HMS King Edward VII
Message Board

1.
Mar. 19, 2008

Were there Post Cards with printed "On H.M.S" and a King Edward VII image with "Quarter Anna" value Postage stamp ever issued?

Thank you,
Keith Hendee
Indiana, USA
Reply 1
Mar. 20, 2008

In response to the query on HMS KING EDWARD VII page. Letters, envelopes and similar missives which were sent by Government Departments within the British Empire were invariable headed over the top of the address panel  "ON HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE" for Queens and of course "ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE" for Kings. The print on the message page shows an imprint of a pattern of postage stamp which was in use throughout the UK and the Empire during the reign of HM King Edward VII. 

In the UK it would have shown underneath the Sovereign's head sums of one half penny, one penny two pence, three pence and so on. The picture in question shows such a stamp imprinted on a card or envelope priced in annas and thus originated from Government Service in India (at that  time 100 annas = 1 rupee I think). The on HMS is not relevant to an HM SHIP but says it was paying for a communication on HM Service. Within the UK printing OHMS on the top of an envelope used to provide for conveyance without payment per letter. Nowadays Government Departments  all use prefranking processes since the post office is not a Crown body but is self accounting.

Robert Edmonds
London, England






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