Per Expres
It is always exciting to search through a bin of mail items at exhibitions and fairs for beautiful and usable specimens. That is what I did during Postex 2011 in Apeldoorn. There, I came across an envelope with a striking red express strip for rush delivery. Not particularly special, but certainly in combination with other details on the envelope!
The envelope had a few peculiarities that you don't come across very often. From the impression of the Amsterdam Central Station postmark, I could see that the letter had been postmarked on February 13, 1952, at 9 a.m. Furthermore, there was an impression of the MAILBOX stamp. Apparently, the letter was deposited in the mailbox the evening before, after the post offices had closed.
It was noted, however, that the letter was insufficiently stamped.
The express fee, which amounted to 30 cents at the time, had been paid, but the 10-cent postage for the letter itself was missing. Therefore, the annotation '20' was placed in red pencil, indicating that 10 cents postage was missing and that double postage had to be collected from the addressee. According to PTT regulations, the express fee had been paid, and therefore the letter had to be treated as an urgent delivery.
The letter was sent to Hilversum, where it arrived at one o'clock in the afternoon. This is evident from an impression of the stamp HILVERSUM 18 printed on the back of the envelope.
In Hilversum, two blue 10-cent postage due stamps were affixed and stamped with the stamp of the Hilversum State Telegraph. This was because the letter was taken to the addressee by a telegram carrier.
Did the addressee, Johan Bodegraven, pay the 20 cents to the telegram carrier himself? All in all, a nice piece of mail to find a nice spot in the collection! 
Nice story, Cees!
And the addressee, Johan Bodegraven, was a well-known radio presenter!
See: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Bodegraven
Johan Bodegraven was indeed very well known on the radio. I believe he hosted the Tuesday Evening Train, a program full of entertainment and music. I was born in 1947 and don't know exactly, but I do know that I always had to go to bed when Johan Bodegraven came on the radio, because my parents wanted to listen to it.
What also stands out, of course, is the lack of an address. Now, that letter couldn't possibly be delivered at all, because today's postmen most likely don't even know what NCRV is or where Hilversum is. I keep getting letters for no. 23 myself, even though there's a big '19' written on my door. Does 'express' actually still exist?
Nice analysis of this piece of mail. There is also 257 written on it in pencil. What could that mean?
257 …. could have been his phone number ….
Dear Cees, Sent February 13, 1953. Perhaps the content was a donation or a pledge of aid? To read about the Flood Disaster of February 1, 1953:
A major nationwide relief effort was launched, supported by the radio. NCRV presenter Johan Bodegraven became famous with the highly successful – and first massive – fundraising campaign *Beurzen open, dijken dicht* (Stock Exchanges Open, Dikes Closed). Much aid was provided at local, national, and international levels – in total, some 138 million guilders (62,5 million euros) would be raised for the affected people. Relief supplies (clothing, household goods, linens, and food) were also sent from all over the world.
Another nice topic from your side – Ronald
A nice thought of mine, but incorrect. The sender of the letter must have had foresight to send a donation as early as 1952 for a flood that wouldn't take place until a year later. I was apparently a bit too enthusiastic. Quite a coincidence, those dates combined with the information I read on the internet. What would have been in the letter then? A song request perhaps for Valentine's Day, February 14th...
Ronald
'@Jos Expressepost/Expresspost/Exprespost still exists.
This text from the PostNL website
Which services does PostNL Pakketten provide and which does TNT Express?
PostNL Pakketten delivers packages for business customers and private individuals during regular hours (6 days a week, 24 hours). TNT Express provides door-to-door express services with a guaranteed delivery day and time, aimed at business-to-business customers.
I got this hypothetical example from the online rate calculator: you can send a 35-gram letter within the Netherlands as a “Letter with Express Service” for €22,50, and a “Parcel with Express Service” for €25,00. So, as a private individual, you can also simply send an express item, provided you drop it off at the post office yourself.
What a beautiful envelope, especially that postage stamp. May I ask how much something like that must have cost?
Given that the term EXPRESS was written twice in pen, the red express slip was only affixed by a postal worker in Amsterdam after the mailbox had been emptied. This, together with the imprint of the stamp MAILBOX?
Martijn, the value of the envelope is difficult to determine. If one goes by the 10-cent stamps, they are very common, just like the postage due stamps. So it cannot be found there. However, the combination of express and mailbox is. Something for the specialist in the field of express delivery and the like. So they would be willing to pay quite a bit for it. A combination that does not occur very often. Then there is the impression of the State Telegraph stamp. That is also quite rare. The envelope was in a bin with other mail items and was priced by the dealer. There is no catalog with prices for such mail items. The price was a bargain for me! If you know what I mean…
For an even more detailed description of this piece: are the postage due stamps with a vertical watermark? Those were mainly in use during the period 1951–1953/54.