USAGE of STAMPS on
¼ OUNCE (or less) LETTERS

[CIRCULAR] [SHORT DISTANCE < ¼ OZ] [LONG DISTANCE < ¼ OZ]

Below are examples comparing standard rates that use single and multiple stamps. One can see, by the combinations of stamps and distance that the letters traveled, how the various combinations made the proper rates. To compare jump to the Postal Tariffs and then compare that with the illustration.

Circular Rate Letter

The cover above illustrates the common Circular rate. The circular rate required a single 6 centavo stamp. Circulars were typically preprinted announcements and the rule was that they could not be sealed in case the postmaster wanted to inspect the contents to make sure that the information contained was "circular" in nature.

¼ ounce or less/16 leagues or less

The cover above exhibits the most common usage, a single 12 centavo stamp to carry a ¼ ounce, or less, folded letter for a distance of 16 leagues (40 miles), or less. This letter was mailed from the Tlaxcala sub-office Apetatlan to Soltepec (Toluca sub), a distance of approximately 20 miles (8 leagues). The official postal tariff in effect at the time stated that to send ¼ ounce or less for a distance of 16 leagues or less was at a cost of 1 real. Twelve centavos is not an exact conversion to decimal from one real, twelve and a half would have been. Yet, the 12 centavo rate was as commonplace as the previous (1861 and Eagle issue) 1 real stamps.

The above cover is much like the 12 centavo cover above it. The two 6 centavo stamps pay the rate for ¼ ounce or less from Tlaxcala to Puebla which is approximately 4½ leagues.

¼ ounce or less/over 16 leagues

The above cover was mailed in San Cristobal (Chiapas) for a delivery to Oaxaca, a distance of close to 250 miles, which would have been close to 100 leagues putting the folded letter of less than ¼ ounce in the "over 16 leagues" category. The 25 centavo stamp would have been an exact equivalent of 2 reales.

The above cover was mailed in Puebla with a destination of Oaxaca some 60 leagues away. The folded letter weighs less than ¼ ounce and bears what must have been 2 reales (cost at the post office to the sender) worth of postage stamps in the form of two 12 centavo stamps.

The above cover was mailed in Rio Florido (Chihuahua) with a destination of Hidalgo del Parral (Chihuahua) some 33 leagues away. The folded letter weighs less than ¼ ounce and bears what must have been 2 reales (cost at the post office to the sender) worth of postage stamps in the form of four 6 centavo stamps.

This cover is similar to the one above except it has a strip of 4 of the thick figure 6 centavo stamps paying the rate for the greater than 16 league distance. The cover was posted from Rosario, a small sub office reporting to Oaxaca. The strip of 4 usage also illustrates how the smaller post offices would often run out of the larger denominated stamps and would use multiples of smaller values.