Page 398 - Jarvis & Wright: Jamaica Display to RPSL

Jamaica Registration: Avis
Jamaican A.R. form: 1895.

The Avis de Reception system was a Postal Union requirement from 1879.
Any registered article marked A.R. by the sender was accompanied by an
A.R. form, which was returned by the office of destination to confirm delivery.
This Jamaican post office A.R. form is copied from an 1879 British one. It has
two tables: Table I completed at the office of origin of the article, Table II at
the office of destination. The form was a post office communication that
travelled postage free, together with the registered article. The 2d in postage
stamps is to pay the A.R. fee of 2d. The 2d fee is printed on the form, and
was almost certainly set at 2d in 1879, when the registration fee was 4d; it is
a coincidence that by 1895 both fees were 2d.
From 1July1892 to 31 December 1899 most countries adopted new A.R.
procedures agreed by the UPU in the Treaty of Vienna, whereby the A.R.
form was attached at the office of destination, not of origin, and travelled only
in one direction, back to the office of origin. Jamaica steadfastly continued to
use the pre-Vienna procedure and the 1879 form with the A.R. fee paid on it.

This form is for a letter from Mr E C Cork, Kingston, to Chandler, in Collinsville,
Illinois, U.S.A. The form is signed by officers of both post offices.
At the office of origin: Kingston registered (Lant type RC6): 24 January 95.
In transit: Boston Registry: 6 February 95; US registration number 14287.
At the office of destination: Collinsville: 9 February 95 REC'D.
In returning transit: Boston Registry: 13 February 95. Ex Swarbrick.