EXPRESS/registered/declared value

EXPRESS - EXPRÉS

One of the many puzzles surrounding pre-stamp covers is the meaning of the feather like symbol applied to some early entires. It has been suggested that this is an early attempt to encourage prompt delivery. The use of the latin "cito, cito", translated as fast, fast was another such attempt.

ESTAFETTE

An early express (“Estafette”) service existed between 1832 and 1836. The letters found sent by this service were most frequently from Antwerp to Paris. Other destinations are known, but are rare. The charge was very high at 11 décimes.

Business letter dated 4 September 1833 from Anvers to Paris. Anvers Type 13 date stamp, LPB₂R for letters to France from the second rayon. PAR ESTAFETTE and French entry mark “BELGIQUE/PAR/VALENCIENNES”, all struck in red. Blue Paris arrival mark.

Rate: 11 Dècimes made up of 6 dècimes for letter from the  2^nd  Rayon (radius) plus 5 dècimes for the French stretch.

Early EXPRÉS Service

In November 1868 an express service was introduced for items to be delivered close to a post office. An additional  fee of 30 centimes was charged and a manuscript cachet applied in the form "A REMETTRE PAR EXPRES" or "BUITENGWONE BESTELLING". Express delivery was possible to areas without a post office at an additional charge of 1,50 francs.

From 1^st  May 1874 in the Brussels area, a charge of 25 centimes was introduced to be paid through the use of a telegraph stamp. The service was extended to Antwerp, Ghent and Liege in 1875. In 1878 a 1 franc charge was introduced for areas where there was no post office and in 1883 the use of postage stamps or telegraph stamps was permitted. In 1885 the service was extended to other major cities being made universal on 1^st  December 1887. At the same time additional rates were introduced for deliveries outside of the immediate area of the post office. An additional 25 centimes up to 3 kilometres, 50 centimes for the next kilometre and 75 centimes for the next with 20 centimes/kilometre thereafter. Additional payments were required for night delivery and for adverse weather conditions. These additional charges were subsequently revised until on 20^th May 1946 when a uniform charge of 4,50 francs was introduced. In 1929 as service was introduced in Brussels whereby items could be posted on trams. A cachet "TRAM" was introduced in various forms, this appears to have been short-lived. In 1929 the EXPRES cachet was replaced with a red label EXPRÉS spoedbestelling.

On 1^st December 1994, the express service was significantly modified. Instead of the white red etiquette EXPRÉS spoedbestelling, a self-adhesive label POSTEXPRESS was introduced, which was intended to be stuck to the left of the addressee’s address. Two alphanumeric indicators were included in strips at the top of the label, the second strip being removable and self-adhesive so that it could be removed and stuck in the post office records. Removal of this strip was required only for internal deliveries. The price of the POSTEXPRESS label,which was not intended to be postmarked, was 180 fr..

On 18th June 2001 the express service was transferred to EMS-TAXIPOST using an envelope based system at 9,40€ for up to 350 grammes and 12,15€ for up to 1 kilogramme.

REGISTERED

The origin of registration goes back to the mid-eighteenth century when pre-paid letters which contained valuables were "recommended" or "entrusted" to the postal service and the sender eventually received confirmation of safe receipt. The letter employed in this manner was annotated "recommandé", "chargé" and/or NB in various forms, NB being equivalent to Nota Bene. Later handstamps in the form of recommandé and chargé came into use being replaced by AAGETEEKEND during the Dutch period (1815-30). The Belgian postal authorities initially settled on the use of recommandé in red ink; although chargé markings continued in use and eventually became the only valid form. In 1849 the introduction of adhesive stamps was only one of the major postal reforms, the formalisation of the registration being another. The registration fee was established at 20 centimes, wax seals had to be applied to the letter, a boxed or unboxed chargé marking was used and non-delivery or loss was insured up to a value of 50 francs. In 1868 "recommandé" enclosed within a parallelogram was restricted to letters with no declared value whilst "chargé" applied to letters containing items of declared value such as currency. The establishment of the UPU in 1879 led to a universal registration fee of 25 centimes. In 1882 the recommandé handstamp was discontinued in favour of the well known gummed label. As with everything else registration rates have inflated reaching 4€ in 2004.

Avis de reception

In 1868 provision was introduced to advise the sender of safe receipt. The means chosen was the Avis de reception subsequently denoted by the cachet "AR". An additional  fee was charged for this service which was initially distance dependant but in 1870 became a flat rate.

valeur declarée

Also in 1868 provision was made for the insurance of valuable items sent by registered mail, a fee was charged for this service dependant upon the value of the contents

International Valeur Déclarée LA LOUVIERE 19-1-5415 C Single-ring to Austria, franked with

2fr. [Lunettes COB924], 10fr. [Poortman COB848A][Correct Rate12fr. = International Letter rate of 6,50 fr. (40 grammes), fixed registration fee 5,00 fr., Insurance 0,50 fr. per 300 Belgian francs.]

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