Page 44 - Johnson_CapeOfGoodHope
P. 44
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
Underpaid mail going abroad
Cape Town to the United States
October 1883
Main feature
The US calculation or the postage due.
The postage to the UK from the Cape was 6d for \IS oz; the postage to USA via UK was 7Y2d. Mail
which was underpaid should have been charged the deficiency with a fine of one rate. This makes 9d
or 18 cents which appears to have been rounded up to 20c.
The ship letter rate to the UK was also 6d for \IS oz and 7 \~S d to the USA between 1876 and 1888.
However this does not explain the accotmtancy 5 due from the UK to the Cape or the blue 50. 20c
would have been the correct postage_ due on a double weight letter from the UK to the USA [2 Yzd or 5c
for each half ounce doubled] but then the 6d postage Cape to the UK is wrong for a double rate. The
50 in blue must be regarded as the amount debited to the US on a letter from a non UPU source
bearing a charge [the 5 or 5d]. 
