19 maart 2024

Minimum size covers: Small is beautiful!

Today, the minimum size of a letter or card which PostNL will accept is 140 × 90 mm. However, in 1948 Anneke Dronkers announced that she was married in Pembroke, England using a much smaller envelope.

Very small envelope sent in 1948 to the Netherlands.

Possibly due to post-war paper scarcity, this attractive card with accompanying envelope turned out to be very small. The envelope measures just 71 x 46 mm, about half of what is permitted today. Postage stamp and address barely fit on the front of the envelope!

Card inside envelope. Remember: this card is folded open here, it is actually twice the size of the envelope!

The minimum size of 14 × 9 cm was included in the PTT-Post General Terms and Conditions in 1993. Until 1 January 1994, a redundancy arrangement applied. The sender – as far as is known – received a card from PTT and the too small mail item was simply delivered.

Card stating postal regulations of 1993 regarding size of mail, sent to sender of a (too) small postal item.
René Hillesum

René Hillesum

Collector of postal history of Finland and postmarks of Imperial Saint Petersburg.

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