Airmail stamps of 15 and 25 guilders
The airmail stamps with the values of 15 and 25 guilders, which were nevertheless very high for that time, were issued on November 12, 1951. Why? After the Second World War, international air traffic resumed and shipping by airmail became possible again. In 1949, it became permitted to send packages of up to 20 kilograms to various countries. Airmail duties also increased considerably that year, and therefore a need arose for stamps with a value higher than 2,50 guilders, 5 guilders, and 10 guilders.
In 1949, the stamps of those denominations, bearing the image of HM Queen Wilhelmina, were replaced by the image of HM Queen Juliana.
However, because airmail rates were calculated per 5 grams of weight, and because one sometimes had to affix many stamps to meet the required rate and entitlement, higher values were necessary. Therefore, a new design had to be created for stamps for the airmail entitlement.
Kuno Brinks was asked to serve as the designer, but his design was rejected. Next came Jan Bons, who had also prepared a design in advance. This design was approved, and consultations were held with the printer, Joh. Enschedé & Zonen in Haarlem. This led to considerable discussion regarding the design itself (the little ship was drawn very simply) and the engraver Bons had approached. This is written about in detail in the *Handboek Postwaarden Nederland*.
A new design was created by Bons in which the small ship was omitted, and new proofs were made. The word LUCHTVAART was also replaced by LUCHTPOST. However, the Director-General of the PTT was not satisfied with the result and ordered Jan Bons's design to be redone completely. This was done by André van der Vossen, who was employed by the printer. Van Dijk had to engrave the new design. And that result was approved.
Finally, the two 15 and 25 guilder stamps could be put into production. The result is known to many collectors. However, far from every collector will have these stamps in their album. The print run was only 69.600 sets. Unused or mint, the stamps are rarer than used ones. Therefore, most collectors in the Netherlands are happy with a used pair.
And Jan Bons? He was not very happy with the fact that his design had been revised by someone else and engraved by someone else as well. It was no longer 'his' design! By chance, his name ended up misspelled as the designer in the NVPH catalogue: Jan Brons.
He was fine with that. It was only much later that his name appeared correctly spelled in the catalogue. And André van der Vossen was also added to the list. In April 2008, Jan Bons turned 90. Designing in freedom, that was his motto.
In 1949, the stamps of those denominations, bearing the image of HM Queen Wilhelmina, were replaced by the image of HM Queen Juliana.
However, because airmail rates were calculated per 5 grams of weight, and because one sometimes had to affix many stamps to meet the required rate and entitlement, higher values were necessary. Therefore, a new design had to be created for stamps for the airmail entitlement.
Kuno Brinks was asked to serve as the designer, but his design was rejected. Next came Jan Bons, who had also prepared a design in advance. This design was approved, and consultations were held with the printer, Joh. Enschedé & Zonen in Haarlem. This led to considerable discussion regarding the design itself (the little ship was drawn very simply) and the engraver Bons had approached. This is written about in detail in the *Handboek Postwaarden Nederland*.
A new design was created by Bons in which the small ship was omitted, and new proofs were made. The word LUCHTVAART was also replaced by LUCHTPOST. However, the Director-General of the PTT was not satisfied with the result and ordered Jan Bons's design to be redone completely. This was done by André van der Vossen, who was employed by the printer. Van Dijk had to engrave the new design. And that result was approved.
Finally, the two 15 and 25 guilder stamps could be put into production. The result is known to many collectors. However, far from every collector will have these stamps in their album. The print run was only 69.600 sets. Unused or mint, the stamps are rarer than used ones. Therefore, most collectors in the Netherlands are happy with a used pair.
And Jan Bons? He was not very happy with the fact that his design had been revised by someone else and engraved by someone else as well. It was no longer 'his' design! By chance, his name ended up misspelled as the designer in the NVPH catalogue: Jan Brons.
He was fine with that. It was only much later that his name appeared correctly spelled in the catalogue. And André van der Vossen was also added to the list. In April 2008, Jan Bons turned 90. Designing in freedom, that was his motto. 
Cees, you are the best.
Another good philatelic article for my BLOG library. Thank you.
'@Cees
A splendid politically correct story, with not a word about the foreign exchange policy immediately after the war.
Guilder denominations were not accessible to the public and were available to philatelists affiliated with the Association only as single copies.
It is quite possible that there were rates for which these stamps could be used. There is always a stick...
What these stamps were initially needed for was sale through the American stamp trade bypassing foreign exchange controls, because foreign currency had to be brought in with these stamps! The first Sperr-werte, therefore!!!
Rein, the foreign exchange story is a separate matter, and I can cover that sometime as well. The story above was used purely as an example to illustrate a design process and the things that sometimes go wrong along the way.
It is difficult to get other people's money.
'@Cees
If I were to read your story from a postal historical perspective, I might conclude that specific airmail stamps also need to be used for sending items by airmail. I highly doubt that. All mail between the Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands, for example, in the years after 1945, simply used normal postage stamps, didn't it? And before the war, a 36c stamp had already been issued containing 30c airmail duty and 6c letter postage. Nothing special with just “airmail duty”…. So why the sudden need for “airmail stamps”???
Rein, then you probably haven't read the third sentence of this story: In 1949, it became permitted to send packages up to 20 kilograms to various countries. Airmail duties also increased considerably that year, and therefore a need arose for stamps with a value higher than 2,50 guilders, 5 guilders, and 10 guilders.
So it really wasn't about the airmail letter of a maximum of 20 grams, but about packages!
'@Cees
Did everything over 20g go through airmail stamps then??? At least after 1937????
And furthermore, how many countries had airmail stamps??? Were they required by international agreements??? Did the United Kingdom have them??? Or Germany??? Or did such countries not play a role in international traffic??
In short, why airmail stamps at all after 1937??? Apart from those fair-weather flights for the collectors!
'@Cees
The Dutch airmail stamps [Triangle and Crow] were the best-selling and printed during the occupation years, when there was no airmail traffic.
Airmail stamps have been a purely philatelic product since 1937, without any postal necessity...
Rein, the possibility of sending parcels by airmail was expanded starting June 1, 1949. At that time, the maximum permitted weight was increased from 10 to 20 kg. On October 17, 1949, airmail duties were increased by more than 35%, making the demand for higher-value stamps noticeable. The highest value at the time was 10 guilders. For a 20 kg parcel to Argentina, for example, airmail duties of fl. 11,90 had to be paid per 500 grams. Consequently, a small parcel of roughly 12 kg was stamped with an airmail duty value of fl. 285,60. There was no room for this on the accompanying cards. Furthermore, the PTT headquarters had reasoned that affixing many stamps increased the weight of the shipment and that the many stamps also had to be cancelled, and that took a lot of time…. However, the stamps did not have a long lifespan, as they were withdrawn as early as September 25, 1957. Airmail duties had dropped considerably by then. Many stamps were indeed sold to collectors, but I definitely do not agree with you that it was a purely philatelic product without any postal necessity! Incidentally, the triangle stamp of 1933 and the crow of 1938 were not airmail stamps, but stamps for 'special flights,' each with a limited validity period following announcement by the PTT.
'@Cees
Announcements of special flights during wartime??? Back then, they were printed and sold in massive quantities! Purely philatelic, then!
An accompanying card for 285,60??? To be paid with stamps??? How did they do that elsewhere??? In England, for example? Couldn't smarter administrative solutions have been devised?
It would indeed be more practical to split the Airmail section into “airmail stamps” and “special flights”! A fine task for the NVPH!
Can they finally split up the service stamps as well? With the Court stamps and the Poor Law stamps separate….
And when will the registered mail stamps, guaranteed postage stamps, prepaid express stamps, and parcel post stamps finally arrive in the SC???
You and I won't live to see that!
Surely, Rein, you must know that the NVPH has better things to do than the splitting of various stamp groups you mentioned. After all, that has been tampered with for years!
'@According to
And you won't live to see that either. After all, a petrified fossil never comes back to life...
Please pardon my english entry, but having been away from holland for 30 years my dutch, especially written is hopeless..
I have a large envelope which was sent to New Zealand in the 1953 air race from london to christchurch. It has on it this 25 Gld stamp along with various strips and blocks of 10 each nvph 526,531,532,533,534 as well as 8 nvph LP 14 and of-course the one LP 13.It was registered in eindhoven ex Philips and sent to Philips in Wellington NZ.It also has the lond-chch airrace cancel stamped on it.
Now question , how rare is the LP 13 on a postal piece and does having all these other stamps on it contribute to the value of this piece?
Serious,
write a mail to Lia Vieveen and ask her to write an nice article about it for this blog!
Where might I be able to reach her? In the mean time, you can see herehttp://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/tq/80/225178980.jpg