1905 US To Haiti With Postage Due

Shown is a 1905 cover from the US to Haiti and was marked postage-due with the typical "opera glass" T 25 centimes handstamp. My understanding is this handstamp represents 25-centimes due, time 2 for a deficient in postage fee. However, the stamps applied in Haiti are only 5-centimes each. Was the Haitian exchange rate different? Why were only 10-centimes collected instead of 50?

Yes, that is the convenience of an international postage due currency of centimes. Each country can have its own conversion rate depending on its currency strength, etc.

The artificial gold franc/gold centime was only really used by the UPU (as far as I know) EXCEPT in 1925-77 by New Hebrides, jointly ruled by France and Great Britain. But in real life, postage there was paid for in Australian dollars or New Hebrides francs, the actual local currencies.

From Postage stamps of Hayti By Fred J. Melville:
Issues of 1898
Among the stamps printed for the Haytian Republic by the American Bank Note Company were four stamps denoting the amount due on the delivery of a letter in case of insufficient or entire neglect of payment of postage.These stamps which are of 2,5,10 & 50 centimes dénominations ,are all of a similar design.
The bands at the top and Bottom give the words "Chiffre " and "Taxe" respectively;while at each side is the word "Postes".At each of the four corners the initials of the republic d'Haiti,R.H.;are given in small squares.Under the numeral is a curved band bearing the two-lined inscription "Centimes a Percevoir",as on familiar"unpaid" stamps of the French Republic.The color of the 5 centime stamp orange-brown.Perforation 12.
Summary Issue of 1898. Poqtage Due.
2 centimes ,greenish-black
5 centimes, orange -Brown.
10 centimes,orange.
50 centimes,slate.
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Issue of 1899 Postal Union Colours.
The recommmendations of the conference of the UPU at Washington ,with regard to the uniformity of the colours of all stamps of certain dénominations ,gave occasion for a change of colour and type of three of the postage stamps of the 1898 issue.
These were the 1c,2c & 5c stamps,which were produced by the American Bank Note Co. in new colours,the type being changed to the arms design at the same time.
Summary.Issue of 1890.postal Union Colours..Arms design.
1c yellow green
2c lake
5c light blue
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That being said I am not sure it is a 1905 cancel.It could be 1906 when there was a Currency change.
From:
http://histoire-postale.blogspot.co...stre-et.html
In 1906 to try to curb the indemic economic crises the Haitian State decided to use two monetary units.
The first was used for trade within the island: the gourd, which was the country's historic currency.
The second the piastre, gold currency, aligned with the dollar, was established for trade with the outside. A new postal rate was put into service from April 1, 1906( Your cover bears the cancel 25 april) replacing the part concerning international mail which had been running since 1881. New stamps with face values #8203;#8203;in the new currency were ordered from the American Bank Note Company. However, as a matter of urgency, three manual steel seals were also ordered, all marked "Provisional Exterior Service" and the words "En Piastres Fortes", "1 centime fort" and "2 centimes forts" respectively.
These seals were quickly delivered and it was decided first to overload the stamps of the program Nord Alexis. Tests were carried out on Y&T Nos. 86, 87 and 89.
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My feeling is that the addition of the two 5c stamps are bogus.The cover is a partial
forgery.The addition of the 2 postage dues & the addition of the blue crayon marking 10c.
The 35c tax marking is the genuine one.
The 2 5c were not longer valid in that time frame of April 25 1906.
It could be that simply no postage dues stamps were affixed to the letter given the transition period in question.
IMO
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This cover is in The Frajola web site……..?

https://www.philamercury.com/covers.php?id=12857

Thanks for the info John and perf12. As you guessed perf12, I purchased this cover from Mr. Frajola awhile ago. I should have posted a picture of the reverse, the transit marks are clearly from 1905.

So what's the final verdict on the cover?