FORGERIES

I have placed copies of forgeries of the London printing of two of the first three values of the New Zealand Chalons., issued in New Zealand on 20 July 1855. Both are described in the Rev. R.B. Earee’s book “Album Weeds” and are recess printed on Star Watermark white wove paper, all very similar to the issued postage stamps . Incidentally the Perkins Bacon Numbered Barred obliterators are also forged. Earee also states that a similar forgery exists for the two penny value, and I would be most interested to be shown a copy and if available to purchase a copy. I also show a copy of the Jeffrey’s Forgery of the one shilling value, which will be well known to most philatelists, however the other two shown are not so well known .

The Royal Navy Concession Postal Rates 1795 – 1913

5 May 1795 – Seamen serving in the Royal Navy were granted special concession postal rates, granted under Act 35 George III Cap 53, which allowed non-commissioned Officers, Seamen and Private Men, in the Navy and Army whilst on service to send and receive letters at a low rate of postage.  Postal Rates were dealt with under

Clause VII – Single letters from such privileged persons; One Penny, Prepaid.

Clause VIII-  Single letters to such privileged persons (to be sent unpaid)One Penny to be paid on delivery.

25 March 1803 – Letters sent to Seamen could now be either prepaid or paid on delivery.  Act 43 George III Cap 28.

Clause 18 – Single Letters from privileged persons (as described in the 5 May 1795 act George III Cap 53) shall pay only One Penny each single letter.  Letters if sent to them and if prepaid the Penny in Great Britain, no charge to be made.

Clause  20 – Single letters sent to them if sent unpaid, only One Penny to be charged on delivery.

16 July 1806 – To take effect from 1 August 1806 – Clause V, repealed the original clauses (5 May 1795 Clauses VII & VIII)

Clause VI – Single letters from seamen, One Penny prepaid.

Clause VII – Seamen may receive single letters, free of postage if prepaid One Penny.

Clauses VIII & IX – Extended the privilege rates to Serjeant, Corporal, Trumpeter, Drummer, Fifer and Private Soldier…

Clause X – Not to extend to Officers.

August 1811 – General Post Office Instruction No. 13. 

Concession rate letters were only applicable from the British Dominions, provided there was a regular Packet Boat mail service, otherwise the letters would be treated as “Ship Letters”

clause I – No single letter from a Seaman shall be charged a higher rate than One Penny, to be prepaid.

clause 2 – No single letter directed to a seaman shall be charged a higher rate than One Penny, to be prepaid.

clause 3 -  privilege cannot be enjoyed where there are no Packet Boats. 

clause 4 – Commissioned or Warrant Officers, Midshipmen or Masters’ Mates, Captains’ Clerks, Schoolmasters, Caulkers, Ropemakers, armourers, Mates and Cooks, Masters at Arms, and Master Sail-Makers are precluded.

clause 10 – Money Orders cannot be folded up and passed as letters for One Penny, but must be enclosed in letters which are then liable to double or treble postage, or if folded and sent as a single letter full postage to be charged.

September 1813 – General Post Office Notice No. 13 -

clause 1 – Seamen and Soldiers within any Part of His Majesty’s Dominions to and from which there are regular Mails, can send and receive single Letters, on their own private Concerns only, while such Seamen or Soldier shall be employed on His Majesty’s Service, and not otherwise, for ONE PENNY.

clause 2 – Letters from Seamen, the Penny must be paid at the Time it is put into the Post Office.

clause 3 – Letters to Seamen, the Penny must be paid at the Time it is put into the Post Office.

To obtain the  Concessions, all letters had to be endorsed by the Officer or other persons having at the time the command of the Ship, Vessel, Regiment, Corps, or Detachment. Other requirements included the name and rank of the Seaman, together with the name of the Ship…

Again I would like to emphasis that it was not the “Commanding Officer” which was required to endorse the letter for the Concession rate, but “the Officer in Command at the time”  Examples are recorded where Warrant Officers endorsed the letters, this included Midshipmen, Gunners etc.

clause 4 –  confirmed that whilst the concession rates were applicable for Seamen and Soldiers serving throughout the British Dominions, the Rate was not applicable where there was no communication by Packet Boats, in which case the letters were subject to full Postage.

Also included were diagrams how the letters were to be set out.

clause 5 – Listed the ranks of persons who were not eligible for the concession rates; Commissioned or Warrant Officers etc…

clauses 6 – 9 – Set out the penalties for Officers who knowingly committed an error of judgement, relating to the concession rate enjoyed by Seamen and Soldiers, generally the sum of Five Pounds.

clause 10 – Set out the consequences faced by Seamen and Soldiers who committed an Misdemeanor.

clause 11 – Brought to the attention of Postmasters that Money Orders sent by such privileged persons, required the full Postage paid irrespective how they were sent, in some cases they had been folded in the shape of a letter.

clause 12 – Confirmed that due diligence by the Postmasters to ensure that all letters sent at the concession rate were on the PRIVATE concerns of the Seaman or Soldier.

To be continued.

Crimean War Exhibit – Royal Navy

14.12.2009

The question which requires an answer is… Was the Baltic Campaign part of the Crimean War? 

A One Frame Exhibit (16 Pages) which was entered at the New Zealand National Stamp Exhibition held at Timaru, TIMPEX 2009, 16 – 18 October 2009.  The Title of the Exhibit caused the Judges a few problems with the Royal Navy involvement in both the Baltic and Black Sea, all under the heading “Crimean War”.  W.G. Stitt Dibden in his book Postage Rates of HM Forces 1795 – 1899, published by The Postal History Society (UK) 1963, described the Baltic Campaign as “The Forgotten War”.  During the Crimean War the Royal Navy were involved not only in the Baltic and the Black Sea, but also in the White Sea, the Pacific and the Azoff Sea. 

The attached pdf File of the exhibit (Link – Crimean War Exhibit),  is rather large 10.9 Mb, so  it will take  approximately 5 minutes to open, so please be patient and good viewing.

Any details of Royal Navy covers from any areas would be appreciated, of special interest is the Fivepenny Seaman Concession Rate posted via Danzig, and the prisoner of War covers in connection with the loss of HMS Tiger.

link: Crimean War Exhibit

RESEARCH

Help is requested.

I am currently preparing an exhibit and eventually a book on the Royal Navy Ships which have visited New Zealand during the period 1769 – 1913, and would be grateful for any help, in obtaining scans of the ships involved.  To date I have listed 75 ships of which I have only photographs of 17!

I would also appreciate details of possible web sites in order to obtain any information on this subject.

Naturally if anyone else is embarking on a similar or the same line of research, I am sure it would be to our mutual benefit to exchange details.

Any help will be very much appreciated.

Social Postal History

At the recent National Stamp Exhibition held at Melbourne, Australia, the new FIP Postal History Class (Subclass 2C) for Historical, Social and Special Studies., was included for the first time.   As was to be expected the Judges were faced with something new and whilst they no doubt did their best, many of the New Zealand exhibitors felt that some of the points which the the Judges marked the exhibits were not in line with the FIP Guidelines as set out in the Streamline Seminar 1 Notes (38 pages)

This new sub class of Postal History, was judged at the recent “TIMPEX 2009″ National Stamp Exhibition held at Timaru, NZ South Island.  From all the reports received, no problems were encounted, and to date there have been no negative reports.  The  Seminar which was held under the auspices of NAPE, with Gary Brown giving a Power Point display proved of great benefit to everyone, both Judges and Exhibitors.

Auckland Province Un-named Datestamps 1864 – 1877

An exceptional exhibit of this material was exhibited at “Timpex 2009″ the National Stamp Exhibition held at Timaru, South Island NZ.  The three frame entry by Gerald Ellott, was awarded a Large Gold Medal with Felicitations of the Jury for Research and  also received the CP Ltd. Award for the “Outstanding New Zealand Exhibit.”  Judged in the Postal History Class, it is believed that this is a first in NZ for a three frame entry to be awarded a Large Gold Medal. 

These un-named datestamps were first suggested by the Post-Master General in his Report dated 4 June 1860, as an economy measure, when Post Offices had a short life, and the datestamps could be reused, rather than have new datestamps made.  unfortunately all the records of where they were used have now been lost or destroyed.  Of the seven known datestamps, the exact location of use is only known for three of them.  Whilst there is some conjecture of the location of use for numbers 3 and 5, the location of use for numbers 6 and 7 are still a mystery.  Can anyone help?

The Crimean War & the Royal Navy

The Royal Navy involvement in the  Crimean War. 

To most people the Crimean War, conjures up the Charge of the Light Brigade, and the bombardment of Sevastopol, the Battles of Alma, Inkerman, and Balaklava. 

To most Postal Historians, it is the Army Post Offices at Constantinople, Varna, Balaklava, Army HQ Crimea and at Scutari Hospital.  Probably more so, are the cancellations used; the “Crown and Stars” and the “Star and Cyphers”, this second type commonly called the “OXO” type.

What most people do not realise is that there was just as much action and involvement by the Royal Navy in other areas, far removed from the Crimean Peninsular. Locations which included the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Sea of Azoff and the Pacific Ocean. 

On St. George’s Day April 23, 1856, in honour of the conclusion of peace, and in recognition of the Navy, Queen Victoria, in the Victoria and Albert, reviewed at Spithead a large fleet of some 240 ships, most of which had recently served either in the Baltic or in the Black Sea.