Page 13 - Prepaid Reply Cards

2.3 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT: FIRST MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND MISUSES

SINCE 1874: CONFUSION WITHIN THE «THE GERMAN AGREEMENT»
Right from the start, the fact that “foreign” stamps and incipia were valid caused confusion. This confusion also
is based on the fact, that prepaid reply cards in from foreign countries or postal administrations always remained
in a marginal existence. The problems of misunderstanding were addressed in official announcements several
times, e.g. Bavaria 22.03.1875 and 18.07.1877 and the German Reichspost on 04.12.1878.

Verordnungs- und Anzeige-Blatt der Königl. Bayerischen Verkehrs-Anstalten 1875
Order No. 4103 dated 22.03.1875 – Concerning postcards with prepaid reply

Based on complaints in public news, according which the franco stamps affixed to postcards with paid reply originating
from Bavaria are rejected by non-Bavarian postal agencies as unusable for the returning mailing of the reply [part], is the
occasion to inform these postal agencies noting the publications dated 25. December 1871 No. 17430 (Order
publication 1871 page 707ff) and dated 3. June 1872 No. 7894 (Order publication 1872 page 389), that the non-
Bavarian postal agencies so far that the usage of postcards with prepaid reply originating from Bavaria is generally
permitted – these are the German Reichspost, Württemberg, Luxemburg, Heligoland and Romania – are only permitted
to collect the postage rate for a simple postcard. This postage is not to be collected by the recipient of the paid reply in
Bavaria but a subject matter of accounting between the Bavarian postal agency and those abroad. In the case of delivery in
Bavaria such a taxation should not be accounted for, and should be cancelled in the case that such a taxation was ordered
by mistake.

Prepaid reply card franked with 2 Kreuzer Bavarian stamps returned from Dresden/German Reichspost on
10.04.1874 and wrongly taxed at 2 (Groschen). Later cancelled by CDS in Hof/Bavaria. These kinds of
misunderstandings would remain a permanent companion of reply card usage. © Brettl

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