Destination
This is one of the more straightforward parts of the description process. There are just a couple of rules explained below. There are two primary challenges. The first is reading penmanship. Only practice will help. The second challenge is translating what is written as a country name into an acceptable name. The key is using a destination country name as in the catalog. The catalog's index will help.
3c Washington Franklin on 2c Washington Oval Die Envelope 1909 Cambridge, Mass. to Osaka, Japan.
On covers addressed to a different country other than the U.S. or Canada, describe the destination with the city and country.
New South Wales 2 1/2d QV 1912 Sydney, N.S.W. to Stillwater, Minn.
Covers addressed to the U.S. should be described with the city and state.
New South Wales 1/2d QV and 1d Seal 1906 Deniliquin PPC to Brantford, Ont. Canada.
Covers addressed from outside Canada to the Canada should be described with the city, province and 'Canada'. The province should be described as Alta. B.C. Man. N.B. Newfoundland, N.S. Ont. Que. P.E.I. Sask. N.W.T. or Yukon. Please be sure to let the period in an abbreviation stand as the separator before the word 'Canada'. Do not use ., period comma.Covers from Canada addressed within Canada should have the destination described with the city and province. Covers addressed from within Canada to the largest cities in Canada, like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg, etc, should just have the destination described with the city only.
5c Beacon with 5c Roosevelt Fourth Bureau 1928 Dunkirk, N.Y. Airmail to Paris, France Forwarded to New York, N.Y. 1c Overpaid. Crease.
Forwarding is handled as part of the destination. Please note there is no space after the initial destination and Forwarded is capitalized.
If the cover is forwarded to a different address with the destination city, it is described as to Paris, France Forwarded within Paris.
If the penmanship makes the forwarded in country destination illegible, describe as Forwarded Domestically
Do not use all capital two letter abbreviations such as CA, NY, SC etc. etc. etc.
These are the acceptable abbreviations for the U.S. states:
Ala.
Alaska
Ariz.
Ark.
Cal. or Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
Fla.
Geo.
Hawaii
Idaho
Ill.
Ind.
Iowa
Kans.
Ky.
La.
Maine
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Miss.
Mo.
Mont.
Nebr.
Nev.
N.H.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.
N.C.
N.Dak.
Ohio
Okla.
Oreg.
Penn.
R.I.
S.C.
S.Dak.
Tenn.
Tex.
Utah
Vt.
Va.
Wash.
W.Va.
Wis.
Wyo.
D.C.
U.S. Treasury Dept. Customs House Collectors Office 1890 New York, N.Y. P.O. Local use.
Covers addressed to the same city should be described as local use. Please note Capital L in Local, small u in use.
1 1/2d KGVI 1952 San Salvador, Bahamas to Nassau.