Finland Stationery Post Cards 1875-1878

Grand Duchy of Finland joined the UPU in 1.7.1875 and this prompted changes in stamp imprints, rates and texts cards. However, the printing of new cards did not meet the timeline and therefore two provisional cards were issued by simply printing new stamp imprints to old card stock. One for domestic use and the other for use abroad. These cards were then superseded by the issuing of new cards for these uses (10 penniä card for domestic use and 16 penniä card for abroad use). The first card batches of the new cards saw the light of day on July 17th of 1875. The types listed on this page are matching the types presented in the LaPe catalogue but a lot of information is gathered from other sources as well.

16 penniä brown

The card can be divided in five types and subtypes based on the printing differences between lots. The type I was printed in quantity of 20 thousand (and further divided into two sub-types), type II was printed in quantity of 10 thousand and type III was printed in quantity of 30 thousand but further subdivided into two subtypes. Type I was issued in circulation on Jul-17 1875, type II at June of 1876 (exact date is unknown) and type III in 15-Feb 1877. 

Postal authorities later on in 1880 burnt 12120 cards of remaining stock so a total of 47880 cards were available to the public. However, no one knows the ratio of which types of cards were burnt. 

The type III lot was printed in different printing facilities which produced different prints and only the total number is known. However, based on cards known today, it is likely that the subtype IIIb (which uses a wider and heavier title text font compared to the IIIa subtype) was printed in considerably lower quantities than it's brother, the subtype IIIa.

16 penniä, brown, type IIIa

Unused postal stationery card.

The type IIIa is easy to distinguish from other types. The title texts are 21 millimetres away from the edge of the left border, the typeface used is much more narrower and 'light' compared to other types and the Finnish text on the bottom uses exactly these words: "Tälle puolelle kirjoitetaan ainoastaan...". The other types used different spelling.

16 penniä, brown, type IIIa

From Helsinki to Tallinn (Estonia) 1.2.1879. Tallinn's former name was Reval (Rääveli in Finnish) and the whole of Estonia was under Imperial Russia's rule at the time. The recipient of the card was Carl F.Gahlenbäck (1812-1892) who was a major Baltic-German businessman and diplomat living in Tallinn and who owned a significant trade fleet and other commercial ventures. The sender of the card was a Finnish sea captain Georg Gustaf Franzén (1847-1903). He was a member of an influential Finnish family originating from the city of Oulu and participating in maritime trade, shipping and wood industry. The text of the card seems to indicate that Franzén was on his way to St.Petersburg and was about to spend time in the renowned Demuth luxury hotel. Perhaps he was on his way towards Estonia? The card has nice stampings of St.Petersburg from which the card was forwarded to Tallinn and finally an arrival stamping (lowest left) to Tallinn dated 22.1.1879 (22.1.1879 Julian calendar equals 3.2.1879 Gregorian calendar) so a two day's journey.

16 penniä, brown, type IIIa

From Helsinki to Tammisaari (Ekenäs) 8.9.1879. Recipient Frithiof Hultman (1831-1890) was a prominent local businessman, diplomat and house representative who - among other ventures - was running a brewery and a distillery. The card was sent by Tilgman's printing house which was by far the biggest printing house of the time (in Finland, of course). The matter at hand discussed in the card indicated that the printing house has now sent labels that were probably missing from the last shipment. The card itself is overpaid as the 16 penniä card was supposed to be used on communications abroad and the destination was clearly within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Finland - a 10 penniä stationery card would have been sufficient but apparently the printing house opted to use this. It's noteworthy that the card arrived during the same day it was sent.

16 penniä, brown, type IIIa

From the Kellokoski mansion (Mariefors, in today's Tuusula city) 1.2.1879 to St.Petersburg in Imperial Russia. The probable recipient would have been Baron Maximillian Rosenkampff (1856-1919) who served in Imperial Russia's Izmailovo regiment during that time and was registered as a resident in that particular address of the card. The card was sent by widower Augusta Björkenheim who was the heiress of Kellokoski manor and also ran one of the biggest farms of Finland. In the card Björkenheim indicates that she has sent a package of Finnish butter via train (assumedly on the same train the card was cancelled in as indicated by the railway stamping). Finnish butter was a luxury item in high regard among the wealthy Imperial Russian elite of St.Petersburg. The card also features a prominent "40" written in big blue and as such is an indication of insufficient postage paid that falls to the recipient to pay. The card itself was used correctly (16 penniä was the correct rate between Grand Duchy of Finland and Imperial Russia) so it is fair to assume that the card was attached to the package of butter and the package itself was underpaid - there is no way of knowing the truth. The card has an arrival stamping to St.Petersburg 22.2.1879 (which translates to 3.2.1879 in Gregorian calendar).

16 penniä, brown, type I

A card from Sortavala (Grand Duchy of Finland) to St.Petersburg (Imperial Russia). The recipient was sister of mercy Johanna Aronintytär Schröder - a member of a bourgeois Schröder family who were influential in South-Eastern Finland owning f.ex. apothecaries. The card was sent by three of her four sisters Olga, Hilda and Minni. Her address is written to be the clinic of Maximilianov that was a renowned hospital under the direct influence of the Russian imperial family. The text indicates that her sisters wrote simply to congratulate Johanna both for her name's day and for her move to the city of St.Petersburg. The card arrived to St.Petersburg in 12.7.1876 (which translates to 24.7.1876 in Gregorian calendar) so a three day's journey for a rather short distance.

16 penniä, brown, type I

TO-DO