Three colour franking Registered cover sent from Serednye to Munkács on 20 –02-185? Postage for a 10 miles letter: 3 Kr. Registration fee: 6 “ Total postage 9 Kr 2 stamps of 1Kr 2 Kr 2 stamps of 2 Kr 4 Kr 1 stamp of 3 Kr 3 Kr Total 9 Kr Cover sold at hammer price of € 9000 at David Feldman on 03-09-2008 The “retour recepisse” When a letter was sent registered the sender could ask for a confirmation that the letter was delivered to the addressee. Such confirmation was called a “Retour recepisse”. The post office of dispatch filled this form out and it was forwarded together with the letter to the receiving post office. The addressee had to sign for receipt on this form personally. It then was returned to the post office of dispatch and to the sender of the letter. For a return receipt a fee had to be paid. This one relates to a letter which was received on the 27th May 1856. Tariff applicable as stated under 2. From 1st of July 1850 the fee was 6 Kr. regardless of the distance the letter had to travel. The fee was paid by affixing a 6 Kr stamp to the form. The stamp was cancelled at the post office of dispatch (Huszt) and again at the receiving post office (Sárköz Ujlak).
This return receipt is related to a registered court letter sent from the court in Beregszasz to a private person in Munkács, named Mendl Williger. As the court had a postage privilege it was exempt from paying postage. It is only postmarked in Munkács the receiving post office. The return receipts with a postage stamp are far more rare and very much sought after. Money reform and new tariffs. Up till 1858 the Austrian guilder was divided into 60 Kreuzer. During 1858 a money reform was carried out and on the 1st of November 1858 the decimal system was introduced. The Guilder was then divided into 100 Neukreuzer. This made the introduction of new postal tariffs necessary. A new set of postage stamps, having face values adjusted to the new tariffs, became available on the same date. Details of the new tariff are specified under postal rates 3 at page 20. - 23 -