Page 415 - Jarvis & Wright: Jamaica Display to RPSL
P. 415
Jamaica Registration: Insurance: Valeur Déclarée.
Valeur Déclarée was the UPU system for the insurance of the declared value of the contents of a
registered article. Jamaica operated its own scales of fees for insurance and compensation, one for
overseas and another for internal post, without calling it Valeur Déclarée or needing a special label.
This Valeur Déclarée label follows a British model. Lant records its use only in 1950, which would
make this 1951 cover the last known date. It was little used, and it is difficult to see what extra
protection it added; but if used at all, it should have been on overseas post, not this internal cover.
On internal cover from Black River to Kingston, Insured for £7, 1951.
This is a prepaid postal stationery registered envelope, already paying 6d (2d minimum inland postage and 4d
registration fee), franked with an additional 8d, total 1s 2d.
In 1951 the fee for insuring an inland letter up to a value of £10 was 5d including the registration fee. The
postage paid on this letter was therefore 1s 2d – 5d = 9d, which would pay for an implausible up to 1lb.
It may be that the sender did not take account of the 6d prepaid on the envelope and that the 8d in adhesives
was intended to pay 5d registration and insurance + 3d postage, which would be only double rate.
The sum insured is written in both figures and words, as required.
Black River:
· 20 September 51;
· Valeur Déclarée label (Lant type RM9);
· registration label (Lant type RL2).
Kingston: registered: 21 September 51 (Lant type RC19 die 1).
