The free - franching covers

 

Some military and ministerial establishments, had the benefit to send their mail without the franching oblige. However, this institutions, had the oblige to put, on the documents to send, special cancels, usually inked in violet or black ink, to identify the source. These cancels were, usually, overprinted on the covers by an oval hand postmark with the symbol of Italian Social Republic government.

 

Above are showed two scarce oval free-franching cancels, belonging at Finance Minister, placed in Brescia in Marsala Street.

Republican National Guard was one of the militar institution abled to send covers and documents without stamps. The picture above, shows a cover addressed to Grotta d' Adda from Provincial Command of Varese's GNR.

From Provincial Command of Brescia's GNR to an Officer, is the cover above showed.

 

Another cover sent by the 14° Provincial Militar Command to the Mayor of Lecco. Note the oval cancel who says : Field-Post Service. The upper part of this cancel, was chiped because It showed the former Kingdom symbol.

This cover was sent from 21° Provincial Militar Command, placed in Mantua, to Podestà (Mayor ) of Goito. This Command was not able to use the oval Free - Franching cancel, so a new cancel was prepared. It says : This Office is unprovided of free-franching cancel.

The cancel on the cover above, is very scarce. This cancel belonged to a Swimmer - Parachutists Battalion of X° Flottiglia MAS, an important Navy Division during the RSI period. The cancel ( Field - Post # 845 ), belonged to a Provincial Militar Command placed in Valdobbiadene ( Treviso ).

The cover above is very interesting. This cover was addressed to Seriate ( Bergamo ) from the 17° Provincial Militar Command placed in Bergamo. The cancel have # 749, to identiify the provenience place, while the oval cancel ( Field - Post Service ), shows another example of free - franching cover.

From Venice to Brescia, is the cover above showed. This cover was sent by Navy Service Command of Venice on May, 5 1944.

Another example of free - franching cover, is above showed. The cover was sent from Provincial Militar Command placed in Turin ( Field - Post # 841 ), to citizen Podestà.

The two envelopes over visible show an evident example of rate exemption applied also at civilian and military German authorities . The left envelope , decidedly not common, was sent from Sirmione ( Brescia )to Como. The free-franching cancellation belong at Todt Organization.