1924 Air Mail, FINAL ISSUE

This is a registered air mail letter from Tallinn 22.XI.1927 to London/Forest Hill  and the arrival in Forest Hill is 26. November, 1927. The letter seems to be genuine. The handbook says: 1) Air Mail stamps should always be together with regular stamps and 2) Flown Air Mail covers with correct postage are scarce. 

Let us see how is the situation with this envelope. For the time period of 1.2.25–31.12.1927 the registration fee of the 20 g. foreign letter was 20 Mk and the postal fee (for the same period) of the 20 gr. letter was also 20 Mk. Thus 40 Mk is correct fee. However, how about air mail fee? It is not correct. During 23.7.1923 – 31.12.1927 foreign letter (20 gr.) air mail fee was  20 Mk. 

Good to remember: these final air mail stamps were valid until April 15, 1928. Thereafter the airmail supplementary fee was to be covered by regular stamps.

How about the imperforated 9 Mk red Weaver and Smith? Is it rare or not? It is rare because only 59800 stamps were issued. Here is the data: Day of Issue: 18.4.1923 Perforation: Imperforate Issued:59 800
.

More about AIR MAILS, FINAL ISSUE, here:  

http://www.filateelia.ee/efur/catalogue/cat17.html

 

5 MK. Yellow-black, Imperforate 
Day of Issue: February 12, 1924 Issued: 52.448 
10 Mk. Blue-black, Imperforate 
Day of Issue: February 12, 1924 Issued: 52.298 
15 Mk. Red-black, Imperforate 
Day of Issue: February 12, 1924  Issued: 52.340 
20 Mk. Green-black, Imperforate 
Day of Issue: February 12, 1924 Issued: 52.268 
45 Mk. Dull violet-black, Imperforate 
Day of Issue: February 12, 1924 Issued: 35.800

The imperforate stamps and the first printing of the perforated stamps were printed on ligat paper. The later printings were made on wove paper with an easily visible horizontal mesh. Ligat paper got its name because it was made in the paper mill in Ligate, in Latvia. Wove paper got its name because it was made with a revolving roller covered with wires so woven as to produce no fine lines running across the grain

5 MK. Yellow-black, perforate 13½

Day of Issue: July 15, 1924 Issued: #96= Ligat paper/ 54.100 #96I= wove paper/ 133.100

10 Mk. Blue-black, perforate 13½

Day of Issue: July 15, 1924 Issued: #97= Ligat paper/ 54.000 #97I= wove paper/ 131.600

15 Mk. Red-black, perforate 13½

Day of Issue: July 15, 1924 Issued: #98= Ligat paper/ 53.450 #98I= wove paper/ 132.450

20 Mk. Green-black, perforate 13½

Day of Issue: July 15, 1924 Issued: #99= Ligat paper/ 53.200 #99I= wove paper/ 131.350

45 Mk. Dull violet-black, perforate 13½

Day of Issue: July 15, 1924 Issued: #100= Ligat paper/ 30.000 #100I= wove paper/ 128.300

This is an airmailed R-letter from Tallinn (13.10.24) - via Helsinki (13.X.24) – to Turku (14.X.24). During 1.1.1924 - 31.1.1925 the correct franking (of 20g. letter) to Finland was 15 Mk. The registration fee during 1.11.1922-31.1.1925 was 15 Mk and the airmail supplementary fee with special airmail stamps during 23.7.1923-31.12.1927 was 20 Mk (for a letter). So, on this envelope there is 75 Mk extra of airmail fee. And look at the backside of the envelope. The envelope arrived in Helsinki 13.X.24 and was arrival cancelled in Turku 14.X.24. Lentopostitse/Med flygpost was stamped in Helsinki.

On the envelope there is the whole set of Final Issue Air Mail Stamps, imperforated. The day of issue for those supplementary stamps was February 12, 1924. The amount of issued imperforated stamps per value (5-20 Mk) was about 52 000 pieces and for the 45 Mk it was 35 800. And as usual, air mail stamps should be always together with regular stamps.