AUSTRALIA Postal History - Registration Envelopes Usages fea
Sale No: 4
Lot No: 252
Symbol: PS
Registration Envelopes selection all with instructional markings comprising 'AR' x2, 'IRREGULARLY POSTED', 'POSTED OUT OF COURSE' + 'OFFICIALLY REGISTERED', uprated for Express delivery but with 'DELIVER ORD MAIL', private 'MERCHANDISE ONLY' h/s, 'T'-in-circle h/s of Tarraleah Tas (?), and manuscript "Found in Drop Book/Riverwood" (NSW), fine to very fine. [A Drop Book was a Post Office's daily diary of events that needed to be recorded, in this case indicating there was something irregular about the article, possibly posted through the PO door]
(Qty 8)
Various KGV & KGVI Registration Envelopes all uprated for Post Office insurance with all-different Compensation manuscript endorsements x2 or handstamps x6, all addressed within Australia, fine to very fine.
Sale No: 4
Lot No: 254
Symbol: PS
Cat No: Collection
Registration Envelopes Destination Mail group comprising mostly KGVI issues with a few KGV, all commercially used including to Argentina, Brazil, Ceylon, Egypt, Estonia (with superb 'NOMME/EESTI' b/s), Hawaii, Hungary, Malaya and a few others, fine to very fine used.
(Qty 14)
ADEN: 1917 usage of KGV 4d orange Registration Envelope with Red Star on the Flap to Messageries Maritimes with KGV 1d red tied by Brisbane cds, red & black/white R label (fault), 'COLOMBO' transit & 'ADEN' arrival b/s of 17DE17, minor blemishes.
BAHAMAS: 1925 (Aug 3) usage of KGV 4½d Registration Envelope from Sydney to "Nassau, New Providence" with red/white R label with Rat's Tail, 'NASSAU' arrival b/s of 3SE25 & redirected to the USA with 'EAST DORRINGTOWN PA/REGISTERED' arrival b/s in red.
DENMARK: 1921 (Mar 11) double-rate usage of KGV 4d orange Registration Envelope with Red Star on the Flap uprated with KGV 5d brown tied by Fremantle cds, huge red/white R label, minor blemishes. [The rate was 4d for the first ounce + 2d for each successive ounce + 3d registration = 9d]
EGYPT: 1920 (Mar 22) triple-rate usage of KGV 4d orange Registration Envelope with 'AS AN ACT OF GRACE COMPENSATION MAY BE GIVEN...' at the Base ACSC RE9 (Cat $1500) uprated with KGV LMult Wmk ½d green + Kangaroo Third Wmk 2d grey tied by Newcastle cds, red/white R label, 'PORT TAUFIQ' transit & 'ALEXANDRIE' arrival b/s. A splendid usage of this very scarce envelope. [The rate was 1d Empire letter x3 + 3d registration + ½d War Tax = 6½d]
FIJI: 1919 (Nov 28) double-rate usage of KGV 4d orange Registration Envelope with 'AS AN ACT OF GRACE COMPENSATION MAY BE GIVEN...' at the Base ACSC RE9 (Cat $1500) uprated with KGV 1½d brown, Sydney cds & red/white R label, Suva arrival b/s of 8/DEC/1919 & boxed registration cachet on the face. Another outstanding usage of this very scarce envelope. [The rate was 1d Empire letter x2 + 3d registration + ½d War Tax = 5½d]
FINLAND: 1921 (Feb 11) double-rate usage of KGV 4d orange Registration Envelope with Red Star on the Flap uprated with KGV 1d red & 4d orange with red/white 'NSW/MOSMAN' R label but cancelled at Sydney, London transit & 'KUOPIO' arrival b/s. [The rate was 4d for the first ounce + 2d for each successive ounce + 3d registration = 9d]
GREECE: 1935 (Feb 2) usage of KGV 4½d Registration Envelope + KGV 1½d scarlet to the Ionian Bank in Athens, red/white 'Elizabet st., Melb' R label, large Athens arrival b/s.
GREECE: 1957 (May 2) airmail usage of QEII 1/7d Registration Envelope + QM 2d, 1/- Olympics & 2/6d Aborigine tied by scarce 'ROBINSON W19/VIC-AUST' cds (a better strike on the reverse), blue/white R label, Athens arrival b/s of 12MY57, a bit soiled/aged. Robinson is a 'sub-suburb' of Sunshine in Melbourne's west: PO 1.8.1955.
HAWAII: 1918 (Mar 11) double-rate usage of KGV 4d orange Registration Envelope with Red Star on the Flap uprated with KGV 1d red & LMult Wmk ½d green + Kangaroos Third Wmk 2½d, Sydney cds and red & black/white R label, 'HONOLULU' arrival b/s of MAR/26/1918 & endorsed on the face "Not at Home/...", flap damaged on opening.
HAWAII: 1922 (May 17) usage of KGV Sideface 5d Registration Envelope with Flap to the Face & Address Lines at L/R ACSC RE12 uprated with KGV 1d violet pair (scarce on overseas mail), Sydney cds and red/white R label, 'HONOLULU' arrival b/s of JUN/3/1922. [NB: we believe that the endorsement "Per Donna" at L/L is not re a ship but the name of the addressee's home]
HONG KONG: 1958 (Feb 23) airmail usage of QEII 1/7d Registration Envelope uprated with QEII 3d & Kingsford Smith 8d (scarce on cover), Toowoomba cds & blue/white R label. [From a signalman at Capalabah]
INDONESIA: 1953 (June 27) airmail usage of KGVI 1/0½d Registration Envelope uprated with KGVI 7½d & Princess 1d, to the Philippine Embassy with Sydney cds & blue/white R label, 'DJAKARTA' arrival b/s of 30.6.53.
NORTHERN RHODESIA: 1950 (July 21) airmail usage of KGVI 8½d Registration Envelope uprated with UPU 3½d 6d Kookaburra & 2/- Aboriginal Art, Elizabeth Street (Vic) cds & blue/white R label, clearly addressed "Broken Hill/Nth Rhodesia" but missent to 'BROKEN HILL/NSW', the address underlined & forwarded with 'NAIROBI' transit b/s of 31JY50 & 'BROKEN HILL/4AUG50/NORTHERN RHODESIA' arrival b/s suggesting the last leg was by surface. Double interruption to service.
NYASALAND: 1933 (Feb 1) usage of KGV Oval 5d Registration Envelope with Townsville cds alongside and blue & black/white R label, in transit cancelled with a very worn 'PT ADELAIDE/7FEB33/STH AUSTRALIA' cds with 3-letter month (not recorded by PSSA, so rated RRRRR), 'LIMBE/NYASALAND' arrival b/s of 7MAR33.
PALESTINE: 1939 (June 24) usage of KGVI 5d Registration Envelope uprated with KGVI 3d blue Die II, to Haifa with Sydney cds & blue/white R label, '.../ALEXANDRIE/PAR AVION' transit b/s & oval 'REGISTERED/6JY39/HAIFA' arrival on the face. A very rare registered Empire Air Mail Scheme cover. [The address Nordaustreet is on the perimeter of the German (not Jewish) settlement in Haifa]
PERSIA: 1935 (Aug 7) usage of long KGV 'FIVE/PENCE' on 4½d (18mm Spacing) Registration Envelope uprated with KGV ½d 1d & 5d, Kangaroo 5/-, Hermes 1/6d claret, Victoria Centenary 1/- & Silver Jubilee 3d, to the captain of a ship c/- Anglo-Persian Oil at Abadan and despite the philatelic appearance endorsed "FAMILY PAPERS" and apparently commercial, 'BASRAH/24AUG35/...' transit & smaller '.../ABADAN' bilingual cds of the same date. Marvellous! [The rate was 1/8d per ½oz x5 + 2d late fee (shortpaid ½d) + 3d registration = 8/9d]
Note that from 21st March 1935, Persia was renamed "Iran" (= "Aryan"), apparently to foster good relations with Germany! Unsurprisingly, 'Persia' remained in common use for many years.
POLAND: 1929 (July 18) usage of KGV Oval 4½d Registration Envelope uprated with KGV 1½d scarlet, Elizabeth Street (Vic) cds & red/white 'Elizabeth St, Melbourne' R label, superb 'PRAHA 7 CIZINA (ETRANGER)' transit & 'CZESTOCHOWA' arrival b/s of 20.8.1929, slightly reduced at left upon opening. A very scarce destination. [During WWII, the Germans sought to exterminate not just Polish Jews but Poles in general & several mass murders were committed in Czestochowa]
SOUTHERN RHODESIA: 1935 (Jan 3) usage of KGV Oval 5d Registration Envelope to "Rhodesian Railways/Bulawayo" with Adelaide cds and blue & black/white R label, 'REGD BULAWAYO/...' arrival b/s of 28JAN1935.
SPAIN: 1946 (June 4) usage of KGVI Oval 5½d Registration Envelope uprated with QM 1½d, Perth cds & blue/white 'Registration Branch/GPO Perth WA' R label, indistinct Madrid arrival b/s. [The rate was 3d foreign rate + ½d war tax + 3d registration = 6½d. The sender may have thought he was using a 5d Registration Envelope. NB: in all periods, the much larger Spain is a more elusive destination than neighbouring Portugal]
ST LUCIA: 1947 (May 27) airmail usage of KGVI Oval 5½d Registration Envelope uprated with KGVI 3½d Wrens & 1/- Lyrebird pair, 'QUEEN VICTORIA BLDGS/NSW' cds & straight-line h/s in violet on blue/white provisional R label, transits of San Francisco (JUN/4) & New York (JUN/5) and oval 'REGISTERED/10JU47/CASTRIES ST LUCIA' arrival b/s that probably indicates surface carriage (from Miami?). Another very scarce destination. [Martin Walker (unpublished) records the 2/6d rate from 1952 only but this item indicates it was the rate 5 years earlier]
SWAZILAND: 1947 (Mar 25) usage of KGVI Oval 5½d Registration Envelope, superb 'GPO SYDNEY/ RS / E / NSW-AUST' cds & corresponding blue/white R label, very fine double-circle 'HLATIKULU' arrival b/s. A rare destination. [The rate was 2d Empire rate + ½d war tax + 3d registration = 5½d]
Fun fact! It was only in 2018, 50 years after independence, that Swaziland was renamed Eswatini. Hlatikulu is a small remote town in the SE of the country. By population, it is the 20th largest town, with only 2748 inhabitants in 2005.
