D is for . . .

[abt1950]

The Days of D have begun.

D is for   Douane (Customs)

This is a picture postcard of Douane officers from five nations:  France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany.  The rectangualr cancel is a Luxembourg railroad cancel  from Bettingen, Germany to Ettelbruck, Luxembourg.  It's cancelled in March, 1903.

[malolo]

Danish West Indies -

This card was written on a steamer that put in to Gibraltar where the passenger bought a post card. The ship reached its destination of Marseilles where the card was posted, 20 September 1902, for the West End, St Croix, D.W. Indies.

In error the card was sent to Ste Croix, Switzerland, where it was date stamped with a de Coppet canceler. The card was forwarded to St.. Thomas and received in Frederiksted 17 October 1902

[malolo]

Delicate wrapper to Delsberg, Switzerland -

Posted 4 March 1875 from Solothurn to Delsberg. A Nachnahme [collect] 1.12 francs for a publication. This fine printing decorating the wrapper is very unusual since most wrappers were just torn off and thrown away. 

The letter carriers collected money for all sorts of reasons since there was no banking sustem in Switzerland until 1905 where people could write checks or pay other than cash. The post office was in effect the accounting department for the country in any business transaction requiring money from subscribers, or anything paid in installments. IN 1905 the GIRO system was established where the public could go to their post office an d deposit money in the name of the person requiring payment. The money could then be withdrawn at another post offfice. Anyone buying from European sellers knows this system must work since all sellers have bank account where we could transfer money to their accounts if US banks adopted that system. It would be good bye Paypal!

[jimbo]

D is for Denmark. This registered cover from Copenhagen to Padua, Italy, was postmarked on June 11 (today) and the year was between 1885 and 1891.
Denmark to Italy 06/11/85-91?

jimbo

[bwiphilately]

D is for Die Proofs of Costa Rican stamps.  I find those printed by the American Bank Note company in the mid 1940s to be particularly attractive and show a few of them below.

[abt1950]

D is for Dananhor and El Daher:

[jimbo]

D is for Denmark. This cover was sent from Copenhagen to Madrid on August 11, 1852.

Denmark to Spain 08/11/52 reveals more of the very interesting story behind this cover. It also has some information on mail handling in Europe in the mid 19th century.

jimbo

[sheryll*net]

D is still for Denmark

This registered letter from Vila, New Hebrides to Rønne, Denmark is postmarked 6 June 1924.

Although the new UPU rates of 50 centimes international letter rate and 50 centimes registration had come into effect on 1 May 1924, letters were still franked at the old rates until some time in 1926.

Here we have 6d paying the old 3d foreign letter rate, 3d registration.

The stamp is from the British 1921 Multiple Script CA watermark issue.  
English Type R2 registration label. Backstamped with Ronne (29 July 1924) receiving cancel.

N.F. Gobjerg was a stamp collector from Rønne on the island of Borholm in the Baltic Sea, south of Sweden.