Description
Late Fee on surface mail: 21 Apr 1949 postmarked surface mail cover sent from HAIFA to NORTH OLMSTED USA, franked 32pr for the SU-2 postage period 30pr base surface letter rate - but as the sender used 9x 3pr + 1x 5pr Doar Ivri stamps, in light of the head post office postmarks bearing the Daled ("D") late shift index letter, the sender probably intended to pay 35pr for the 30pr base letter rate + 5pr Late Fee (per DO-2 period postage rates) - but miscounted the stamps and applied 9x rather than 10x 3pr stamps, and this went unnoticed by the clerk so cover not taxed; the late fee for regular letters had been 2pr/2m until the 1 Oct. 1948 postage rate revision which raised it to 5pr.
During the Mandate & Israeli postal administrations there was no "Late Fee Paid" instructional marking; traditionally, during the Mandate, these fees for the late submission of mail could only be paid at the head post offices of the major cities but with the revision of the domestic postage rates on 1 Oct. 1948 this was no longer stipulated.
