Registered Letters
 

 

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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 #.

 

Cost of registered envelopes
F - 5¼ in. x 3¼ in. G - 6⅛ in. x 3¾ in. H - 8 in. x 5 in. H2 - 9 in. x 4 in.
(Until 1940)		 K - 11½ in. x 6 in.
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

 

Date Value Stamp Size Paper Notes
F G H H2 K
1937 4½d Puce

King George V head

 Y Y Y Y Y White  
Y* Y Y Y Y Buff *Example below - uprated and used 1938
Y Y Y Y Y Cream  
Y         White Blue paper lining
1940 4½d Puce Y Y* Y Y Y White *Example below
Y White

Size label change - middle line reads

 'X size envelope. Price 5d.'
Y Buff
1940 4½d Puce Y Y Y Y White Registration panel on back changed to compensation panel - see example below
Y Y Y Y Buff
Y Y White Size label change - Middle line price deleted by bar
Y Y Buff
Y Y Y White

Size label change - Middle line has no price / X size envelope aligned to left
Y Y Y Buff
1940 5½d Brown Y Y Y Y White
Y Y Y Y   Buff
Y* Y Y Y Y White Size label change - 'Price 6d' included in middle line - see example below
End of H2 size
Y Y Y Y Y Buff
1941 5½d Brown Y Y Y   Y White

Size label change - X size envelope aligned centre over 'c' of 'space' [Figure A]
Y Y Y   Y Buff
Y Y Y   Y Cream
1943 5½d Brown Y White # Printing by sub contractors - Pirie Appleton & Co (see under flap)
Y Buff
Y White # Printing by sub contractors - M Cook & Sons Ltd (see under flap)
Y Buff
Y White # Printing by sub contractors - Emerson Make (see under flap)
Y Buff
Y White # Printing by sub contractors - B. E & W. [Berry, Ede and White] - (see under flap)
Y Buff
1945 5½d Brown Y Y Y Y White

Fee panel change (dots) + Compensation change (underlining) - *see example below

+ Note under flap as above (Fig B)
Y Y* Y Y Buff

1945 5½d Brown Y White # Printing by sub contractors - P. A. & CO. LTD [Pirie Appleton] - (see under flap)
Y Buff
1947 5½d Brown Y White # Printing by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited - (see under flap)
Y Buff
1947 5½d Brown Y White Note under flap as Fig B above / Blue paper lining instead of scrim
Y Buff
1947 5½d Brown Y Y Y Y* White Underlining under: 'AT THE TIME OF POSTING.' + Label panel size of envelope moved slightly to right. See below
Y Y Y Y Buff
1947 5½d Brown Y Y White # As above, but printing by sub contractors - P. A. & CO. LTD [Pirie Appleton] - (see under flap) / Blue paper lining
Y Y Buff
1947 5½d Brown Y White

Label panel back to Fig B above with central size line moved slightly to right

# Printing by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited - (see under flap)
Y Buff
1949 5½d Brown Y Y Y Y White Registered letter panel shortened message as in example below / Printing at McCorquodale (see fig B)
Y Y Y Y Buff
1949 5½d + 1d Brown + Carmine Y* White *See example below
Y Buff
1949 6½d Puce Y Y Y* Y White *See example below - compensation fee to 4d
Y Y Y Y Buff
1951 6½d Puce Y Y Y Y* White Change to compensation panel (£2.18s) - see below
Y Y Y Y Buff
Although printed with the head of King George VI, the 8½d grey registered letters were issued in 1952 / 1954.
1952 8½d Grey Y Y White As 6½d above apart from change in value
Y Y Buff
Y Y Y* Y White * see example below
Y Y Y Y Buff
1954 8½d Grey Y Y White

Central panel more closely printed
Y Y Buff
FORCES USE
1939 3d Green G2 White Address panel on back / Registration panel on back
No address panel on back / Registration panel on back
1944 3d Green *See example below - Compensation panel on back
1949 4d Green G2 White Compensation panel as above
Compensation panel has 3d deleted and 4d inserted
Compensation panel with just 4d and £2
Compensation panel - £2 change to £2-18-0
1953 6d Puce With King George VI head
STAMPED TO ORDER REGISTERED LETTERS
1940 4½d + 1d Puce + Carmine / /
1941 5½d Brown
1949 5½d + 1d Brown + Carmine
1949 6½d Puce

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Contact : Malcolm Sanders :  kg6gb@hotmail.com