Today in Postal History



United States to England
July 11, 1929

This picture postcard has a machine postmark from some New York town ending in TA.

The destination was Worthing south of London on
the English Channel about 18 km west of Brighton.

The card was franked a 1923 1¢ green Franklin perf 10 vertical coil (Scott 597).
Note the right side of the stamp which was cut beside the perforations rather than torn.
This was where the coil was cut by a coin-operated postage dispenser.

The originating post office added a bold purple
T 10 | CENTIMES
indicating that the card was short paid.

On its arrival in England it was stamped with a 1D | F.B. mark.
Can someone tell us what the F.B. meant?
A 1925 1d. carmine postage due (SG D11) was also
added and cancelled to reflect payment of the underage.
I assume the postage due was cancelled with a Worthing cancel although it is illegible.

The message is typical of a traveler:

                         11/9/28[sic]
Written on floor 52
of the Woolworth
Tower.  Have just been
to the top (59th).
On a windy day
tower is supposed
to sway perceptibly - but
to-day is windless
                            Love A.

At the time the Woolworth Tower was the tallest building in the world.
Do you suppose the illustration on the postcard was of the Tower?

The traveler's delay in getting the card into the mail is also typical.
The delay would account for the card being mailed in some town other than New York City.
Perhaps even the confusion over the year is also typical.

Editor's Note:  I am indebted to Mauro Moscowicz for sharing this card.

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