Q76 July, 2010   member 383

Postal stationery

Discussing postal stationery in his treatise, Peter Smith remarks (page 667) that in 1938 "on the occasion of the birth of the Royal child (…) a non-dominated formula envelope was prepared featuring the same design as the adhesive commemorative stamp for the Royal Wedding, but without denomination, in dark carmine". This envelope is shown as Fig 26 on his next page. I have found a similar, but larger envelope of the same sort; it measures 17.5 x 13.5 cm against 15.3 x 12.3 cm for the one described by Professor Smith. My envelope has been used by THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, the printers of these envelopes. It is franked with 54 mills in Official stamps and sent on 1 DE 38 to London. The tariff of 54 mills corresponds with a letter of the fourth weight class (80 to 100 grams).

Apparently the Gov-ernment Press (Smith speaks of "State Printing Works") was using up (part of) its stock of unusable envelopes as the Arabic "inscription included the phrase 'royal child' in the masculine, whereas a girl was born" (Smith, p. 667). Has anyone seen this envelope (or the smaller one) postally used?






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