Post by Jen B on Sept 16, 2014 2:59:05 GMT
Every here is probably familiar with the little tabs on Belgian stamps issued between 1893 and 1912 that instructed the postal service to deliver the letter on Sunday or not.
If the poster felt that Sunday delivery violated their religious beliefs that could leave the tab on. If the letter would have been delivered on Sunday it would be held and delivered the following Monday. If the poster didn't mind, they could remove the bottom tab that says "Do not deliver on Sunday".
Ever wonder what philatelists at the time thought about these tabs? Apparently they didn't think much of them, at least in London. Here's a little new issue news from the November 1896 London Philatelist
BELGIUM.—We are informed that the
perforation between the coupon and stamp
of the Dominical stamps is to be suppressed;
in future, instead of the coupon being torn
off, this will have to be crossed through with
pen and ink. This report, if true, seems,
if possible, to add further absurdity to these
Non-Sunday Delivery Stamps. An overwhelming
proportion of all the letters
despatched in the Belgian Post Office are
necessarily delivered on week-days, and
it seems incredible that if, say, 100 letters
are posted by a firm on Monday morning,
each stamp has to be pen-marked, in case
it should not get delivered before the end
of the week!
If the poster felt that Sunday delivery violated their religious beliefs that could leave the tab on. If the letter would have been delivered on Sunday it would be held and delivered the following Monday. If the poster didn't mind, they could remove the bottom tab that says "Do not deliver on Sunday".
Ever wonder what philatelists at the time thought about these tabs? Apparently they didn't think much of them, at least in London. Here's a little new issue news from the November 1896 London Philatelist
BELGIUM.—We are informed that the
perforation between the coupon and stamp
of the Dominical stamps is to be suppressed;
in future, instead of the coupon being torn
off, this will have to be crossed through with
pen and ink. This report, if true, seems,
if possible, to add further absurdity to these
Non-Sunday Delivery Stamps. An overwhelming
proportion of all the letters
despatched in the Belgian Post Office are
necessarily delivered on week-days, and
it seems incredible that if, say, 100 letters
are posted by a firm on Monday morning,
each stamp has to be pen-marked, in case
it should not get delivered before the end
of the week!
