New Zealand: Chalons - 1855-1873

Hi Dave

It has taken 14 years to get those 3d serrates. Both saving up and finding the right copies.

I exhibited in Wellington last year. I won't be exhibiting in Auckland. I want to get more material together rather than presenting the same exhibit twice.

Grant

Hi Dave

Yes Klaus has a fantastic collection, particularly strong on postal history ( some beautiful covers )


Cheers Grant 

More lovely items Grant.

Very nice to see them.



Dave

Here is an SG132 1d Red brown Davies of 1872-73 p12½

It was printed off a rapidly deteriorating plate - this example tho' has a white patch to her crown !





Dave

Hi Dave

Yes the PO did officially "patch" or repair stamps. I just can't find it at the moment, but there was an article in NZSS

Here is a block of 8, unfortunately I do not have the scans of the back. It does not belong to me. I remember seeing a scan of the rear, and it is clear the "patch" or repair.




Cheers Grant

RPSNZ Vol. 7


Definition:

Late Letters are letters received at the Post Office after the regular mails had closed and were accepted within defined time limits before the mail was dispatched, provided an additional fee (LATE FEE) was prepaid in stamps.
Such letters were included in the “Supplementary Mails”; otherwise they would have been treated as TOO LATE.


Regulations:

From 1 January 1864, late letters were accepted for the United Kingdom and Australia during the period from two hours before departure of the mail from the post office to 20 minutes before dispatch, provided an additional fee of 1/- was prepaid in postage stamps.

From 16 February 1864 a letter box was installed on the poop of contract mail steamers for the reception of inter-provincial late letters which were charged an additional late fee of 6d in postage stamps.(Failing this prepayment, a double fee of 1/- was charges on delivery).

From 1 January 1866 the Late Letter interval for mail to the United Kingdom and Australia was reduced to the period from one hour before departure to 20 minutes before final dispatch.

From 17 July 1867 the late fee to the United Kingdom and Australia, now extended to include America and the West Indies, was reduced to 6d.

From 14 January 1870 late letters were accepted, within time limits as before, to all overseas countries, provided an additional single rate of postage was prepaid in postage stamps. The additional charge on Interprovincial late letters was now reduced from 6d to 3d. Late Letters were now accepted for delivery at another Post Office within the Province on payment of an additional Late Fee of 2d in stamps. Late letters were also accepted for town delivery at an additional charge of 1d, until within 10 minutes of the time of dispatch of the letter carriers.



Late Letters posted without the appropriate late fee were treated as TOO LATE mail and detained until the next dispatch. A fine had to be paid on delivery in the case of insufficiently paid letters posted in the mail steamer letter boxes.
Late Fee and Late Letter hand struck markings, both framed and unframed, were used, as well as manuscript endorsements. Late Fee markings are sometimes found cancelling the additional adhesives.
From the few extant endorsed or stamped covers, it appears that Late Fee or Late Letter markings were not often used and the additional postage paid was sufficient to allow the letter to be accepted for inclusion in the supplementary mails.

Examples posted by gc Grant earlier in this thread:




And one I have just received in:





Dave

I was sorting thru' some Penny Universals last week and sorted out and showed here some lovely SON examples.

As I was self inspired by this I thought that I would sort out my Chalons and show some SON postmarks on these.

1st row:
SG5, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13,

2nd row:
SG14, 16, 37, 37a, 40, 41

3rd row:
SG41, 44, 70, 123, 122, 122a






Dave

Superb line up Dave !!

Long time no post!

Not alot happening on the Chalon front for me lately, I have been focusing on filling other gaps in my collections.
I have also started a France collection and am also taking a look into French Polynesia as well.

How nice to be able to diversify into other areas of our great hobby :-)


Anyway, I am posting back on here as I recently purchased an item that, again for our fondly thought of Christchurch based Trademe dealer friend, has gotten his descriptions incorrect again, to my delight ....

He listed the below item as '$1 Reserve!! Cat $650+!! Rare Used Pair 1d Brown SG 126 Chalon 1871'  - which it isn't!

The pair is p10 all around the outside BUT it is p12½ thru' the center of the pair. That makes this pair not SG126 (p10 all round) BUT SG128a 'irregular compound perf'. 3 sides p10 and 1 side p12½.

Not a huge difference in catalog value - £500 instead of £300 - but a pleasant surprise for sure :-)  (BTW I paid NZ$34 for it)







Dave

Lovely item Grant.

Noted the very large lhs margin on those 2. Also, at first glance, the pair appear imperf between, but of course there is a 'blind' row of perfs down the middle.

I had to look up on the internet when the Telegraph service began in New Zealand and found this:


The national network :

New Zealand’s first telegraph line – between Lyttelton and Christchurch – was set up by the Canterbury provincial government in 1862. British military engineers built a line between Auckland and Drury that opened in June 1863, just before the Waikato War began. By 1865 the southern telegraph line extended from Invercargill, via Dunedin and Christchurch, to the Hurunui river in North Canterbury.

In 1866 the link across Cook Strait was laid. Development of the North Island network was delayed by opposition from some Māori. The Wellington–Auckland line was not fully operational until 1872. With the assistance of Māori allies and the use of military redoubts, the route ran via Napier, Taupō and Tauranga.


With those dates in mind and seeing the date on your cover, May 9 1872,  it is no wonder there are so few covers known. Very early use of the Auckland - Wellington section of that service.


An early NZ Telegraph form from Christchurch 1867:






Dave

UPDATE (and correction):

I recently purchased, and have received, the latest CP Catalog - up to date to 2023 :-)

I looked up, amongst other things, this item that I referred to as SG128a 'irregular compound perf' 3 sides p10 and 1 side p12½.

However! In the new CP Catalog this item is listed as:

1871 Perf. 10
Plate shows intermediate wear
A1n 1d Reddish-brown (shades) (SG126)
   (x) Horizontal pair perf.12½ between - $3000

So now I am even more rapt about it.

NB Of course had they been two singles instead of a pair then they would each be SG128a. (I will try and not separate them then!)



Dave

Thoughts the readers may like these. Very late use Chalon covers

First one is Napier to London sent 25 August 1875, almost 20 months after the last official release date.



The second is locally posted in Christchurch on 26 September 1910, the last recorded cover posted using a Chalon before they were demonetized in 1913

I simply wish to say that I have enjoyed these Chalon posts tremendously.

Nice items Dave
I hadn't seen a year omission before
Cheers Grant