1838 to General Postal Union
by Richard F. Winter, 128 pages, All Rights Reserved.
Mail between the United States and France during the period 1838 to GPU offers a wide variety of postal rates. Because there was no postal convention between the two countries before 1857, any rate change in one country affected the postage on mails between the two countries. Prior to 1857 these changes occurred quite often. This exhibit will show all the rate changes between the two countries as well as some rates thru to destinations beyond.
As a postal rate and route study it can best be illustrated with stampless covers. The exhibit is arranged chronologically within each rate study period, which begins with a boxed explanation. Information provided under each cover includes date/place of origin, destination, steamship and transatlantic voyage time, rates paid, international accounting, postage due, and additional notes. Important markings are shown.
From 1838, when the first regular non-contract steamship service across the Atlantic began, transatlantic mail was carried by steamships, first on a non-contract basis and later under contract to one or both of the governments. Mail was sent paid, unpaid, or partly paid depending on the existing international agreements. Before the mid-1850s most overseas mail was sent stampless, either paid in cash (as far as it could be paid) or unpaid.
While many stampless transatlantic covers are common, some rate combinations and routes are quite scarce. By the late 1860s, stampless overseas mail was seldom seen except for unpaid mail. After 1866, even less mail was sent stampless because postal conventions from 1868 levied penalties for unpaid letters.
20 March 1852 San Francisco to Paris 26¢ prepaid for British open mail rate by American packet (West Coast) 8 decimes postage due in Paris
Hermann 13 days (East) “26” handstamp introduced in Sept. 51, two months after U.S. inland rate change
Pre U.S. – France Treaty (1838-1857)
U.S. – France Postal Convention of 1857 (1857-1870)
Pre U.S. – France Treaty (1870-1874)
U.S. – France Postal Convention of 1874 (1874-1876)
| Anglo-French Treaty of 1843 | – | Effective 1 June 1843 |
| U.S. Postal Act of 1845 | – | Effective 1 July 1845 |
| Anglo-French accounting bill change | – | About 20 January 1845 |
| French steamship service direct to U.S. | – | Commenced 22 June 1847 |
| U.S. Act of 1848 (retaliatory order) | – | Order published 3 July 1848 |
| U.S. Postal Order (rescinded retaliatory order) | – | Effective 3 January 1849 |
| U.S. – British Postal Convention of 1848 | – | Effective 15 February 1849 |
| End French variable internal rates | – | Effective 1 August 1849 |
| U.S. steamship service direct to France | – | Commenced 5 October 1850 |
| U.S. Postal Act of 1851 | – | Effective 1 July 1851 |
| French circular 67 | – | Effective 1 September 1851 |
| French decree of November 1851 | – | Effective 1 December 1851 |
| U.S. Postal Order of January 1853 (retaliatory order) | – | Effective with steamer departure 26 January 1853 |
| U.S. Postal Order of February 1853 (rescinded retaliatory order) | – | Effective 10 February 1853 |
| Anglo – French Treaty of 1856 | – | Effective 1 January 1857 |
| U.S. – French Postal Convention of 1857 | – | Effective 1 April 1857 |
| End of U.S. – French Postal Convention | – | Effective 1 January 1870 |
| U.S. – French Postal Convention of 1874 | – | Effective 1 August 1874 |
| General Postal Union (France included) | – | Effective 1 January 1875 |
