During the golden age of airmail (primarily the 1920s through the 1950s), flying mail across oceans and continents was incredibly expensive. International postal agreements required countries to calculate exact transit costs based on weight and distance.
For the modern postal historian, a "jusqu-a" cover is not just a piece of paper; it is a glimpse into a time when mail traveled by air as far as it could—and then sailed the rest of the way.
Common in British Commonwealth transit hubs.
Postal authorities needed a clear way to indicate that an airmail service had ended at a specific point. This was done by applying a cachet, handstamp, or bar marking across the airmail etiquette (the “Par Avion” label) or directly on the cover. These markings, collectively known as “jusqu’à” markings, literally meant the letter was being carried by air only “up to” that point. For example, a cover from Africa to England might be marked “By Air to London” to show that the air service terminated at London, after which the letter would continue by surface transport. Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
Information on cancellations applied en route.
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Published just two years later, this volume is actually larger than the original (163 pages vs. 109 pages), containing a massive influx of new data from the philatelic community. During the golden age of airmail (primarily the
It signaled to transit post offices exactly where the air transport privilege expired.
Before Ian McQueen, "jusqu-a" covers were often overlooked or misunderstood, with collectors preferring pure airmail. McQueen recognized that these intermediate markings told a more complex and human story of postal development.
His book, Jusqu-a Airmail Markings , became the undisputed bible for this niche. McQueen did not just list the markings; he contextualized them by analyzing: The specific postal routes involved. The historical dates of usage. The color of inks used by various postal administrations. The scarcity and valuation of different types. Common in British Commonwealth transit hubs
When a sender requested airmail service (often by using an "Air Mail" etiquette or stamp), the postal service might only be able to fulfill that request for part of the route due to limited flight paths or insufficient postage. The Marking
Cairo and Basra were frequent "Jusqu’à" points for mail heading toward Australia or East Asia. Trans-Atlantic Transitions:
A clerk stamped or wrote a directive on the envelope indicating where the air transit must stop.
In smaller post offices or during periods of sudden route changes, clerks simply wrote the instructions by hand. Phrases like "Par avion jusqu'à [City]" written in fountain pen or colored pencil are highly prized for their regular usage in specific historical windows.
The book is noted for its high-quality images, which serve as an essential tool for collectors trying to identify and authenticate their own covers. The Evolution of the Study