Page 19 - Prepaid Reply Cards

2.4 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT: THE 1879 UPU AGREEMENT AND THE «OPTIONAL PERIOD»

1879‐1886: THE «OPTIONAL PERIOD» ‐ MORE AND MORE COUNTRIES JOIN THE AGREEMENT
In the years past 1879 more and more countries joined. Still this «Optional period» caused a lot of confusion
since the group of participating states was constantly changing.

Date Countries
01.07.1879 Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland,
and the German Empire (Reichpost., Bavaria and Wurttemberg)
1880 Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
01.01.1883 United Kingdom
01.04.1883 Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Liberia, Dutch colonies, Paraguay, Persia, Porto Rico,
Portuguese colonies, Salvador, San Domingo, Sweden and Uruguay.
18.05.1884 All Spanish colonies in America
21.07.1884 Danmark, Danish West Indies
21.05.1884 Brazil, British India, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Barbados, British Guyana, Jamaica, Lagos, St. Lucia and Tobago,
Guatemala, Haiti, Sandwich Islands, and Senegambia
01.04.1886 all UPU members

Unsevered double card (question part above – reduced copy, reply below) originally mailed from London/UK
to Calais/France on 22.01.1883 with London CDS and Calais receiving CDS 23.01.1883. Returned the same day
back to London. An very early usage since the UK just joined the agreement effective 01.01.1883

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