Description
Per sia-Germany Baghdad overland mail - end of surcharge era: 18 JAN 1934 postmarked commercial cover sent from ABADAN to company in HAMBURG, endorsed "Overland Mail" & franked 24ch + 30di (roughly 25ch in total) & tied by single strike of the local postmark; backstamped next day departure & 25 JAN DAMAS CUS transit. Lacking Palestine transit marks such as at Jerusalem the cover may have been sent via Turkey to Germany. Cut open at left.
The Pers ian surcharge for mail carried via Baghdad overland ended around March 1934: partial research shows rates of 30ch as the base letter rate & 3ch as the base overland surcharge for the period of April 1932 to April 1934; 15ch as the base letter rate + no overland surcharge from March-April 1934; and variously 18-20ch + 2ch in the period of 1931-1932. In light of the fragmentary data and the two sets of postage stamps used, the postage paid is likely 24ch for the base letter rate and 30di as just under 1ch for the overland surcharge which was abolished shortly thereafter.
