Kemrese Philately II

[smiff@es.co.nz (Andrew Smith)]

The dangers of having a friend who is a philatelist is when they make
suggestions concerning the postal service in Kemr - so fellow Cambrians say
hello to David Joll jollian@es.co.nz and enjoy this missive on Kemrese
snailmail.  As always suggestions and comments are welcome, and if you have
faculties to design stamps then talk to David.

- andrew.

>
>Hi Andrew
>
>I'm still trying to work out Kemrese postal rates and have come up
>with a few basic ideas. For the purposes of this discussion I will
>use traditional British pounds (£), shillings (/) and pence (d) as I
>don't know the Brithenig equivalents.
>
>I have been thinking that there should be a greater differential
>between rates for various foreign countries than there is currently
>in the UK - historically postal rates overseas had been considerably
>higher than inland rates, but this differential lessened as international
>transport got cheaper.
>
>Working on the assumption of a 6d rate for a basic two ounce
>internal letter I have come up with the following:
>
>- Third class internal mail (bulk mailouts, etc.) 3d for the
>first two ounces, 2d for each additional two ounces.
>- Second class internal mail (postcards or Christmas cards)
>4d for the first two ounces, 3d for each additional two ounces.
>- First class internal mail (ordinary letters) 6d for the first
>two ounces, 4d for each additional two ounces.
>
>If air mail is to be carried by Zeppelin, it is doubtful that
>an internal air mail service would be necessary or even feasible.
>
>The next graduation would be for mail to close territories, such
>as other parts of the British Isles or France (possibly also
>depending on how relations were with each other territory).
>
>The rates would be along the lines of:
>Third class: 4d for 2oz, 3d for additional 2oz.
>Second class: 6d for 2oz, 4d for additional 2oz.
>First class: 10d for 2oz, 6d for additional 2oz.
>Zeppelin mail: 1/3 for 2oz, 1/- for additional 2oz.
>
>The next graduation would be to other countries in the
>Western Europe and North America. Letters to such
>countries would normally go by Zeppelin mail; the
>incremental cost of sending thus would be lower due
>to the higher economies of scale, with large numbers
>of mailbags travelling in this manner. There would not
>be the third class "bulk" rate as there would be little
>need for it - most commercial traffic would be urgent
>communications or important documents.
>
>The rates would be along the lines of:
>
>Second class: 9d for 2oz,  6d for additional 2oz.
>First class: 1/- for 2oz, 9d for additional 2oz.
>Zeppelin mail: 1/6 for 2oz, 1/- for additional 2oz.
>
>The last graduation would be a catch-all "Rest of the
>World", and the prices would be about double those
>given above for Western Europe and North America.
>
>*****************************************
>
>Definitive Stamps.
>
>I would assume that the current definitive stamps would
>feature the head of the reigning monarch. With the broad
>spread of postal rates, something between 18 and 24
>stamps would be needed to cover most possible rates.
>There may be a need for a ½d stamp if rates denominated
>in fractions of a penny were used in the recent past, but
>with the rates I have devised no fractional values are needed.
>
>So, taking into account values needed for postal rates and
>for convenient make-up rates, we would have something
>along the lines of:
>
>1d, 2d, 3d, 4d, 5d, 6d, 7d, 8d, 9d, 10d, 1/-, 1/2, 1/3, 1/6,
>1/9,  2/-, 2/3, 2/6, 3/-, 5/-, 10/-, £1.
>
>******************************************
>
>Commemorative Stamps.
>
>Hmmm.... let me get back to you on this one....
>
>- Dave