Today in Postal History

Mozambique Company to England

October 15, 1935

This registered airmail cover was sent from Beira on the east coast of Africa at 19°49' S.
Beira is at the mouth of the Púngoè river.

This cover was flown on the Blantyre-Beira
Salisbury Air Service for which the triangle stamps were issued.
The first flights occurred on July 31 and August 1, 1935.

Blantyre was in southern Nyassaland (now Malawi) about 450 km due north of Beira.
Salisbury (now Harare) was in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) about 450 km northwest of Beira.
Blantyre and Salisbury were also about 450 km apart.

Mozambique Company was chartered by Portugal for 50 years in 1891.
(Editor's note:  If it weren't for stamp collectors, the internet
wouldn't know that Mozambique Company ever existed.)
Beira was the capital of the 51,881 square mile charter.

The seven Beira cancels are typical hexagonal Portuguese handstamps.
Registry was indicated by a preprinted label for Beira.
The cover was also given a blue crayon registered cross.
A bilingual - Portuguese and French - airmail etiquette was also added.

From Beira the cover went to Salisbury, Rhodesia,
where a registry handstamp was applied on October 16.

The cover arrived at its destination of Bexhill on Sea on October 24.
The oval Bexhill on Sea registered handstamp is on the rear.

Bexhill on Sea is southeast of London on the English Channel
about 45 km east of Brighton and just west of Hastings.

The triangle stamps comprise a complete set of ten of the 1935 issue (Scott 165-174).
In addition there are two stamps from the 1925 pictorials,
the 1 escuedo blue and black Arms of the Company and
the 2 escuedo lilac and black view of Beira (Scott 143 and 145).
The total franking was 6.55 escuedos.
I have no idea whether this was a proper rate or just a nice mix of stamps.

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