Today in Postal History
Aitutaki to England
December 17, 1920
This registered cover was sent from Aitutaki in the southeastern
Cook Islands.
It is located at 18°52' S and 159°45' W.
The island of Aitutaki, under British protection since
1888,
was annexed to New Zealand as a dependency on June 11, 1901.
Although it became a port of entry to the Cook Islands on August 9, 1972,
it retained its own postal system and its own stamps.
The cover is franked with a New Zealand 1902 1s. bright
red Kea and Kaka (SG 315a)
overprinted AITUTAKI | Tai Tiringi
1s. issued in 1903 for Aitutaki (SG 7).
There are two Aitutaki N.Z. cds.
Registration was indicated by a handstamped registration
label
and blue crayon crosses on both front and back.
The cover was routed through Raratonga in the Cook Islands
on
December 29 where a double circle CDS transit mark was applied.
The next postal marking was the REGISTERED banner in
London.
The arrival date is illegible.
All in all, this is an uncommon item of high value.
Today in Postal History
January February
March April May June
July August September
October
November
December
Pastnotes Index - The
First 300 and the Next 207
provides more tidbits about stamps and collectors.
Comments? Send me an e-mail
Please include a reference to this item.