Summary of Letter Rates, August 30, 1863 to June 30, 1870 - The Late Treaty Period:
United States postage rates changed, effective July 1, 1863. Those rates were first applied to mail from Hawaii on
August 30, 1863, after news of the rate change reached Hawaii. Several sub-Periods exist in the Late Treaty Period
because of mistakes made by postal authorities in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Honolulu in attempting to
apply the 1863 rates. On July 1, 1870, a Postal Convention between Hawaii and the United States took effect and
controlled postage rates.
A drop letter rate was introduced in the United States along with the other rate changes of July 1, 1863. Drop letters
were defined as letters dropped for recipients at the office where mailed. Prepayment of the drop rate with United
States stamps was required. Hawaii mail for San Francisco addressees qualified if prepaid in stamps because they
were deposited in the United States mail at San Francisco. Until April 30, 1865, the proper prepaid drop rate was
2¢ plus a 2¢ ship fee for a total charge of 4¢, all to be paid in United States stamps. Prepayment without stamps
might also have been tolerated but no such covers have been discovered to date. Collect mail to San Francisco
addressees should have been rated at the normal double domestic rate, or 6¢. Surviving collect letters from Hawaii
for San Francisco addressees show some were rated at 6¢ due and others at 4¢ due with no apparent pattern.
Moreover, prepayment in Hawaiian stamps rather than United States stamps apparently was tolerated
On May 1, 1865, the United States reduced the drop rate to 1¢ in cities (such as San Francisco) without a free
carrier delivery. However, Hawaiian letters addressed to San Francisco appear to have been charged 2¢ plus a 2¢
ship fee despite the 1865 reduction. The authority, if any, for that rate has not been found. Finally, there was no
drop rate for contract mail. All mail for United States delivery was charged 10¢ per ½ ounce regardless of where it
was to be delivered.
August 30, 1863-August 23, 1864:
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