Jeff
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Formulars?
Anyone willing to provide an "official" definition of the term formular?
Appreciate your help.
Jeff
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jlechtanski
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I assumed it was the German word for "form" used in formular card, formular envelope, formular air letter, etc.
Any of the above would have no imprinted stamp or indication that postage was paid. Therefore you would have to add the stamp.
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Jeff
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"Form" meaning a card that had a "form" on it that needed to be filled out to provide some sort of information, correct?
Aren't there different types of fomular cards? Official, etc.?
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lam
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Every document, issued by Postal Authorities to provide proper service of postal deliveries. The common for all formulars is the lack of preprinted
stamp on it.
It can be post cards, money transfer formulars, parcell cards, POW cards, Notifications of delivery cards, telegramm formulars, kinds of receipts,
formulars for privilege correspondence and more.
There were some cases, when there was no need for adding stamps - like privilege cards, post cards to and from Army in the Field, POW cards...
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Jeff
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A few more questions:
Are there general categories of formulars?
postcards
money orders
etc.?
Is one common attribute of a formular that it is not an envelope and therefor has some type of printing on front and/or back that requires the "form"
to be filled in?
Is the presence of a "form" required or not required? Such as a return receipt form that would not have a place to fill in an address (it would
already be pre-printed), stating the successful delivery of an item, but also requiring postage.
Thanks!
jeff
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jlechtanski
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I can think of the "formular registration envelopes" of Great Britain, printed with the horzontal and vertical blue lines, "R" in oval, and printed
instructions. They were used throughout the British Empire by using the stamps of the local colony or possession. They did not have printed "forms"
but are well-known as "formular registration envelopes."
There are postal stationery envelopes of the USSR with areas for sender's address, recipient's address, postal code and "place stamp here" box. but I
have not heard the term "formular" used in conjunction with these items.
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oldteddy
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What's in the name?
To Jeff:
So you think this is not a FORMULAR, just an ENVELOPE? I do not understand it. If it would be a postcard with the same properties it would be a
FORMULAR, but if it's an envelope - it's AN ENVELOPE?
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Jeff
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To Oldteddy,
I don't think anything. Maybe your concern is with jlechtanski? The symbol at the end of my sentence indicates a question "?" I'm asking because I
need a definition of a FORMULAR.
What makes your image a formular and not an envelope? (I think I've asked this a few times) Is it because there is a "form" (i.e. lines for
addesses, etc.) to fill out? Am I getting too stuck on the "form" part of formular?
As you can see from the few postings we have here already, there would appear to be some differing opinions on what exactly a formular really is. If
someone who collects these things or has a good general knowledge of formulars can provide what they believe is a great definition of what a formular
is (and maybe what it is not), that would be wonderful.
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oldteddy
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Jeff;
Sorry if I misaddressed my question.
Definitions are one of the most difficult parts of any knowledge. Without attempting to formulate one for me a formular (pat is not intended) is a
postal item (a cover or a card) with properties sufficient to be accepted by postal authorities EXCEPT IT'S MISSING A STAMP.
To compensate you for reading my poor "definitions" - here is another formular - never seen any reference to it. But regardless of its scarcity - or
lack of it - I think it's a beauty.
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IvoSteijn
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Jeff
I'm asking because I need a definition of a FORMULAR.
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I think the deciding factor is that a formular is issued by the postal authorities. The blank envelope shown here was issued by the postal
authorities, so it qualifies as a formular.
Even then you'll have "gray areas" as postal authorities sometimes also sell quite ordinary envelopes produced by a commercial printer and identical
to those sold in any stationery store...
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oldteddy
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Taxes, taxes, taxes...
I wonder if anybody noticed that all "advertisements" on my RSFSR formular are about TAXES, and how good it feels to pay them...
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lam
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IvoSteijn is absolutely right: only the forms, issued by Postal Authorities may be defined as "formulars". It must be noted, that there are also
formulars, issued by public organizations (like Red Cross, who was under protege of Maria Fedorovna) - but with permission of Postal Authorities.
In general - a good sign for being a formular is appearence of Coat of Arms.
But...
As IvoSteijn says, the problems are in a "gray area". There are no questions about POW correspondence Cards, issued officialy. But you can't find Coat
of Arms on them (except one card, issued by Biysk POW Camp).
On the another hand - I know several post cards, privately issued, bearing Coat of Arms. This area is very gray.
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Jeff
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How's this?
formular (n.) A document or form, issued by a postal authority to provide proper service for the delivery of postal items. A common attribute of a
formular is that there is no pre-printed stamp or postage present.
Formulars can be postcards, money transfer forms, parcel post cards, POW cards, notification of delivery cards, etc.
Some formulars were issued by public service organizations such as the Red Cross, with permission of the postal authorities.
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jlechtanski
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I have no problem with them being formulars. I just said that I had not heard them called that.
Here is the formular I posted on 6 May 2005. We did not mention the term formular during that discussion.
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lam
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Nice, but there is no indication, that this envelope is issued by POSTAL AUTHORITY.
Otherfore you can define any post card or envelope as formular, including illustrated post cards - they have printed form on the address side?
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Alep
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The coat-of-arms is not always a necessary sign of that the item was not issued by Postal Administration. The envelope shown by Oldteddy was
definitely sold in the Soviet Union at the post, it was ordered by the post and has also data as to the printing. There are also other forms given out
free by the post (e.g. for money transfer or parcels) having no coat-of-arms. Thus, there was an essential deviation from the Imperial traditions in
the Soviet period. In my opinion, all these are formulars; but it is a matter of individual taste, what to collect as such. Myself, I prefere those
with the coat-of-arms but do not reject also official POW-cards. To distinguish them from the private products, I propose to call them postal
formulars.
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lam
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One more kind of formulars, described by Epstein, are Russian Empire stationeries with cachet, applied by Post-Telegraph Districts or Main Post
Offices to anulate the stamp and the Coat of Arms. Most of them are from early 20-ies.
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Jeff
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Formulars are a major subject matter in Journal 146.  I know you are looking
forward to this edition.
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