Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
without having to search 293 different places that is
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The Beecher & Tony W book "United States International Postal Rates, 1872-1999" lists airmail rates to and from the United States... if that helps.
David
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Beecher and Wawrukiewicz had an initial printing in 1996 that may be cheaper if you only care about pre WWII, but as David pointed out, that's only US International rates. If you are looking for rates from EVERY country, that may be a tall order.
Lars
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Thanks Lars and David.
It is in order to built a collection of pre-WW2 airmail covers from every country which had airmail service prior to WW2. They all have to be correctly franked for the destination at the given time so it is from all countries. Going through books and magazines for each country would be an immense amount of work, so I was hoping someone knew about a compilation of such rates. Or several compilations which altogether would give the total info 
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Your best bet is to go at it piecemeal.
I can help you with the rates for Costa Rica, as I am a Costa Rica specialist. The challenge you have is that the rates (like the US, pre-1946) for most countries, as different for different parts of the world.
Good luck.
David
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My Guatemala 1 specialized book has outgoing postal rates until 1958..but the values are in pesos and Quetzals so i imagine they would have to be converted into dollars. the internet knows everything,,there must be something out there from the U.P.U. !
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"It is in order to built a collection of pre-WW2 airmail covers from every country which had airmail service prior to WW2"
If your goal is to build a collection of covers such that you have at least ONE example, properly franked for the date postmarked, of an airmail letter from EVERY country that offered airmail service prior to WWII, step 1 is to define the beginning of WWII. Step 2 is to determine if domestic airmail qualifies or if you want international covers. Then identify every country that offered the airmail service you seek prior to that date. Unless someone has already done this, you are going to have to track down the rates for EVERY country in your list. I have the US rates for any specific date and others here have offered additional countries that they specialize in, but I would imagine there were more than a few countries that offered airmail service prior to 1939 or whenever you determine that WWII started. This is going to big a big task, but certainly a fascinating one!
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"My Guatemala 1 specialized book has outgoing postal rates until 1958..but the values are in pesos and Quetzals so i imagine they would have to be converted into dollars."
I wouldn't think so. All outgoing (and domestic) rates would be in the local currency, as would be the stamps, so no need for conversion. The big question is whether Guatemala offered domestic or international airmail service prior to 1940. (WWII started as early as 1937 with the invasion of China by Japan or as late as 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. It depends on how you want to define the "beginning").
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Looks like Guatemala had rates as early as 1929 to Europe,U.S.A,Mexico and South America. I have many covers from he 1930s but the VAST MAJORITY are addressed to the United States or Germany !
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Peter, this one is a bit more colorful than some of my 1930's airmails..but its from 42 ! phil
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Damn,now i have to check and see if thats the correct postage to the Canal Zone or if someone was just being colorful. the black stamp is a postal tax stamp..they were always rebuilding post offices from earth quakes etc:
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Rate for 10 grams to the Canal Zone is listed as 19 cents,the other 22 cents is a mystery !
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i am learning...this one from 1939 has the correct 19 cent postage !!
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@ Phil
Is the rate really 19 centavos, or is it 18 centavos plus 1 centavo postal tax? Because that is what is on the cover: 18 centavos postage plus 1 centavo postal tax stamp (Scott RA11). Customarily, postal taxes assessed are not part of the postage but to be paid in addition to postage during certain time periods and for certain services. It does make a difference, because a double letter might be 36c plus 1c postal tax as opposed to 38c. In the present case, it is somewhat unclear if the postal tax stamp actually was on the envelope originally. Looks like it might have been reattached, but not very neatly.
As for the first cover, there is only one 1 centavo postal tax stamp, which may indicate that postal taxes indeed were flat, and not charged per 10 grams. Frequently an odd rate can be explained by missing stamps (any evidence of missing stamps formerly attached on the back of the cover?) or convenience over franking. One other guess is that the letter was not treated as addressed to the Canal Zone, but (mistakenly?) to the country of Panama and a different rate might have therefore applied.
@ Peter
I also do not know of a comprehensive listing of worldwide international airmail rates. Michel has a book on the postal rates of Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria, Switzerland and the US.
I don't have the book and am reluctant to recommend something I have not actually seen. So treat this as information, not recommendation. I am not even sure if the book includes the air mail rates. However, it is the only book I am aware of right now that will give you postal rates for a couple of the more common countries in one volume.
Arno
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Arno, it is a postal tax stamp..i was thinking that by overprinting it with 1939 made it a valid postage stamp..but i also know that the Guatemalan post office used whatever was available..i have seen covers using the official triangle stamps or the RA2 postal tax stamps as ordinary postage when that was all that was available.
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Thanks Arno, I will see if the main library has it next time I´m in the city
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Does anyone know if there´s anywhere I may find airmail rates from and to all countries from pre WW2 period?
without having to search 293 different places that is
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re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
The Beecher & Tony W book "United States International Postal Rates, 1872-1999" lists airmail rates to and from the United States... if that helps.
David
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this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Beecher and Wawrukiewicz had an initial printing in 1996 that may be cheaper if you only care about pre WWII, but as David pointed out, that's only US International rates. If you are looking for rates from EVERY country, that may be a tall order.
Lars
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re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Thanks Lars and David.
It is in order to built a collection of pre-WW2 airmail covers from every country which had airmail service prior to WW2. They all have to be correctly franked for the destination at the given time so it is from all countries. Going through books and magazines for each country would be an immense amount of work, so I was hoping someone knew about a compilation of such rates. Or several compilations which altogether would give the total info
Login to Like
this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Your best bet is to go at it piecemeal.
I can help you with the rates for Costa Rica, as I am a Costa Rica specialist. The challenge you have is that the rates (like the US, pre-1946) for most countries, as different for different parts of the world.
Good luck.
David
Login to Like
this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
My Guatemala 1 specialized book has outgoing postal rates until 1958..but the values are in pesos and Quetzals so i imagine they would have to be converted into dollars. the internet knows everything,,there must be something out there from the U.P.U. !
Login to Like
this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
"It is in order to built a collection of pre-WW2 airmail covers from every country which had airmail service prior to WW2"
If your goal is to build a collection of covers such that you have at least ONE example, properly franked for the date postmarked, of an airmail letter from EVERY country that offered airmail service prior to WWII, step 1 is to define the beginning of WWII. Step 2 is to determine if domestic airmail qualifies or if you want international covers. Then identify every country that offered the airmail service you seek prior to that date. Unless someone has already done this, you are going to have to track down the rates for EVERY country in your list. I have the US rates for any specific date and others here have offered additional countries that they specialize in, but I would imagine there were more than a few countries that offered airmail service prior to 1939 or whenever you determine that WWII started. This is going to big a big task, but certainly a fascinating one!
Login to Like
this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
"My Guatemala 1 specialized book has outgoing postal rates until 1958..but the values are in pesos and Quetzals so i imagine they would have to be converted into dollars."
I wouldn't think so. All outgoing (and domestic) rates would be in the local currency, as would be the stamps, so no need for conversion. The big question is whether Guatemala offered domestic or international airmail service prior to 1940. (WWII started as early as 1937 with the invasion of China by Japan or as late as 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. It depends on how you want to define the "beginning").
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re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Looks like Guatemala had rates as early as 1929 to Europe,U.S.A,Mexico and South America. I have many covers from he 1930s but the VAST MAJORITY are addressed to the United States or Germany !
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this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Peter, this one is a bit more colorful than some of my 1930's airmails..but its from 42 ! phil
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re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Damn,now i have to check and see if thats the correct postage to the Canal Zone or if someone was just being colorful. the black stamp is a postal tax stamp..they were always rebuilding post offices from earth quakes etc:
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this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Rate for 10 grams to the Canal Zone is listed as 19 cents,the other 22 cents is a mystery !
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this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
i am learning...this one from 1939 has the correct 19 cent postage !!
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likes this post.
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re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
@ Phil
Is the rate really 19 centavos, or is it 18 centavos plus 1 centavo postal tax? Because that is what is on the cover: 18 centavos postage plus 1 centavo postal tax stamp (Scott RA11). Customarily, postal taxes assessed are not part of the postage but to be paid in addition to postage during certain time periods and for certain services. It does make a difference, because a double letter might be 36c plus 1c postal tax as opposed to 38c. In the present case, it is somewhat unclear if the postal tax stamp actually was on the envelope originally. Looks like it might have been reattached, but not very neatly.
As for the first cover, there is only one 1 centavo postal tax stamp, which may indicate that postal taxes indeed were flat, and not charged per 10 grams. Frequently an odd rate can be explained by missing stamps (any evidence of missing stamps formerly attached on the back of the cover?) or convenience over franking. One other guess is that the letter was not treated as addressed to the Canal Zone, but (mistakenly?) to the country of Panama and a different rate might have therefore applied.
@ Peter
I also do not know of a comprehensive listing of worldwide international airmail rates. Michel has a book on the postal rates of Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria, Switzerland and the US.
I don't have the book and am reluctant to recommend something I have not actually seen. So treat this as information, not recommendation. I am not even sure if the book includes the air mail rates. However, it is the only book I am aware of right now that will give you postal rates for a couple of the more common countries in one volume.
Arno
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this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Arno, it is a postal tax stamp..i was thinking that by overprinting it with 1939 made it a valid postage stamp..but i also know that the Guatemalan post office used whatever was available..i have seen covers using the official triangle stamps or the RA2 postal tax stamps as ordinary postage when that was all that was available.
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this post
re: Classic airmail rates from all countries.
Thanks Arno, I will see if the main library has it next time I´m in the city
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