Early manuscript delivery charges

Abstract

Before the introduction in Malta of handstamped delivery charge marks on April 6th, 1816, the amount due for postage was indicated in long-hand. Most mail from abroad had a digit, usually large, handwritten on the front, which corresponded to the charge due. The present note does not deal with those letters which only show numbers; these are relatively common and have been recorded. I propose to illustrate some much scarcer examples in which the charge is fully written in longhand, not in numbers. As far as I am able to ascertain, these types of charges have not been recorded before. Information about them is scanty. Who wrote out the charges? The sender, the carrier vessel, the postal authorities or the addressee? [excerpt]