USA: Air Letter Adressed to Ship - Poste Restante Fee Incurred

This Air Letter (Wiegand #2a - Four-line admonition on back panel, "UNITED STATES FOREIGN AIRMAIL" in overlay is downwards on front panel and head first on writing panel) was sent from Detroit (JAN 27 1953) and adressed to a couple travelling on SS Orion from India to the UK to be picked up at Naples, Italy (arrival postmark 30. 1. 53, on reverse).

Someone, most likely the sender, endorsed in the lower left corner of the front panel "Due about / Feb 2". The Italian postal authorities treated this air letter as a poste restante (general delivery) item.

According to UPU rules, a country was allowed to charge fees on incoming poste restante mail if they levy a respective fee also for domestic postal items. The poste restante fee of 120 LIT was paid by two 10 LIT and one 100 LIT postage due stamps, postmarked 31. 1. 53.


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