“Postcard Puzzles and Penalties” in the Stamp Collector Magazine
The December 2022 issue of Stamp Collector magazine features a four page article by Maurice Buxton which focuses on various way people could get caught out by the regulations surrounding early postcards.
When postcards were first introduced there was a very specific set of rules laid down by the Post Office to make sure the postcard qualified for the 1/2d reduced postage rate for postcards.
I am sure that many of the examples illustrated that were breaking the rules were deliberate attempts to flout the laws to save monet, however I can equally believe that some of them were just down to a lack of knowledge of the rules.
The article focuses on four ways in which the postcard might fail to meet regulations: invalid cards, formatting issues, message requirements and attachment requirements.
It is good introduction to the subject of postal stationery and regulations in the early years of postcard usage. The illustrations are good quality reproductions of some interesting cards, my only complaint is that the article is only four pages, I would love to read a more detailed book on this subject.