Today in Postal History

New Caledonia to United States
March 4, 1918

This registered cover was mailed from Noumea in New Caledonia.

It is covered by bright stamps.
It has only two 1c black on green paper from the 1905 series but it has
twelve 4c black on orange paper from the same series (Scott 88 and 90).
The 50c rate was made up of 25c for 20 grams and 25c for registration.*

There are an even dozen Noumea CDS.
There is a Noumea registry label which doesn't look quite like most.
The registry status is typed in as well as rubber stamped.

The cover passed through Sydney, Australia, on 22 March and received a registry stamp.
The cover received its first US registry marks in
Chicago on April 27 and was assigned registry number 17118.
It was given two hits with the Chicago registry stamp.

It arrived at its destination of Detroit where it received two purple registry stamps on April 28.
Total transit time was fifty-five days. 

*Thanks to Paul for the rate information.

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