Tasmania Registered Mail 1844-1913 (Tasmanian (Australia) Stamp Exhibits)

Registered mail services were an important part of the commercial development of Tasmania in the century from colony to statehood. Sending bank drafts and currency through the mails was risky business in the early days of Van Diemen's Land. Registered mail systems developed out of this commercial need to send valuables by post.This philatelic exhibit traces the development of Registered Mail services in Tasmania from the earliest postal marking of “Money Letter” recorded in 1844 to the introduction of gummed registration labels in 1911-12. The items are grouped by postal marking, and the exhibit shows various frankings, destinations and dates of use for each postal marking and important developments such as changes in registration rates and membership in the UPU.Based on the Postmaster-General’s 1846 report, the government gazetted the first official registration system 18 September 1851, establishing a 6d fee for registered mail (the same rate prevailing in Great Britain) and requiring that it must be prepaid. The postal reforms of 1853 included the introduction of adhesive postage stamps, and the registration fees paid from 1 November 1853 were paid by stamps and therefore reflected on the cover.Country towns used the manuscript endorsement Registered until they received the UPU-mandated “Rin-circle” handstamps in 1892. Manuscript Registered markings are found also on stamps apparently as a cancellation.In April 1883, Tasmania followed Great Britain in offering special reinforced envelopes for posting coins and other valuables by registered mail. The envelope design had the words "REGISTERED LETTER" and a large letter “R” on the front and a Tasmanian 4d embossed stamp on the flap to pay the registration fee.This description is a partial introduction to the exhibit. It is an extraordinarily complete and contextually rich tale that has the added benefit of being lavishly illustrated with wonderful material. Read more