International Express Post Rates Out Of Australia To 1965

I have just acquired a 1947 cover Australia - United States endorsed 'Express Post' with blue lines confirming (pic when I get home tonight).

Breckon in his articles in The Australian Philatelist lists the domestic Express Post rates. Does any one have the international rates?

Was there such a service?

Post a picture of the cover when you can and we'll see if we can decipher the rate.

Not sure if this helps:

Australian Commonwealth Postal Rates - 1901-1966, Richard Breckon

The Australian Philatelist, Volume 2 Number 2, June 1989

Part 5. Forces Mail and Miscellaneous Services (Pages 34-42)

Page 40:

I missed that paragraph in my too hasty reading of Breckon's article in that volume.

The answer was there all along!

Thanks

The cover looks to be short paid.

1'6 Air mail
6d Express post
3d registration

2'3 total against the actual 2'1 paid.

Hi 64idgaf

Sitting under your first post on this thread is a set of three covers with the overprints that you have for sale on EBay.

The descriptions for the first two are good.

The third - the 5 1/2d purple merino overprint - poses an issue in that the cover is addressed to the UK not the USA. Your comment on the rate deals with the USA.

5 1/2d is the correct rate for a registered cover to the UK at that time. (3d registration + 2 1/2d for a standard letter to a British Empire country = 5 1/2d).

If it were addressed to the USA the standard letter rate would have been 3 1/2d plus the registration of 3d = 6 1/2d.

Thought you'd be interested.

Added image (below) from 64idgaf's listing mentioned above by Black Swan so the thread makes sense moving forward in time.
Don

I also note, in the listing for the third cover - "89 days for air mail during the war".

Didn't the cover go by surface?

Thanks for the feedback, nothing like external examination for better proof reading!

Hi 64idgaf,

Proof reading is not really the issue. What I'm commenting on is this:

"The postage rate for surface mail to the USA was 3d for the first ounce, 2d for each subsequent ounce with an additional ½d per item war tax (10 December, 1941 to 1 July, 1949). Registration was an additional 3 (1 March, 1901 to 1 July, 1949). Postmarked 'REGISTERED ELIZABETH ST / MELBOURNE / 27 August, 1942' (confirmed by back stamp), a receiving mark of London's 'MOUNT ST W 1' is dated 24 November, 1941. 89 days for air mail during the war".

That cover went to Great Britain. The rate was 5 1/2d for a British Empire country. The rate to the USA is irrelevant.

And, yes, as an aside, Perry is correct. They are hard to find. However, his pricing is a bit over-the-top.