"Halfpenny Packet Post" not acceptable for PC
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:42 am
I've just bought a panoramic card published by Photochrom Co Ltd showing Bulford Camp and posted in 1909. The size (240 x 100mm) does more justice to the photograph than on normal-sized PCs on which it features quite often. On the address part of the card is printed "Halfpenny Packet Post", but the GPO has stamped the card "Liable to Letter Rate 144", with a large "1d" endorsed with initials. (Postage Due stamps were not introduced until 1914.)
It looks as if Photochrom made a mistake in stating the rate was a halfpenny? Or had the rules changed since the card was printed.
There's a load of guff
here
about what the Halfpenny Packet Post could be used for, but I can't see anything that precludes a panoramic postcard. And a couple of such cards with halfpenny stamps and no surcharge (admittedly postmarked before 1909) are being offered on eBay.
It looks as if Photochrom made a mistake in stating the rate was a halfpenny? Or had the rules changed since the card was printed.
There's a load of guff
here
about what the Halfpenny Packet Post could be used for, but I can't see anything that precludes a panoramic postcard. And a couple of such cards with halfpenny stamps and no surcharge (admittedly postmarked before 1909) are being offered on eBay.