Postcards to Foreign Countrties

General Estonian Postal Rates for Postcards to Foreign Countries 
1.1.1919 - 5.12.1940.

Exceptions: Latvia, Lithuania, (both countries from 1923 – 5.12.1940), Finland (31.12.1928 – 30.11.1940) and Sweden (1.5.1937 – 5.12.1940) had the special postal agreement with Estonia. Please, look at the examples.

1.1.1919 - 31.12. 1919   

This is quite an early postcard from Tallinn to Helsinki, Finland. Estonia and Finland had a special Postal Agreement during 31.12.1928 – 30.11.1940 but this postcard has been sent well before that period. 20 kop is the correct fee and these stamps belong to the "Flower Design"-serie. There is a censor label "Tarkastettu Suomessa" on the card. Yes, it was war time and all mail was censor inspected.

1.1.1920 - 30.6. 1920  

This is a card from Haapsalu 15.3.1920 to Helsinki, Finland. 50 penni is the correct fee.

1.7.1920 - 9.4. 1921   

This card is sent from Tartu 28.7.1920 to Bradford, Pennsylvania in USA. The stamp is blue 1 Mk Estonian Long Ship and rate is correct. The picture behind is from Tartu Castle and writer tells that they have had good times in Tartu tennis court.

10.4.1921 - 31.10. 1922  

This item is quite a peculiar compared with the previous one. Indeed, this card needs now a 5 Mk stamp to go! Yes, at that time inflation was galloping forward. This Carte Postale is equipped with yellow Estonian 5 Mk Long Ship and it is the correct rate. The departure has been from VORU, 16 VIII 1921, and the target has been OKERTAL in Germany (Lower Saxony).

1.11.1922 - 31.1. 1925

The above card has been send to Joensuu, in Finland, on 17 VII 1924. 

 

1.2.1925 - 31.12. 1927 

 

The above card has been send from Tallinn 22 V 1926 to Helsinki, in Finland. The fee of 12 marka is correct for the postcard but this item is “the border case”. If we are very strict, this is actually a letter. Why so? Because: there is other writing than address on the address’s part of the card. So was the law in Estonia. Letter to Finland at that time would be 20 Mk. 

1.2.1925 - 31.12. 1927 

The postcard from Haapsalu 9. VIII. 1927 to Stockholm. Estonia and Sweden had a special Postal Agreement during 31.12.1928 – 30.11.1940 but this postcard has been sent well before that period.

The Special Postal Agreement between Estonia and Finland was valid between 31.12.1928–5.12.1940. The fee for the postal card – the whole period of the agreement time – was 10 senti (0, 10 krooni). 

1.1.1928 - 31.12. 1934 

 

The above card has been send from Nõmme 22 XII 1931 to Los Angeles, in California. The fee of 12 senti is correct because this is not a Printed Paper but a real postcard.

Look at the prices before this card: the fee of this card is 12 s but the others have 12 Mk. Exactly; there was the monetary renewal in Estonia 1.1.1928 and Marka was replaced by Krooni. 

1.1.1935 - 31.3. 1939

 

This card has gone to Havana, Cuba and so the fee of 15 senti is correct.

1.1.1935 - 31.1. 1939

 

The Special Postal Agreement between Estonia and Sweden was valid between 1.5.1937–5.12.1940. The fee for the postal card – the whole period of the agreement time – was 10 senti (0, 10 krooni). So, why is here then 15 senti? Hah, because this card was sent 5 VIII 1936!

  

1.4.1939 - 5.12. 1940

This is a postcard from Tallinn 10. XI. 1939 to Berlin. Wehrmacht censorship was in Königsberg (now Kalingrad). 18 senti is the correct rate for this quite rare card. Why so rare? Reason is here; stamp is alone and 18 s was the fee for the foreign rate. Also: stamp K. Päts 18 s: Day of Issue: April 17, 1939, issued only 296 950 pcs; valid up to 31.12.1940.

The Darling of the Stamp Collectors

Von Baggo family was the owner of SAKU beer company before the WW II.  Von Baggos were also famous philatelists and there are many letters remaining from their collection of Estonian stamps. The above letter is delivered to Frau E. v. Baggo in Danzig and on the envelope there is an imperforated Weaver & Smith-issue 9 Mk. The philatelically orientated people knew that this stamp is a some kind of rarity and they used it on their correspondence. (Its printing amount is only 59 800 pcs). The stamp was issued on April 18, 1923. This registered letter is dated 9.V.24 and arrived in Danzig 12.5.24. The registration fee for the foreign letter during 1.11.1922-31.1.1925 was 15 Mk. The postal fee for the foreign 20g. letter - during 1.1.1924-31.1.1925 - was also 15 Mk, so the total of 30 Mk is correct.

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An interesting AirMail postcard

Yllä oleva, lentoteitse Kölniin kulkenut kortti aiheuttaa pientä päänvaivaa monine merkintöineen. Otetaan niistä kaikista selvää tarkemmin ja katsomme ensin taksat. Aikavälille 1.1.1928–31.12.1934 ulkomaan postikortti maksoi 12s. Lentolisä postikortille (additional fee for airmail postcard) Saksaan aikavälille 1.7.1928–30.4.1934 oli 20s. Tällä kortilla lentolisän osuudeksi on ehdotettu 15s mutta joku on ollut tarkkana ja kortille on lyöty jo Eestissä T-lunastus-leima ja sen viereen numerot 12,5. Luku liittyy varmasti lunastuksen summaan sakkoineen mutta mikä lienee valuutta? Yleinen valuuttamerkintöjen kieli oli ranska ja jokaisessa postissa oli muuntotaulukko oman valuutan laskemiseksi. Toinen leima eli violetti "Nachge??" oikealla kuuluu lunastuksen suorittamiseen. Iso sininen numero 13 on taas merkintä, joka osoittaa mihin kantopiiriin kortti ohjataan.

Lisää merkintöjä: kortilla on Lendpost/Par avion-lipuke ja se on leimattu Berliiniin lentävän yhtiön tuplapyöröleimalla. Seuraava leimaus on tämä: Mit luftpost befördert/Postamt Köln/Zweigsteme Flughafen = (Kuljetettu lentopostina/ Kölnin postitoimisto/ lentoaseman alaosasto = transported by air mail/ the airport branch of post office Cologne). Kortti on siis lentänyt Tallinnasta Kölniin Berliinin kautta mutta minä päivänä? Mielenkiintoista, että kortin kirjoittaja on päivännyt viestinsä 2.9.1931 mutta Tallinnan leimaus on 1 IX 31! Berliinin ja Kölnin leimat ovat molemmat päivätty 3.9.31. Täytyykö tästä nyt lukea se päätelmä, että leimasinta käyttävä virkailija ei ollut vaihtanut oikeaa päivämäärää leimasimeen, eikä muistanut oikein lentolisää? Yksi vaihtoehto tietysti on, että koko kortin kuljetusoperaatio on tapahtunut 2-3.9 tai pelkästään 3.9.1931.

T–leima/stamp = lunastusleima = redemption stamp

The number 12,5 and the blue stamp "Nachge??" for sure belong to the redemption payment.

 

The message is dated: 2.9.31