Delivery on Sunday

WWW.GRADSTAAT.NL

MAIN PAGE

SUNDAY-
DELIVERY

DELIVERY-
STAMPS

NUMERAL-
STAMPS

SUNDAY DELIVERY

From the very first beginning letters has been delivered every day of the week. Shortly after the introduction of the Postal law of 1857 several walks of life which propagate the Sunday rest urged the Post to stop with the delivery on Sunday.
Still it took many years before the Sunday delivery was abolished.

The collection of directions of the Post dated January 3, 1912 announced the introduction of a label with the text "NIET BESTELLEN OP ZONDAG" (DO NOT DELIVER ON SUNDAY).

The labels make one's appearance under great political pressure with its purpose to exclude national letters and postcards, with such a label on the adress side, from delivery on Sunday.
The labels were obtainable at post offices from January 15, 1912 at a price of 1 cent for a sheet of 50 pieces. (Free of charge from August 1, 1916)

The labels turned out to be a complete failure. So they decide to cancel the Sunday delivery, except for letters, postcards and announcements of dead which were provided with a label "BESTELLEN OP ZONDAG" (DELIVER ON SUNDAY).
The introduction of this label was on July 20, 1919 but the labels were allready available from July 10, 1919 at a price of 1 cent for a sheet of 10 pieces. The red labels appeared before be dropped from July 20.

Letters from abroad and arrival announcements of registered letters were always delivered on Sunday with or without the label.

Gradually the Sunday deliveries fall into decay in most places. Around 1926 only some larger cities still have a delivery on Sunday.
A new label "BESTELLEN OP ZONDAG" with a legend "ALS 's-ZONDAGS TER PLAATSE EEN BESTELLING IS - NEDERLAND". (IF THERE ON SUNDAY LOCAL IS A DELIVERY) make one's appearance. The introduction was announced in an order of the Post Office of december 16, 1925 en shortly afterwards the new labels were obtainable at a price of 1 cent for a sheet of 10 pieces.

At last around 1935 a label "OP ZONDAG BESTELLEN" make one's appearance with a mention of the places which still have a Sunday delivery:
Amsterdam, 's-Gravenhage, Groningen, Rotterdam, Scheveningen en Utrecht.

From April 21, 1940 the Sunday delivery in the entire country is over and done, with the exception of Express letters. The public was given the opportunity to exchange the labels on post offices for a allowance of 10 pieces for 1 cent.
There were no directions for use of the labels besides the fact that they must be sticked on the front of the letters. Also stamping was no obligation.