Flown Air Mail covers with the correct postage are rare

This is the registered air mail letter to London/Forest Hill from Tallinn 22.XI.1927 and the arrival in Forest Hill is 26. November, 1927. The letter seems to be genuine. The handbook says: 1) Air Mail stamps should always be together with regular stamps and 2) Flown Air Mail covers with correct postage are scarce. Let us see how is the situation with this envelope: for the time period of 1.2.25–31.12.1927 the registration fee of the foreign letter was 20 Mk and the postal fee (for the same period) of the 20 gr. letter was also 20 Mk. Thus 40 Mk is correct fee. However, how about air mail fee? It is not correct: 23.7.1923 – 31.12.1927 foreign letter (20 gr.) air mail fee was  20 Mk. Good to remember: these final air mail stamps were valid until April 15, 1928. Thereafter the airmail supplementary fee was to be covered by regular stamps.

How about the imperforated 9 Mk red Weaver and Smith? Is it rare or not? It is rare because only 59800 stamps were issued. Here is the data:  
Day of Issue: 18.4.1923 Perforation: Imperforate Issued:59 800
.

More about AIR MAILS, FINAL ISSUE, here:  

http://www.filateelia.ee/efur/catalogue/cat17.html

 

April 15, 1928 was the last limit: 

 thereafter the airmail supplementary fee was to be covered by regular stamps.

Par Avion to Finland

This Air Mailed letter to Finland (down) is a perfect example of the perfect philatelic object: it tells how things were at that time. On this cover everything is right. Let us see details: 

This letter has been sent from Tallinn 6 V 1934 to Viipuri, Finland. (Today Viipuri belongs to Russia). The letter has flown first to Helsinki (the arrival cancellation of 6 V 1934) and the letter has arrived in Viipuri on the next day, 7 V 1934.

We remember that Estonia and Finland had a special postal agreement and so prices are special. The 40 g. letter to Finland  (31.12.1928 - 31.12. 1934) was 0,15 kr or 15 senti. The Air Mail extra (letter of 20 g.) for the period of 1.5.1934 - 31.12.1934 was 0,10 kr or 10 senti. So, the postal fee of 25 senti is correct!

An interesting airmailed 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 20 s. Tällä kortilla lentolisän osuudeksi on ehdotettu 15 s 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 valuuttojen laskemiseksi. Toinen leima eli violetti "Nachge??" oikealla kuuluu lunastuksen suorittamiseen. Iso sininen numero 13 on taas merkintä, joka osoittaa mihin kantopiiriin kortti ohjattiin.

Lisää merkintöjä: kortilla on Lendpost/Par avion-lipuke ja se on leimattu Berliiniin lentävän yhtiön tupla-pyöröleimalla. 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

1924 Final Issue Air Mail Stamps on the cover

This is an airmailed R-letter from Tallinn (13.10.24) - via Helsinki (13.X.24) – to Turku (14.X.24). During 1.1.1924 - 31.1.1925 the correct franking (of 20g. letter) to Finland was 15 Mk. The registration fee during 1.11.1922-31.1.1925 was 15 Mk and the airmail supplementary fee with special airmail stamps during 23.7.1923-31.12.1927 was 20 Mk (for a letter). So, on this envelope there is 75 Mk extra of airmail fee. And look at the backside of the envelope. The envelope arrived in Helsinki 13.X.24 and was arrival cancelled in Turku 14.X.24. Lentopostitse/Med flygpost was stamped in Helsinki.

On the envelope there is the whole set of Final Issue Air Mail Stamps, imperforated. The day of issue for those supplementary stamps was February 12, 1924. The amount of issued imperforated stamps per value (5-20 Mk) was about 52 000 pieces and for the 45 Mk it was 35 800. And as usual, air mail stamps should be always together with regular stamps.

Quite an interesting airmailed printed paper
1.4.1939 – 5.12.1940

This is a very complicated case to study if the postal rate is correct or not! However, Päts 6 senti alone on envelope is very, very rare item, so, we do the work willingly. First, this envelope is an AIRMAILED from Tallinn 5.IV,1939 because on the backside we see the arrival cancellation Helsinki-Avion (Malmi Airport) 5.IV.1939! 

When the arrival cancellation has happened, the tongue of envelope has been inside, and open. That is gossiping that eventually inside there was a name-card. At this time (13.10.1939-29.2.1940), there was no airmail-fee to Finland. The usual 20 g. letter-fee to Finland at this time was 15 senti, so why 6 senti on this envelope? Since far, all refers to the printed paper.

For further inspection, we must know what the valid Postal Decree between Estonia and Finland was including: “the Decree included letters up to 500 grams, postcards, the minimum rate for commercial papers, registration, insurance for letters, express fee for letter-post articles, advice of delivery, withdrawal of mail and alteration of address, plus the authority for payment”. However, it does not say anything about printed papers!

So, this we must check from the Handbook, pages 410-411, the section “Printed Paper to Foreign Countries” and especially to Finland. And look at what is said there: 1.4.1939-5.12.1940, fee of the printed paper to Finland, up to 50 g. is 0,06 kr = 6 senti! Voila, well done.

The Authentically Flown Letter

During 1.1.1928 - 31.12.1934 the correct franking of 20g. letter abroad was 20 s. The airmail  fee to Germany during 1.7.1928-30.4.1934 was 20 s. (for a 20g. letter).  20+10+5+2=37s+3s= 40s. is the correct postage.