Rubens (Uruguay 2 souvenir sheets, Rwanda set and 3 souvenir sheets)
What postal service applied the first foreign postal markings to mail delivered from abroad to Britain? What year was the first such mark applied?
The winning entry will be the first with the correct answers received at or before 12 noon eastern US time on June 24, 2022. If no entry with the correct answers is received, the winner will be the first response received with one of the correct answers. If no entry has one correct answer, the winner will be the first response received. My decision of a winner will be final.
The competition is open to everyone. Good luck to all who choose to participate!
Some hints: Remember, mail has not always required stamps. A postmark or equivalent could be a postal marking and does not have to cancel stamps. I would define a postal marking as some information that is handstamped or machine stamped by a postal service on a letter but not written in manuscript. The mail I am thinking of was sent by British soldiers fighting overseas, I assume they sent letters home to Britain and very few (if any) to other parts.
The mail I am thinking of was sent by British soldiers fighting overseas, I assume they sent letters home to Britain and very few (if any) to other parts.
I guess that excludes the US. Doubtful this occurred during the War of 1812.
Bearing in mind that the ink pad was invented on 1749 and that public postal services in England began on 1635, the date is undoubtful located in the XVIIIth century. Even though the wax seal was already in use for centuries. One could then consider that this first missive was exchanged during the First World War, otherwise known as the Seven Years' War, from 1756 to 1763. Perhaps this letter was sent from the Electorate of Hanover?
If I'm allowed a second answer, I'll go with 1743 Germany.
Your comment reminded me of Thurn and Taxis, which led me to find reference to the AB “Armee Brittanique” postmark in that referenced year. My military history knowledge is near zero, but looks like the big thing going that year was the Battle of Dettingen in the war of Austrian Succession.
Edit: to be clear, the Germany reference is the location, Thurn and Taxis is the postmarking entity.
I know of Thurn and Taxis from a plot element in the Thomas Pynchon novel The Crying of Lot 49. Assuming I am not disqualified by having already used a guess (and it's actually a complete and correct answer), it looks like that American Lit class will finally pay off after a few decades!
Status changed to Solved(Coinman48, 22 Jun 2022, 22:57)
waisaacs is our winner. His information is 100% correct. Congratulations! I think if I would not have given that last hint, no one would have gotten it, no one seemed on the right track.
Thanks to all who participated. Watch for the next competition.
