Registered Letter - GB Norwich

Hi all. I am dipping my toe back into stamping (as I like to say). I picked up this Registered letter in a tiny Texas antique shop. I normally identify stamps through my catalogues. Where do I start to identify this letter? Any input is appreciated - I will take any info and run with it. Nora.

Can't help you with the actual letter, but the address is at the base of Norwich Castle in the market.

I lived in Thetford for a while, and used to go to Norwich.

Beautiful place!!!

The stamp is the 1881 Penny Lilac of the unified issue. This looks like a Die II stamp. This has 16 dots in each corner. Die I - the more expensive one - has 14 dots in each corner.
This is listed by Stanley Gibbons as SG 172 (lilac), SG 173 (deep purple), or SG 174 mauve. These have a low price as they are very common. There is also a bluish lilac stamp (SG172a) that is catalogued over £ 50 - I am looking at 1995 prices. -

The stamp pays the uniform penny postage rate for inland UK letters up to 1 oz. (1885 - 1897). Your item seems to be a specially printed registered cover pre-paying the registration fee as shown in your picture. I shall leave it to postal history experts to tell you about the cover.

I expect the value of the item is in the cover as is. The condition of the stamp is not very good, but the item is very nice.

see also
https://www.stampcommunity.org/topi...PIC_ID=22455

Hi NSK! was hoping you would chime in. Thank you again for that great information - this will help me dig a little deeper. There is this small quaint town in Central Texas - Wimberley, Texas where I visited an antique shop and I found a lot of great things. I thought it fun to find so many covers there - wasn't expected. I hope you are doing well, Nora.

In 1841 registration was re-introduced with a one shilling (1/-) fee. This fee was gradually reduced and in 1878 was two pence (2d). Your type of envelope was used from December 1892 and was available in 5 sizes. The stamp has already been described...it is of interest in that it is the only GB stamp to have Postage and Inland Revenue on it. All others do not have the "Inland".

I can add a little more information, I collect Great Britain postal stationery on a very small scale, and since neither Scott nor Stanley Gibbons lists them, my only source of reference is a very old (1986) Michel catalogue of postal stationery of Western Europe. Therefore the prices are all in Deutschmarks (this was pre-euro) and very out of date. However your registered cover is listed and, since it has the table of limits of compensation up to 50 pounds, and in two columns, it appears to be Michel's number EU 16, two pence ultramarine (the embossed registration imprint on the back flap, not the one penny adhesive stamp already described), issued in 1893 and priced at 4.50 DM, which I believe was about $1.12 at the time. If the size is 133 by 83 millimeters it is Format F. Other, larger sizes were also issued, but I think it's probably the smaller one. Nice cover. By the way, EU in the catalogue number stands for "Einschreibe-Umschlage" (with an umlaut over the 'a') which is German for inscribed envelopes.

@waddsbadds

A less confusing translation for Einschreibung, as the text on the cover suggests, is registration.

Nora,
can you supply the size of the envelope, please.?
I am having trouble identifying it.

Hoping it to be Type H = 127mm x 204mm

My problem is The "scalloped flap" was only produced in 1878
which does not match the embossed stamp (Type C)
I also have NO "Fee Paid" under the circled "R"

I wonder if a privately produced envelope?

Update:

I believe it to be (apart from the scalloped" flap
Brightmore Catalogue #17
1893
Embossed stamp Type C (as yours)
Format size #5 Type I = 178mm x 253mm
All these envelopes 2d in shades of Blue (as yours)
Compensation £5 to £50 with "FEE PAID" (as yours)

Here is the killer

"Printed adhesive compensation SCHEDULES were, in some cases, affixed (glued) to the back, to use up old stock of envelopes" (as yours)

That explains the scalloped flap.

This article may be of interest. You can see what a scalloped flap looks like.

https://www.collectgbstamps.co.uk/d...nvelopes.pdf

Well done Jill !
fabulous link and *.pdf
Thank you.

If you are interested in collecting postal stationery such as your cover you should think about obtaining a good catalogue. While there are several, all are out of print. In my opinion the best overall one would be the very old Higgins and Gage (not to be confused with the two versions by Huggins and Baker which are also good). The extensive H&G World Posatal Stationery Catalogue was published in sections so you can just get the Great Britain section. These are hard to find but you can get lucky on ebay or such or you go to places like the American Philatelic Society's Library or such. Many common sizes of registered envelopes such as yours were printed in large numbers, but there are other harder to find sizes that were printed in smaller numbers.

Hi Nora, glad to see you're dipping a toe back in.
I think I'd re-visit that shop. "So many covers there" would make me think some one's collection sold to the wrong venue.

Hi LittleRiverPhil: You know - I think you may have a point. So many covers from all over - a lot of Washington, Franklin postage and postcards. I picked up a very nice vintage Christmas postcard from 1910 :). Definitely an excuse to go back - if you google Wimberley, TX and check out the images, the Springs and Lakes are beautiful! Jacob's Well is a great swimming hole with Blue-green clear water. Nora.

Thank you 22crows - wonderful link that you have shared :). Nora.

Thanks, always happy to help, Nora