France-Belgium border postage
The entire eastern boundary of the Department Nord runs along the Belgian border. Long before the introduction of the postage stamp, there was a preferential rate known as the border rate. It was the postal convention of 27 April 1849 between Belgium and France that definitively set the rules for the border rate. A letter posted in a French post office, whether franked or not, to a Belgian town whose post office is located within a maximum of 30 km (in a straight line), will benefit from a lower rate than a letter sent to all other Belgian post offices.
The rate is set at 20 c for a single letter (up to 7.5g).
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Letter from VALENCIENNES to PERUWELZ franked at 20 c (Convention of 1/04/1858). PD stamp meaning "Paid to destination".
On 27 February 1865, a new agreement was signed, but the terms and conditions of the border port remained the same.
Extract from the Franco-Belgian postal agreement of 27 February 1865 applicable from 1 January 1866 (Monthly Bulletin no. 123).
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Circular no. 16 of 20 September 1849 lists the French post offices concerned by the application of the border tariff. For the Nord, the list includes:
ANZIN, ARMENTIERES, AVESNES-SUR-HELPE, BAILLEUL, LA BASSEE, BAVAY, BERGUES, BERLAIMONT, BOUCHAIN, CASSEL, COMINES, CONDE-SUR-L'ESCAUT, CYSOING, DENAIN, DUNKERQUE, ESTAIRES, FOURMIES, HAUBOURDIN, HAZEBROUCK, HONDSCHOOTE, LANNOY-DU-NORD, LILLE, MARCHIENNES, MOULINLILLE, MAUBEUGE, MERVILLE, ORCHIES, PONT-A-MARCQ, LE QUESNOY, QUESNOY-SUR-DEULE, ROUBAIX, ST-AMAND-LES-EAUX, SECLIN, SOLESMES, SOLRE-LE-CHATEAU, STEENVOORDE, TOURCOING, TRELON, VALENCIENNES, WAZEMMES, WORMHOUDT.
This agreement was renewed in December 1857, although the first weight step was increased from 7.5 g to 10 g, but the rate remained at 20 c for a single letter.
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Extract from the postal agreement of 27 April 1849, applicable from 1 October of the same year.
Letter from VALENCIENNES to MONS dated 10 May 1861 franked at 40 c. MONS and VALENCIENNES being less than 30 km apart, this is a double border postage for a letter weighing from 10 g to 20 g.
Letter weighing more than 10 g franked at 40 c from ESCAUPONT to WASMES. This letter was put in a mobile box on the route from VALENCIENNES to CONDE SUR ESCAUT.
Letter from SOLRE LE CHATEAU to BEAUMONT.
Letter from ESTAIRES to YPRES.
Extract from the Franco-Belgian postal agreement of 3 December 1857, applicable from 1 April 1858 (Monthly Bulletin no. 31).
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Letter from CONDE SUR L'ESCAUT to TOURNAI.
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Letter weighing less than 10 g from LINSELLES to ROULERS franked at 20 c.
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Letter franked at 20 c from LILLE to COURTRAI.
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To learn more about French postal rates ?
To find out about French postal rates without necessarily having to consult postal regulations: les tarifs postaux français by Jean-Louis Bourgouin.