A very ordinary receipt

Is it worthwhile to collect and illustrate such a cover at all? It could easily have been acquired from a two-franc box at a stock exchange. Although this cover is neither expensive nor 'rare', it is interesting both philatelically and as a document about the scouting movement and would be a good addition to a collection. Let us take a closer look at it. The Swiss

Scout Association has posted a cash on delivery in the amount of Fr. 132.45 with a pre-printed postcard for this purpose. The nearest post office to the secretariat, then at Marktgasse 52 in Bern, was that of Bern 7, Kornhaus. The date of posting was 7 July 1947, at 7 pm. On the back is a stamp from Langenthai with the date 8 July 1947, 2 pm. As the cash on delivery could not be collected on the spot
a note is written in pencil on the upper left edge of the card, "Deadline until 15.7."

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We know nothing more about the addressee of the card, Dr. Flück. Whether he was committed to a scout section in Langenthai and whether the amount was perhaps the annual contributions of the section to the Scout Association? This must remain unanswered for the time being. Perhaps something could be found out about this in an archive.

The franking of the card is also interesting. It is postage due for cash on delivery at 90 centimes. But why did the Swiss Scout Association use such a colourful mixture of Bnef stamps and a stamp with surcharge, when the Scouts themselves depend on donations? Philatelists are pleased, of course, especially because this is a commercial franking and not a stamp collector's item. The catalogue value of the four stamps together is about 15 Swiss francs (prices on cover).

This cover is certainly unique in its kind and is a good example that interesting collector's items do not have to be expensive.