Netherlands Postal History: International Change of Address : 1925

Domestic change of address cards were first issued by the Netherlands PTT in 1919. The change of address rate was the same as the first weight domestic printed matter rate. Domestic change of address cards were the subject of an earlier post.

The domestic change of address cards could be sent to international destinations but had to be uprated, not to the international printed matter rate, but to the international post card rate. This was confusing and resulted in the underpayments shown in this post.

In 1940, the international change of address rate was decreased to the international printed matter rate with the release of the 2 1/2c international change of address card. The 1 1/2c domestic cards could also be uprated to 2 1/2c for use to foreign destinations.

1) October 1, 1925 - October 31, 1928 : 10c

The international post card rate applied to domestic change of address cards mailed to foreign destinations.

To the United States

Haarlem to Arlington, Mass., May 29, 1926

2c domestic change of address card uprated to 10c foreign post card rate

2) November 1, 1928 - 1940

The 7 1/2 c international post card rate was charged for change of address cards mailed to foreign destinations.

a) Fully Paid

To Canada

Bussum to Toronto, April 3, 1934

1 1/2c domestic change of address card uprated to 7 1/2 c foreign post card rate

s'Gravenhage to Detroit, March 29, 1935

1 1/2c domestic change of address card uprated to 7 1/2 c foreign post card rate

(1/2 c convenience overpayment)

To Germany

s'Gravenhage to Vienna, March 1, 1939

1 1/2c domestic change of address card uprated to 7 1/2 c foreign post card rate

To Palestine

Amsterdam to Haifa, October 19, 1939

1 1/2c domestic change of address card uprated to 7 1/2 c foreign post card rate

The sender, aware that the international post card rate applied to change of address cards, wrote the following:

It's a pity to send this card without any words as the whole porto is wasted. So I write these lines that we are in great health and that we four work closely together.

Both sides of the card were used for the message.

b) Insufficiently Paid

To Germany

(Not taxed)

Utrecht to Cologne, April 19, 1932

1 1/2c domestic change of address card incorrectly uprated to 2 1/2 c foreign printed matter rate

The card should have been taxed 10c (double the 5c deficiency) or 20 gold centimes. The German amount due would have been 10 pfennig (25pf = 50 g. centimes)

To the United States