Special local postage rates
Printed matters
1866: Printed notice circulating open also benefited from a reduced rate (compared with the same printed matter in territorial postage).
Here, a printed matter from LILLE to LILLE franked at 5 c for less than 10 g.
1866: Calling cards circulating in open envelopes within the same postal district were considered as printed matters and subject to a special rate. Here, 5 c for an envelope weighing less than 10 g (rate of 01/08/1856) from and to VALENCIENNES.
The "Après le départ" mark means that the envelope was posted after the last mail collection.
From 1 August 1856, the Post Office set postage rates for certain printed matter and miscellaneous notices circulating within the boundaries of a Postal District.
Postcards
1873: From LINSELLES to TOURCOING. Card franked at 10 c posted in a post office station for the town of thehead post office on which it depended.
1874: Card from LILLE to LILLE franked at 10c. Note the LILLE date stamp with the wrong departmental number (17 instead of 57).
1877: Map from BERLAIMONT (head post office) to PONT-SUR-SAMBRE (rural commune) franked at 10 c.
The law of 20 December 1872 introduced the postcard on 15 January 1873, which also had a local rate of 10c.
1876: Postcard put in the mailbox of the PERENCHIES station, bound for LILLE. The railway post clerk on the HAZEBROUCK-LILLE train took charge of this card. In 1877, the commune of PERENCHIES was part of the rural district of the LILLE office.
Chargé and registered letters
1864: Private telegram received at the LILLE telegraph office and delivered to the post office. Telegrams to towns where there was a telegraph office were either delivered to the addressee by an express courier or left at the station for the addressee to collect. If the addressee was not in the town where the telegraph office was located, the telegram was delivered to the post office or carried by an express courier, depending on the sender's choice. When delivered to the post office, the telegram had to be franked and registered before July 1854 or Chargé after that date. Here, as this was a post restante telegram, it was franked at the local rate and chargé (10 c for local postage and 20 c for registration).
1876: Letter from and to DENAIN sent by registered delivery. The registered letter tax for a simple letter (up to 15 g) was 15 c for postage and 50 c for the registration (rates of 01/01/1876).
1872: Chargé Letter up to 10 g from DOUAI to SIN LE NOBLE franked at 65 c. i.e. 15 c for postage of a letter weighing less than 10 g and 50 c for registration (rates of 01/09/1871).
Local chargé letters are not very frequent. They were often of an official nature.
