(Excluding the United States)
This article provides an overview of the principal international rates in effect during the Wilding Period. The rates are summarized in the table below:
7. Second Class Matter
1. Surface Letter
a) Preferential
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.
Halloway, Ont., to Whit Bridge, Australia, August 12, 1959
Redirected to Shortland, September 18, 1959
5 cent Commonwealth surface letter rate
Ottawa to Matamata, December 15, 1954
5 cents preferential surface letter rate to New Zealand
Windsor-Walkerville to Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 11 1959
5 cent surface rate to South America
Toronto to South Kenton, December 18, 1956
5 cents preferred rate to Great Britain
Instructional marking: Stamp fallen off at Toronto, Ont.
Wolfville to Lundy Island, February 6, 1963
5 cents preferred surface letter rate to Great Britain
Lundy local stamp affixed on front on incoming mail, February 21, 1963
Regina to Windhoek, South West Africa, November 21, 1958
5 cents surface Commonwealth letter rate
Commonwealth Reply Coupons could be purchased in Canada for 6 cents each, and were interchangeable in any Commonwealth country for stamps representing the amount of postage for an ordinary single rate letter desired for a Commonwealth country.
Exceptions: The exchange value in India was 2 1/2 annas and in Pakistan 1 anna 9 pies.
b) All other countries (UPU rate)
On April 1, 1954, the letter rate to countries for which the preferential rate did not apply increased from 5 cents to 6 cents for the first ounce.
Since the 6 cent Wilding definitive stamp was not issued until June 10, 1954, the Karsh definitives were "in period" until June 9, 1954 to pay the UPU surface letter rate:
Salmonhurst, N.B., to Skjern, Denmark, April 3 1954
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Winnipeg to Kahn, Germany, November 26 1954
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Lakefield to Spanish Morocco, November 27, 1954
Returned to sender
Vancouver to Vienna, December 19, 1956
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Toronto to Luzern, Switzerland, December 17, 1962
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Returned : Insufficient Address
Vancouver to Molndal, Sweden, March 2, 1955
6 cent UPU surface letter rate
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Basel receiver, December 10, 1958
Consulate of Switzerland Toronto to Bleien, Switzerland, January 4, 1963
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Montreal to Wiltz, Luxembourg, December 18, 1962
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
6 cents U.P.U. surface letter rate
Re-Directed and Re-Mailed
The Bank of Nova Scotia correspondence to Mme. Luz Mila Painio (Comtess Guy du Boisrouvray)
Toronto to Versoix, Geneva, Switzerland, October 5, 1955
The letter was then re-directed to France then re-mailed to New York (air mail)
UPU surface letter rate 6 cents:
6 cents meter
Re-directed to France:
Swiss cancellation October 21, 1955
Re-directed to Neuilly sur Seine
Re-mailed to New York City
Neilly sur Seine, October 25, 1955
Air mail letter
Comtess Guy du Boisrouvay
Formerly Luz Mila Patinio, the countess was the daughter of the late Simon Patino, a Bolivian who turned an abandoned tin mine into a fortune once estimated at $1 billion and a higher income than the Bolivian government. She married Count Guy du Boisrouvay, a cousin of Prince Rainier of Monaco. The Comtess died on November 6, 1958 at the Waldorf Astoria Towers, New York City. She was 49 years old.
UPU International Reply Coupon
Shortpaid Letters
St. Jean Sur Lac to Bonnevoie, Luxembourg, June 12 1960
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Luxembourg tax was 1.70 francs
Toronto to Haifa, September 12, 1955
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Israel 60 protot paying the postage due
Ottawa (House of Commons) to Jerusalem, December 11, 1959
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Israeli 6 agorot stamp paying the postage due, January 11, 1960
Ottawa to Orrefors, Sweden, February 28, 1955
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
20 ore stamp paying the postage due
Montreal to Zagreb, December 1, 1958
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Yugoslavia 10 dinar due cancelled January 6 1959
Toronto to West Berlin, Germany, September 24, 1954
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
German Nachgebuhr handstamp and 20 pfennig charge in blue crayon
Germany did not issue postage due stamps or labels
Red Deer to Backnang, November 21, 1959
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Dated German Nachgebuhr handstamp, December 10, 1959, and 14 pfennig charge in blue crayon
Germany did not issue postage due stamps or labels
Langstaff to Amsterdam, July 30, 1956
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Netherlands due 9 cents, August 23, 1956
Saint John to Amsterdam, August 8, 1957
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Netherlands due 10 cents, August 24, 1957
St. Stephen to Manila, Philippines, December 8, 1962
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Philippines charge 7 cents
Ottawa to Villers s/Ollon, October 13, 1959
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Swiss charge was 15 centimes (Swiss)
Swiss charge 15 centimes (Swiss)
Chilliwack to Brouderslev, Denmark, February 11, 1959
The addressee had requested air mail service:
The air mail letter rate to Europe was 15 cents. Letters with less than 75% prepayment of air mail rate were sent by surface mail:
Shortpaid for air conveyance handstamp
The UPU surface letter rate was 6 cents. The letter was shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge. Danish tax 30 ore.
Victoria to Kalundborg, Denmark, November 23, 1962
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Danish tax 24 ore in blue crayon
Kalundborg 24 ore postage due meter, December 16, 1962
Kalundborg 24 ore postage due meter, December 16, 1962
Winnipeg to Brussels, Belgium, November 25, 1959
6 cents UPU surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 centimes (gold) the minimum charge
Belgian Tax : 1.70 francs
2. Surface Post Card
The surface postcard rate to all destinations was 4 cents.
Huntsville to Ochata, Poland, July 23, 1959
4 cents surface post card rate
Halifax to Amsterdam, June 1, 1957
4 cents surface post card rate
New Westminster to Paris, December 11, 1957
4 cents international post card surface rate
Shortpaid
Ajax to Shoreham-By-Sea, England, August 9 1961
4 cents surface post card rate
Shortpaid 2 cents and charged 12 centimes by the Canadian post office
British taxation was 3 d.
Canadian post office taxation
Deficiency...............2 cents
Double Deficiency...4 cents
Conversion of 4 cents to gold centimes @ 1 cent = 3 gold centimes:
4 cents = 4 cents X 3 gold centimes/cent = 12 gold centimes
Post Card Not Conforming to Regulations
Double cards did not conform to regulations and were treated and taxed as letters.
Quebec to Southampton, July 13, 1959
Double post card treated as a letter
Surface letter rate to Great Britain was 5 cents
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed 10 gold centimes (the minimum)
British charge was 1d.
3. Air Mail Letter
(Post Cards were treated as letters)
a) Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Europe
The rate was 15 cents for each half ounce.
Assistant Secretary to the Governor General, Ottawa to London, August 15, 1960
15 cents one half ounce air mail letter rate
Stamps overprinted "G"
Postmaster General William Hamilton, Ottawa to Petworth, England, March 17 1959
G overprints
Edmonton to Newcastle-on-Tyne, May 12, 1960
15 cents air mail letter rate
Canadian Pacific perfins
Arborg, Manitoba to Reykjavik, Iceland, March 3 1959
15 cents air mail letter rate
Edmonton to Glasgow, Scotland, March 11, 1960
15 cents air mail letter rate
Vancouver to Dublin, Ireland, October 22, 1962
15 cents air mail rate
Martyrs' Shrine, Midland, Ontario to Szekesfehervar, Hungary, July 23 1962
15 cent air mail rate
b) Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America and the West Indies
The rate was 10 cents for each half ounce.
Vancouver to Colon, Panama, August 3, 1956
10 cents air mail rate to Central America
Toronto to Sousfriere, St. Lucia, November 21 1957
10 cents one-half ounce air mail rate to the West Indies
Ottawa to French St. Martin Island, French West Indies, August 7 1957
10 cent air mail rate to the West Indies
Toronto to Nassau, Bahamas, February 14, 1957
10 cents air mail rate
Montreal to Buenos Aires, July 3, 1962
10 cents air mail rate
Toronto to Asuncion, Paraguay, March 7 1961
10 cents air mail rate
c) Asia, Africa, Oceania
The air mail letter rate was 25 cents for each half ounce.
Toronto to Dahran, Saudi Arabia, November 28 1959
25 cents one half ounce air mail rate
Toronto to Taipei, Taiwan, December 7, 1955
25 cents air mail letter rate
Montreal to Tokyo, August 15, 1957
25 cents air mail letter rate
Re-mailed in Japan, 35 yen stamp cancelled August 22, 1957
Ladysmith to Hong Kong, January 3, 1958
25 cents air mail letter rate
Re-mailed from Hong Kong to London, January 8, 1958 ($1.30 postage)
Barrie to Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands, July 27, 1959
25 cents air mail letter rate
Pitcairn Islands receiver July 24, 1959
Ottawa to Amkhut, India, April 16 1956
25 cents paying the 1/2 ounce air mail rate
Clinton to Seoul, October 28 1955
50 cents paying the 1 ounce air mail rate (2 x 25 cents/ 1/2 ounce)
Quebec to Ramat-Aviv, September 8 1961
25 cents air mail rate
4. Air Letters (Aerogrammes)
The air letter rate was 10 cents to all destinations.
Montreal to Helsingor, Denmark, October 5 195510 cents air letter rate
Toronto to Bermuda, May 21, 1961
10 cent air letter rate
5. Printed Matter
a) Surface
The surface printed matter rate to all destinations was 2 cents for the first two ounces.
Toronto to Albany, Western Australia, November 16, 1961
2 cents printed matter rate
Vancouver to Dundee, Scotland, March 11, 1957
2 cents printed matter rate
Quebec to Bordeaux, France, March 12, 1958
2 cents printed matter rate
Vancouver to Berne, Switzerland, November 30, 1959
2 cents printed matter rate
Vancouver to Karlstad, Sweden, December 1, 1957
2 cents printed matter rate
Toronto to Jerusalem, November 26, 1954
2 cents printed matter rate
Toronto to Reykjavik, Iceland, March 11, 1959
2 cents printed matter rate
Quebec to Buenos Aires, November 15, 1961
2 cents surface printed matter rate
Montreal to Zagreb, Yugoslavia, May 27 1963
Change of Address Announcement card
Non-Compliance with Regulations
Mail sent at the printed matter rate and not complying with regulations was subject to taxation. For example, the regulations required that third class matter was to be put up in such a way as to allow the contents to be be easily examined. Third class mail sealed against inspection was to treated as a letter and forwarded to destination subject to the collection of double the deficient postage at the letter rate.
Old Crow, Yukon, to Winborne, England, October 23 1959
The sender had mailed this 7 ounce item at the Third Class Matter rate :
The rate was 2 cents for the first two ounces and 1 cents for each additional two ounces.
1st two ounces...............2 cents
Next 6 ounces................3 cents
Total............................... 5 cents
5 cents was the correct printed matter rate but the item was treated as a letter and charged 36 cents due by the Canadian post office. The reason for the taxation was not given.
Analysis of Canadian Taxation
Rate for 7 ounce surface letter rate to Great Britain
1st ounce................................................5 cents
Next 6 ounces at 3 cents/ounce.......18 cents
Total.....................................................23 cents
Amount Paid........................................ 5 cents
Deficiency............................................18 cents
Double Deficiency...............................36 cents
Canadian charge 36 cents
The British post office charge was 1/- :
b) Air Mail Printed Matter (Other Articles)
"Other articles" service applied to articles classified as printed matter, commercial papers, samples. newspapers and literature for the blind.
Don Mills to Sheffield, England, December 24, 1962
The "Other Articles" rate to Great Britain was 10 cents per ounce
6. Special Services
a) Registration
The registration fee was 20 cents.
Saskatoon to St. Andrew, Jamaica, November 1 1960
10 cents air mail rate + 20 cents registration fee
Rimouski South to Mercedes, Argentina, August 31, 1960
20 cents one ounce (double weight) air mail rate to South America + 20 cents registration fee
Transit handstamps
Sudbury to Helsinki, Finland, November 12, 1957
6 cents UPU surface letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
Montreal British and Foreign barrel Handstamp
November 13, 1957
Helsinki Receiver
November 28, 1957
Calgary to Jamtland, Sweden, November 28, 1960
6 cents surface letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
The Calgary registration handstamp was very light. The Swedish post office affixed a registration label "Fran utlandet" : From Abroad
Swedish Fran utlandet registration label
Ottawa to Switzerland, February 23, 1963
60 cents air mail letter rate (8th weight step, 4 ounces) + 20 cents registration fee
A nice block of 16 "G" overprint 5 cents definitives
Preston to Heidelberg, Germany, October 20 1959
15 cents air mail rate + 20 cents registration fee
Toronto to Szeczecin, Poland, January 21, 1960
15 cents air mail letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
Lachute Mills to London, July 27, 1956
15 cents air mail letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
Opened by British customs and sealed with tape:
Vancouver to London, December 24, 1959
30 cents air mail letter rate (double weight) + 20 cents registration fee
Wadena to Osnabruck, Germany, May 15, 1956
30 cents air mail letter rate (double weight) + 20 cents registration fee
Tillsonburg to Melbourne, August 15, 1955
25 cents air mail letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
Manitou Beach to Cape Town, South Africa, June 16, 1956
25 cents air mail letter rate + 20 cents registration fee
Atikokan to Hong Kong, October 20 1958
25 cents air mail rate+ 20 cents registration fee
Toronto to Auckland, New Zealand, June 25, 1958
25 cents air mail rate + 20 cents registration fee
Re-mailed from Auckland to Sydney, Australia, 3 d. stamp cancelled July 4 1958
Israeli Reply-Paid post card conforming to regulations and sent by surface mail
Winnipeg to Tel Aviv, May 28, 1957
b) Acknowledgment of Receipt
The AR was 10 cents at the time of mailing.
Acknowledgment of Receipt of item mailed from Windsor to Moscow August 10, 1963
Receipt acknowledged on September 14, 1963
Moscow handstamp, September 14, 1963
c) Special Delivery
Special Delivery sevice was available for letters to Great Britain. The special delivery fee in addition to postage was 10 cents.
The Special Delivery letter below was mailed from Canada to Coventry, England on September 7, 1957. The originating office is unknown because of the indistinct barrel cancellation. The letter was received at Coventry on September 9, 1957 and received the "EXPRESS FEE 1/- PAID" handstamp indicating that express service was provided.
30 cents air mail (double weight) + 10 cents special delivery fee
Toronto to London, December 6, 1955
30 cents air mail rate (double weight) + 10 cents special delivery fee
Shortpaid 10 cents and Canadian charge was 60 centimes
Canadian tax
Amount to be prepaid......................40 cents
Amount prepaid................................30 cents
Amount shortpaid..............................10 cents
Double deficiency...............................20 cents
Conversion of 20 cents to centimes (gold):
1 cent = 3 centimes gold
20 cents = 20 cents x 3 centimes (gold)/cent = 60 centimes
British Charge
The amount charged was 1/3d.
British due labels cancelled December 10, 1955
Edmonton to London, March 13, 1957
15 cents air mail rate to Great Britain + 10 cents Special Delivery Fee
Forwarded from London to Horspath
d) Poste Restante Fee
UPU regulations permitted members to charge a fee on incoming international "Poste Restante" (General Delivery) mail provided such a fee was charged for internal poste restante mail. Canada did not charge such a fee, but mail from Canada could be subject to a charge.
Greece
Montreal to Athens, June 23 1961
"Poste Restante" mail charged 1 drachma fee
Athens, June 26, 1961 cancellation on stamps
7. Second Class Mail
a) To Australia, France, Spain
The rate for all copies of Canadian newspapers and periodicals was 2 cents for the first 4 ounces and 1 cent for each additional 4 ounces.
Montreal to Saarbruck, Saar, circa 1956
Saar was a French protectorate, thus rates to Saar were the same as rates to France
9 cents paying the 32 oz. second class mail rate
b) To Countries other than United States, Mexico, Central and South America, Australia, France, Spain
The rate was 2 cents of the first 2 oz. and 1 cent for each additional 2 ounces.
2 cents paying the 2 oz. Second Class Mail rate
