::: POSTAL CARDS :::

Postal cards were authorized for international mail by the Universal Postal Union prior to Hawaii joining the UPU on January 1, 1882. Soon after Hawaii was a member of the UPU, postal cards were introduced for both domestic and foreign mail purposes. They were engraved by the American Bank Note Company. The Advertiser announced their availability on March 25, 1882. Values of 1¢, 2¢ and 3¢ were issued and are designated Scott UX1, UX2 and UX3.

ENGRAVED POSTAL CARDS OF 1882:

Collectors were confused about the 3¢ value for many years, because the UPU international rate for postal cards was fixed at 2¢. Hawaii itself limited the 2¢ rate to North America and certain Pacific destinations. For European and other destinations, Hawaii fixed a 3¢ rate on postal cards. Collectors were unfamiliar with the Hawaiian rate and, indeed, Hawaii probably lacked authority to set this rate. Justification seems to have rested in the currency equivalency established for Hawaii on its admission. In the UPU meeting of 1885, Hawaii's currency equivalency was undifferentiated from the other members. About this time, Hawaii adopted a universal 2¢ rate for postal cards to all countries. If there was an announcement of this rate change sometime in the mid-1880's it has eluded discovery. One interesting study would be to determine the earliest known usage of a 2¢ card to Europe. Please E-mail (scott31@hawaiianstamps.com) me with information on any 2¢ postal card addressed to a destination beyond North America prior to September 30, 1885.

MESSAGE AND REPLY CARDS OF 1883

Double cards rouletted between the two cards were introduced in 1883. These cards were lithographed by the American Bank Note Company and printed only in values of 1¢ and 2¢. One card was used for the sender's message. The attached card bore the inscription "REPLY" and was intended for a reply message from the original addressee. Scott Catalogue designates the message and reply cards as UY1 and UY2.

RE-ISSUES OF 1889

Lithographed re-issues of the message and reply cards were issued with new colors in 1889. Rather than a rouletted separation between the two cards, the re-issues were made with a fold line cut into the paper. The re-issues are designated Scott UY3 and 4.

Colors of UY1, UY2, UY3 and UY4 compared:

Fold lines of UY1 (rouletted) and UY3 (fold cut) compared:

Also in 1889, the lithographed re-issue was printed of the 1¢ regular postal card (Scott UX 4). The same color was used but experienced collectors can see the 1¢ value is printed on a somewhat different, pinkish color, rather than the pale buff color paper used for the 1882 engraved issue and is more vermilion than the earlier deep orange.

Color comparison of UX1 (left) and UX4 (right)

RE-ISSUE OF 1892

Supplies of the 2¢ black postal card were nearing exhaustion and a re-order was placed. The postal cards received were lithographed rather than engraved (Scott UX2a). For many years the 2¢ lithographed card went unrecognized and collectors believed all 2¢ postal cards from the monarchy were engraved. The 2¢ lithographed card can be identified from its smooth feel, compared to the engraved card of 1882.

PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OVERPRINTS

Overprinting of the three regular postal cards was done by the Press Publishing Company of Honolulu sometime around August, 1893. Black ink was used to overprint the 1¢ value and red ink was used for the 2¢ and 3¢ values (Scott UX5, UX6 and UX7). By this time, there was no recognized need for the 3¢ value except on a few Pacific island destination countries still outside the UPU. All 1¢ and 2¢ overprinted cards are from the lithographed printing.

Double overprints are known on the 1¢ and 3¢ values but they are rare:

In this detail view of a UX5, two overprints can be seen, one slightly off set above and to the right of the other so the two overprints mostly overlap. The result is a particularly dark overprint. In the image, the second overprint is lighter where it is not overlapping the other overprint. The arrows pointing to the tops of the letters show places where the two overprints do not overlap.

REPUBLIC ISSUE OF 1894

Postal cards of new designs were lithographed for the Republic of Hawaii in 1894 with values of 1¢ and 2¢ (Scott UX8 and 9). The frame lines measured 131 x 72.5 mm.

RE-ISSUE OF 1897

The same two cards were printed again in 1897 (Scott UX8a and UX9a), but the frame size was slightly larger (132.5 x 74 mm) and the new printing was in a slightly different shade.

POSTAL CARDS BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Schwalm, Albert J., editor, The Postal Stationery of Hawaii, Hawaii Postal Stationery Study Group, United Postal Stationery Society, Redlands, Ca., 1982 (errata [page laid in); correction noted by editor at Mitchell's Hawaiian Philatelist, Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 2, 1983. Key reference treatise, but see corrections listed below.



• Schwalm, Albert J., "Additions To The Postal Stationery Of Hawaii", Postal Stationery, Vol. 26, No. 4, [221], p. 90-106, July-August, 1984. Corrects the 1982 UPSS edition based upon new evidence obtained from PMG orders; essential for anyone using the UPSS catalogue.



• Schwalm, Albert J., "Corrections To The Postal Stationery Of Hawaii", Postal Stationery, Vol. 28, No. 2, [237], p. 37-39, March-April, 1986. Additional corrections to the UPSS 1982 edition; essential for anyone using that catalogue.

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