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).

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).

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.

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).