Chargé letters 1854-1876
The postage rates introduced in July 1854 no longer provided Post Office users with the option of registering a letter. Instead, only the Chargé letter service was available. This option offered the sender proof of deposit and ensured special handling by the Post Office until the letter was delivered to the recipient. In the event of loss, the Post Office provided compensation.
Chargé letters had to be stamped and securely sealed with at least two wax seals.
The cost of this service comprised:
the standard postage fee based on the letter’s weight;
a fixed charge (20 centimes as of the rates dated 1st July 1854).
Extract from the 1857 postal directory.
Letter from BAILLEUL to ST OMER franked at 60 c for a weight of 15.4 g, i.e. the 2nd weight step.
The postage breaks down as follows:
40 c postage for the 2nd step;
20 c fixed charge.
(rates of 6 July 1859)
The regulations did not impose a specific number of wax seals. At least 2 were required.
Circular no. 129 of June 1859 did not specify the colour of ink to be used for the Chargé description stamp. However, since circular no. 36 of 18 October 1836, the CHARGE stamp must be applied in red rather than black.
Letter from CAMBRAI to PARIS franked at 40 c for a weight of 6.2g.
The postage is applied as follows:
20 c for postage at the first weight step;
20 c fixed charge.
The number in the top left-hand corner is for registration in register no. 18.
Article 318 of the 1856 General Instruction.
Extract from circular no. 20 of the August 1856 issue of the Monthly Bulletin.
Chargé Letter from VALENCIENNES to DOUCHY (postal district of the BOUCHAIN post office) franked at 40 c.
This letter was addressed to a deceased person and the heirs did not wish to collect it: "Décédé....Refusée par les héritiers".
In such a case, a refused Chargé letter was sent to the dead letter branch in PARIS.
Extract from article 1076 of the 1856 General Instruction.
The Chargé order number recorded at VALENCIENNES is crossed out and the BOUCHAIN post office put a new number (1), the one in the list of daily dead letters sent to Paris.
Extract from article 1099 of the General Instruction of 1856.
This letter bears the stamp of a trading house, and more specifically of an insurance company. It can therefore be returned immediately.
Article 1100 of the General Instruction of 1856.
Article 288 of the General Instruction of 1868.
Extract from the errata of Monthly Bulletin no. 2, August 1868.
Declared value letter of 1250 fr weighing 10.7 g from LILLE to PARIS. Postage breaks down as follows:
40 centimes for the 2nd weight step;
20 c for fixed charge.
The sender paid 1fr30 proportional fee in cash.
On 1 June 1870, the proportional fee on declared value letters had to be paid in postage stamps rather than in cash.
Circular no. 28 of Monthly Bulletin no. 22, April 1870.
Chargé letter weighing 5.7 g from LILLE-FIVES to PARIS.
Postage at 75 c is calculated as follows:
25 c for the first weight step;
50 c fixed Chargé fee.
Chargé letter weighing 15 g from LILLE to PARIS.
The franking is as follows:
40 c for 2nd step of weight (more than 10 g);
50 c for registration.
On 1st September 1871, postal rates were increased as follows:
Letters up to 10 g: 25 centimes
Over 10 g up to 20 g: 40 centimes
Over 20 g up to 50 g: 70 centimes
For each additional 50 g: +50 centimes
Additionally:
Fixed Chargé fee: 50 centimes
Proportional fee per 100 francs of declared value: 20 centimes
Extract from circular no. 301 in the June 1863 issue of the Monthly Bulletin.
Chargé etter from MERVILLE for NIEL in Belgium franked at 80 c. Chargé letters to Belgium were authorised. Instruction no. 15 of the June 1869 Monthly Bulletin added an amendment to the 1865 French-Belgian postal agreement. This amendment confirmed the fixed Chargé fee at 50 c and set a proportional fee for declared values at 20 c per fraction of 100fr.
Extract from instruction no. 15 of the June 1869 Monthly Bulletin.
Monthly Bulletin no. 2 of August of the same year rectified this error with an erratum.
The General Instruction published in July 1868 failed to mention the colour of the ink reserved for the Chargé description stamp.
Until June 1859, Chargé letters bore only the CHARGE mark in red, in addition to the cancellation stamp and the post office date stamp. However, from 1st July 1859, a new stamp was introduced and had to be applied to the back of the letters. This stamp was used to record details such as the weight of the letter, the number of wax seals, their colour, and the imprint on the seals.
Extract from circular no. 129 in Monthly Bulletin no. 46 of June 1859.
The law of 4th June 1859 (effective from 6th July 1859) revised the weight scales and allowed users to enclose valuables in Chargé letters. This type of letter became known as a declared value letter. If the sender included valuables, they were required to pay a fee of 10 centimes per 100 francs declared. This fee had to be paid in cash and could not be covered with postage stamps.
Regarding weight classifications, the rates set on 1st July 1854 followed the standard weight scale for ordinary letters:
1st step: up to and including 7.5 g
2nd step: over 7.5 g up to 15 g
3rd step: over 15 g up to 100 g
In June 1859, the weight classifications for Chargé letters were revised as follows:
1st step: up to and including 10 g
2nd step: over 10 g up to 20 g
3rd step: over 20 g up to 100 g
Although the weight scale was adjusted, the postage for each step remained unchanged.
Extract from circular no. 135 of Monthly Bulletin no. 47 of July 1859.
Extract from circular no. 135 of Monthly Bulletin no. 47 of July 1859.
The insertion of valuables in a letter was prohibited before July 1859.
Circular No. 135 of July 1859 not only permitted the insertion of valuables in Chargé letters, but also allowed senders to request advice of delivery for such letters. The sender could obtain this service from the post office for a fee of 10 centimes.
The format of the advice of delivery has varied over time, but it has always consisted of four sheets.
The LILLE post office has already filled in page 1; the ORCHIES office must fill in page 2 if the letter has been delivered. Note that the sender has filed this notice with the letter deposit receipt.
The ORCHIES post office sent the form to the LILLE post office.
Once received in LILLE, form 103 was sent to the sender. Note that the 10c stamp was affixed and cancelled by the LILLE post office before the form was sent to ORCHIES.
The Administration recognised that Form No. 103 was not always completed correctly by postal agents and lacked sufficient detail. As a result, a new version of Form No. 103 was introduced in March 1867. This decision was officially announced in Circular No. 500, published in the Monthly Bulletin of December 1866.
The form may be different, but the process has not changed.
Article 294 of the 1868 General Instruction specifies that advice of delivery no. 103 must be Chargé too.
The tariff of 1st September 1871 raised the price of advice no. 103 to 20c. From February 1873 it was also used for registered letters.
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.
