India Aerogramme: Color Variants

This is the 8.50 R "Panchmahal Fathepur Sikri" aerogramme. It exists in two color variants, most obvious in the different colors of the printing. Also the paper color is different but this is difficult to see on a scan.

Dark brown printing on greenish-grey paper

Light brown printing on greyish-green paper

Nigeria: Domestic Aerogramme Used Internationally - Enclosure

The 20 k domestic aerogramme (NGK #20) was used internationally, which made an additional 20 k franking necessary to meet the 40 k aerogramme rate. There was a stamp attached which had fallen off, unfortunately.

However, as the aerogramme contained an enclosure the first reaction of the post office clerk was to divert the aerogramme to surface mail. Consequently, the “By Air Mail” routing instruction was crossed out and “Surface Mail” endorsed. The post office clerk then revised his/her decision and treated the aerogramme as an ordinary airmail letter, for which the aerogramme was short paid.

The postage due calculated was “25k”. This endorsement does not meet the UPU standard, which in 1979 was to give a tax fraction with single deficiency in the numerator and the first weight step international surface mail rate in the denominator.











Reference:
NGK, Aerogramme Afrika 2012

Australia: Lettersheet - Aerogramme Rate not Applicable

These two lettersheets were issued by Trans-Australian Airlines (operating from 1946 to 1992) for surface mail use only. The admonition at the bottom of the front panel states that aerogramme rate were not applicable.

Australia: Aerogramme Uprated with "Paid" Meter Mark

Stein A-25, uprated with a red "Paid" meter mark G.P.O. Adelaide 6 OCT 1967 to meet the 10 c aerogramme rate, which was in place since October 1, 1967.

This is an advertising aerogramme of Pacific Flights, a philatelic company.

 

References:

Stein, The Aerogrammes of Australia and Its Dependencies, 1944-1980

"Islamic Republic of Iran" Handstamps on Aerogramme Form

 

This aerogramme form was sent registered from Teheran (machine cancel 6. 10. 80) to Dacca, Bangladesh. The sender was the Bank Melli Iran, Iran's National Bank. The postage rate was 15 R paid by meter mark.

The aerogramme form is a remainder from the Shah's reign. Imprints on the back panel pointing to that time were obliterated with "Islamic Republic of Iran" handstamps.

Austria: Late Usage of 2.80 S Aerogramme to European Destinations

This aerogramme was sent from VILLACH (cds 3. 9. 65) to Munich, Germany. It was uprated with a 0.60 S stamp to meet the 3.40 S aerogramme rate to European destinations valid from Feb 1, 1960 to Dec 31, 1966.

The aerogramme is Greiner #6a (overlay type III / vertical rhombi in border design are 9 mm wide), which was issued first in 1954. Interesting late usage as a 3.40 S aerogramme was already available since 1959.


Reference:
Greiner/Greiner, Aerogramme von Europa, 3e, 1993

UK: Decimalization - Stamps not Valid

This UK 9 d aerogramme was uprated with a 1 p stamp and sent from PRES… in June 1972 to Penang, Malaysia.

Pre-decimal stamps were, with few exceptions, demonetized February 29, 1972. Hence, the 9 d  aerogramme was regarded invalid.

The aerogramme rate in 1972 was 5 p, so the aerogramme was short paid 4 p. The tax fraction endorsement “4 / 5” is not correct, as it should have shown double the deficiency in the numerator. The single deficiency rule only started with the 1974 Lausanne UPU congress regulation that came into effect January 1, 1976. The denominator correctly shows the first weight step international surface letter rate of the UK at the time of posting (5 p).

As less than half of the required postage for air mail transmission was prepaid, the aerogramme was diverted to surface mail as is indicated by the two-line handstamp “Insufficiently Prepaid / For Transmission by Air” and the the parallel bars crossing out the “By Air Mail”  routing instruction.

Upon arrival in Malaysia, the (incorrect) tax fraction “4 / 5” had to be multiplied with Malaysia’s first weight step international surface mail letter rate (30 c). The result, therefore, should have been 24 c. However, only a 10 c postage due stamp was affixed.

UK: "Broken D" Variety of 1973 Christmas Aerogramme

UK 1973 Christmas aerogramme with the "Broken D" in "Designed by ..." variety (Greiner #59b) on the back panel.

Reference:
Greiner/Greiner, Aerogramme von Europa, 3e, 1993

Canada: Presentation Card for Aerogramme

This is a presentation card for the December 27, 1991 "Hang Glider" (Wiegand #97) aerogramme issue of Canada.


Reference:
Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Canada, USA, UNO-New York, 1994

India to France 1948: Air Letter Service not Available

This airletter (Lang/Saunders AL3) was sent from SHOLAPUR (cds 17 DEC 48) to Paris, France via Bombay (transit cds 18 DEC 48).

Instructional marking "Air Letter Service not / Available Forwarded / by Surface Mail" to indicate that at the time of posting no bilateral agreement was in place between India and France covering the use of airletters. Airletters (or aerogrammes as they were named then) were a standard service between UPU countries only from the 1952 Brussels UPU congress on.

A very similar airletter can be found here.


Reference:
Lang/Saunders, A Guide to the Postal Staionery of India, Vol 4: Aerogrammes & Inland Letter Cards, 1984