Page 27 - Delcampe Collections classiques EN-004

Stamps

Maurice Boule also highlights was injured. He died in Vienna one
this interesting insured letter: month later on 8 July. On the back,
He describes how it works in his the weight is recorded (13 grams),
book on page 105 before presen- together with the postage (28 dé-
ting us with a mail as an interes- cimes), which corresponds to the
ting example: fourth weight bracket (11 to <15
Insured letters were officially re- grams), with double the postage
cognised with the 1759 tariff and charged for an insured letter. It was
postage was double that charged entered as No. 30 in the office’s re-
for a standard letter. From 1786 gister of insured letters. The other
onwards, a fixed amount of com- two numbers do not seem to refer
pensation would be paid in the to post office matters. (Philatelic
event of loss by the administration. collection of H.S.H Prince Albert II
Insured letters had to be sealed of Monaco).
with several (3 to 5) wax seals.
Sealing wafers (small self-adhe-
sive patches that were inserted
between the back of the letter and
the flap) were not dee-
med sufficiently safe.
Envelopes became
compulsory during the
Revolution, but could
no longer be sent pos-
tage due after 1791.
Senders were then re-
quired to pay the pos-
tage before sending
the letter. In addition,
the administration had
to use the ‘CHARGÉ’
(insured) handstamp,
which had recently
been introduced, for
this type of mail.

Registered letter sent
from Vienna by Ba-
ron Aaron-Claude-
Théodore Chaponnel
Adjutant, chief of the
headquarters of the
grenadier corps to his
chargé d’affaires. It
included a banker’s
draft for 1,500 francs,
which was to be used
for his wife’s pension,
and informed his cor-
respondent that he

Delcampe Magazine 27