Any inland letter, parcel or other postal
packet, except a railex or railway letter could be registered. For Imperial and
foreign post, any postal packet could be registered, except 6d air letters, a
magazine post packet for Canada or Newfoundland, and a parcel, (parcels could
however, be insured). A registration
fee (or insurance fee) was payable in addition to the postal rate. The registration fee was
primarily raised to cover the cost of the service, and partly to insure the
registered item. Higher fees could be paid to raise the limit on compensation
for loss or damage.
Envelopes printed by
McCorquodale & Co Ltd
- except those marked #, when the envelopes were printed under
sub-contract by various companies.
| Cost of
registered envelopes |
F
- 5¼
in. x 3¼ in.
(133 x 83 mm) |
G -
6⅛
in. x 3¾ in.
(152 x 96 mm) |
H - 8 in. x 5
in.
(202 x 127 mm) |
H2 - 9 in. x 4
in.
(Until 1940)
(225 x 100 mm) |
K -
11½
in. x 6 in.
(292 x 152 mm) |
| With 4½d
stamp embossed (Registration fee = 3d + Postage = 1½d) |
| 5d each / 5s for packet of 12 |
5½d
each / 5s6d for a packet of 12 |
6½d
each / 3s3d for a packet of 6 |
| With 5½d
stamp embossed (Registration fee = 3d + Postage = 2½d) |
| 6½d
each / 6s6d for a packet of 12 |
7d each / 7s for packet of 12 |
8d each / 4s for packet of 6 |
|
All above discounted at 1s a gross if purchasing 10
gross or more
|
| Registration / Insurance fees
and compensation |
| Dates |
Basic rates for Inland
Registration |
Further optional rates for
Inland Registration |
Foreign compensation rates (not
available to all countries) |
Minimum
fee |
Limit of
compensation |
Fee |
Limit of
compensation |
|
Maximum
fee |
Maximum
limit of
compensation |
Minimum
fee |
Limit of
compensation |
|
Maximum
fee |
Maximum
limit of
compensation |
13/61921 to
30/4/1949 |
3d |
£5 |
4d |
£20 |
then for each additional
1d fee paid a further £20 compensation, up to - |
1s11d |
£400 |
5d |
£12 |
then for each additional
2d fee paid a further £12 compensation, up to - |
5s11d |
£400 |
1/5/1949 to
30/4/1952 |
4d |
5d |
2s0d |
6d |
6s |
| 4½d
Puce - King George V Head |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
H2 |
K |
| February 1937 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
|
| Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Buff |
Example below - uprated, used 1938 |
| Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Cream |
|
| 1937 |
Y |
|
|
|
|
White |
Blue paper lining |
 |
 |
| 4½d
Puce |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
H2 |
K |
| August 1939 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Example below |
 |
 |
| February 1940 |
Y |
- |
- |
- |
- |
White |
Size Label on front change -
middle line reads 'X size envelope. Price 5d.' |
| Buff |
| February - April 1940 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
- |
White |
Registration details changed to
Compensation - see example for 5½d below. |
| Buff |
| July 1940 |
Y |
- |
- |
Y |
- |
White |
Size label change - due to price
rises, middle line has price deleted by bar |
| Buff |
| August 1940 |
Y |
Y |
- |
Y |
- |
White |
Size label change - middle line
has no price |
| Buff |
| 5½d
Brown |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
H2 |
K |
| July 1940 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
Size label change - middle line
has no price / X size envelope aligned to left |
| Buff |
| March 1941 |
- |
- |
- |
Y |
- |
White |
As above |
| Buff |
| August 1940 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Size label change - 'Price 6d'
included in middle line - example below.
End of H2 size |
| Buff |
 |
 |
|
5½d Brown |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
K |
| July 1941 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Size label change - 'X size envelope' centred, example >
Variations:
a. 'Fee Paid.'
(full stop)
b. 'Fee Paid' (no
full stop) |
 |
|
| Buff |
| Cream |
| December 1943 |
- |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
# sub-contracted to Pirie
Appleton & Co., Ltd. (see under flap) |
| Buff |
| 1943 - 1944 |
- |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
# sub-contracted to M. Cook &
Sons Ltd (see under flap)
Variations - Company name printed in serif or sans-serif letters. |
| Buff |
| White |
# sub-contracted to Emerson Make
(see under flap) |
| Buff |
| White |
# sub-contracted to B. E & W.
[Berry, Ede & White] (see under flap)
Variations - Company name printed in serif or sans-serif letters. |
| Buff |
| September 1945 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
'Fee.......Paid' (dots instead of line) + Compensation
change (underlining) - example below.
Varieties - with or without McCorquodale & Co Ltd (see
under flap) |
 |
|
| Buff |
 |
 |
| January 1946 |
- |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
McCorquodale & Co Ltd as
vertical imprint (see under flap) |
| |
Buff |
| October 1946 |
- |
- |
Y |
- |
White |
#
sub-contracted to P. A. & CO. LTD [Pirie Appleton] - (see under
flap) |
| Buff |
| March 1947 |
Y |
- |
- |
- |
White |
# sub-contracted to Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited - (see under flap)
Varieties - company name as 'Thos. De La Rue & Co.Ltd.' or 'Thomas De La
Rue & Company Limited' |
| Buff |
| September 1947 |
Y |
- |
- |
- |
White |
Blue paper lining.
McCorquodale & Co (see under flap) |
| Buff |
| May 1947 |
- |
- |
Y |
Y |
White |
Underlining under: 'AT THE TIME OF POSTING.' +
Label panel size of envelope moved slightly to right. See below |
| Buff |
| March 1948 |
Y |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
| Buff |
 |
 |
| September 1947 |
- |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
# sub-contracted to P. A. & CO. LTD [Pirie Appleton] -
(see under flap)
Blue paper lining |
| Buff |
| March 1948 |
Y |
- |
- |
- |
White |
| Buff |
| 1947 |
Y |
- |
- |
- |
White |
Label panel as shown >
# sub-contracted to
Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited - (see under flap) |
 |
|
| Buff |
| 1949 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Registered letter panel with
shortened message. See example as below. |
| Buff |
|
5½d Brown + 1d Carmine |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
K |
| May 1949 |
- |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
Increase in rate to 4d.
Additional stamp imprint to use up existing stock.
See example. |
| Buff |
 |
 |
| 6½d
Puce |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
K |
| June 1949 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Compensation fee to 4d.
See example.
Varieties - 'Registration' 18 or 21mm long on H size. |
| Buff |
 |
 |
| 1951 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Change
to compensation panel (£2.18s). See below |
| Buff |
 |
 |
8½d
Brown
Although printed
with the head of King George VI, the 8½d grey registered letters were issued
from 1952 to 1954. |
| Date |
Size |
Paper |
Notes |
| F |
G |
H |
K |
| June 1952 |
Y |
- |
Y |
- |
White |
As 6½d
above apart from change in value.
Message under Compensation - .......registration fee of 4d.... |
| Buff |
| Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
White |
Message under Compensation - .......registration
fee of 6d....
See example below. |
| Buff |
 |
 |
| 1953 - 1954 |
Y |
Y |
- |
- |
White |
| Central panel more closely printed |
 |
|
| Buff |
| FORCES USE -
ALL SIZE G2 (size as G above) |
| Date |
Value |
Colour of stamp |
Paper |
Notes |
| December 1939 |
3d |
Green |
White |
Address panel on back / Registration panel
on back |
| No address panel
on back / Registration panel
on back |
| November 1944 |
Compensation panel on back. See example with square
full stop after 'Compensation'
|
| 1946 |
As above but with round full stop. |
 |
 |
| October 1945 |
3d |
Green |
White |
Compensation instructions in 6 lines |
| September 1949 |
4d |
Green |
White |
Increase in fee to 4d, but 3d on back not
changed |
| 1949 - 1950 |
Compensation panel
has 3d deleted and 4d inserted |
| Compensation panel
with just 4d and £2 not changed |
| 1950 |
Compensation panel
- £2 changed to £2-18-0 |
| September 1952 |
6d |
Puce |
White |
Increased fee |
|
STAMPED TO ORDER REGISTERED LETTERS |
| Date |
Value |
Stamp |
Notes |
| 1940 |
4½d + 1d |
Puce + Carmine |
|
| 1941 |
5½d |
Brown |
|
| 1949 |
5½d + 1d |
Brown + Carmine |
|
| 1949 |
6½d |
Puce |
|
