 cent
RCAF Station St. Sylvestre to London, England, July 2 1964
Change of Address Announcement sent at 3 cent printed matter rate
Undeliverable and Returned
Undeliverable printed matter was returned to the sender and charged the amount of the original postage.
Lennoxville to Westbury, England, December 7 1965
3 cent printed matter rate
Undeliverable and returned
Schrewsbury RLB cancellation, January 4, 1966
The return fee for this item was 3 cents. Postage dues affixed on back of envelope and cancelled Lennoxville, January 19, 1965
iii) From January 1, 1966
The printed matter rate was increased from 3 cents to 4 cents for the first two ounces.
Toronto to Tokyo, December 5, 1966
4 cent printed matter rate
Montreal to Dietikon, November 21, 1966
4 cent printed matter rate
Montreal to Bucharest, Romania, June 19, 1966
Change of Address Announcement sent at 4 cent printed matter rate
Incorrect Taxation Period : January 1966 - early July 1966
On January 1, 1966, the UPU printed matter rate was increased from 3 cents to 4 cents for the first two ounces, and the Vienna fractional system for taxing international mail came into effect. For the first six months of 1966, the Canadian post office incorrectly interpreted the Vienna fractional system. The Vienna system was described in an earlier article.
Kingston to Iver Heath, England, May 1, 1966
4 cent printed matter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian tax fraction (incorrect) : 2/4
British charge : 2d.
The correct fraction was 2/10
Correct Taxation Period : From July 1966
Winnipeg to Manila, December 5, 1966
4 cent printed matter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent
4 cents stamps paying the amount due on back of envelope
Toronto to Munich, Germany, January 6, 1967
4 cents printed matter
Shortpaid 1 cent
Canadian Taxation : 2/10
b) Air Mail Printed Matter (Other Articles)
i) Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America, and the West Indies
The other articles air mail rate was 10 cents for each ounce.
Rexdale to Cayton (Scarborough) England, December 8 1965
10 cent Other Article air mail rate
Montreal to Herne Bay, March 25, 1964
10 cents printed matter air mail rate
A.O. handstamp : Autres Objets (Other Articles)
ii) Europe
The other articles air mail rate was 15 cents for each ounce (not shown)
iii) All other countries
The other articles air mail rate was 20 cents for each ounce (not shown)
6. Special Services
a) Registration
i) To October 31, 1963
The registration fee was 20 cents.
Chippawa to Runaway Bay, Jamaica, March 5, 1963
Air Mail ............20 c (1 ounce rate)
Registration......20 c
Total..................40c
Toronto to Edinburgh, Scotland, April 9 1963
Air Mail ............30 c (1 ounce rate)
Registration......20 c
Total..................50c
Shortpaid Registration
Insufficiently paid registration items were forwarded and the amount shortpaid (single deficiency) was to be collected on delivery.
Edmonton to Soest, Germany, August 2 1962
Registered surface letter
Surface letter rate...........6c
Registration....................20c
Total................................26c
Registration fee shortpaid 1 cent
Taxed 5 centimes
The amount to be charged was single the deficiency. Since the double deficiency charge for a 1 cent underpayment was 10 centimes (gold), it may have seemed logical for the post office to charge 5 centimes (gold) for the single deficiency. However the actual conversion factor was 1 cent = 3 centimes (gold).
ii) From November 1, 1964
The registration fee was increased from 20 cents to 35 cents.
Vancouver Sub. No. 58 to Reykjavik, Iceland, September 8, 1966
15 cent air mail rate + 35 cents registration fee
Toronto to Suckingen, Germany, March 18, 1965
15 cent air mail rate + 35 cents registration fee
Toronto to Narva, Estonia, September 14, 1966
15 cent air mail rate + 35 cents registration fee
Monte-Bello to St. Helier, Channel Islands, December 31, 1966
15 cent air mail rate + 35 cents registration fee
Montreal to Nicosia, May 5, 1966
65 cents paying 30 cent airmail (1 ounce) + 35 cents registration fee
Toronto to Valniera, Latvia, October 24, 1966
45 cent air mail rate ( 1 1/2 ounce) + 35 cents registration fee
Victoria to Qachasnek, Lesotho, January 27, 1967
25 cents air mail rate + 35 cents registration fee
Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The colonial Qachasnek postmark was still in use when the cover was received:
Qachasnek BAS (Basutoland)
February 7, 1967
The two-ounce airmail, registered letter shown below was sent from Montreal to Bir Zeit Jordan on April 5, 1966.
$1.00 air mail rate for two-ounce letter + 35 cents registration fee
a) Acknowledgment of Receipt
The AR fee was 10 cents at the time of mailing and 20 cents subsequent to despatch.
Montreal Airport to Paris, June 21, 1965
Received by addressee on June 22, 1965
Registration receipt
10 cent Canadian stamp cancelled by the Hippolyte Lebas Paris, post office, June 23, 1965
Ottawa to Prague, December 10, 1965
85 cents : 45 cents air mail ( 1 1/2 ounce) + 35 cents registration fee ( 5 cents overpayment)
A-R handstamp on the front of the envelope
c) Special Delivery
Available to Great Britain and the United States.
i) To October 31, 1963
The special delivery fee was 10 cents.
Special Delivery, air mail letter from Toronto to Glasgow, Scotland, May 10, 1963
15 cents air mail + 10 cents special delivery
Edmonton to London, April 13, 1965
Special delivery, air mail letter
British Handstamp : EXPRESS FEE PAID
Vancouver to London, England, May 17, 1965
Air mail fee......................45c (1 1/2 ounce)
Special Delivery..............10c
Registration fee...............35c
Total.................................90c
b) From January 1, 1966
The special delivery fee was increased from 10 cents to 25 cents. (Not shown)
