|
December 7, 1931. Registered letter from Hees in Holland, a small post office in the neighborhood of Nijmegen, to Chicago (Illinois, USA).
The cover bears a stamp of 50 cents. The registration fee was 15 cents, so 35 cents for postage remained . The foreign letter rate that period was 12 ˝ cents for letters up to 20 grams. This was increased with 7˝ cents for every 20 grams more. Consequently the weight of the letter must have been between 60 and 80 grams. The letter was so heavy because the sender enclosed a nearly complete set ( the half guilder coin failed) of Dutch coins as a present for his pen-friend, probably a coin collector. The lower picture shows a part of the contents concerning the coins.
Among other things the sender writes: "Hope you will receive the coins, if not please write to me that I can claim".
In so far the sender was right, because in case of loss of a registered letter the Dutch Post would pay a fixed amount as compensation. But he overlooked the postal instruction that the sending of coins was forbidden.
If the Dutch Post had noticed the money, the letter would undoubtedly have been returned to sender. However, this didn't happen and the letter could reach its destination.
On arrival the cover was backstamped with a transit postmark of New York and an arrival postmark of Chicago on December 21, 1931.
The mark on the front"PASSED BY U.S CUSTOMS / BUREAU CHICAGO P.O" shows that the US authorities were more attentive than their Dutch colleagues. They intercepted the letter and according to the mark "COLLECT 10 ˘ POSTAGE DUE / FOR CUSTOMS SERVICE" the addressee had to pay a fee of 10 ˘ l for their intervention.
Which office opened the cover to check the contents (New York or Chicago?) is not clear and neither is it clear whether the letter was opened in presence of the addressee or not.
|
