Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian Mcqueen ((exclusive)) Jun 2026

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the "jusqu’à" postal phenomenon, the groundbreaking research compiled by specialist Ian McQueen, and how collectors identify and value these historic covers today. What are "Jusqu'à" Markings?

A premium cover retains all its original backstamps. These transit and arrival postmarks prove that the letter actually left the aircraft at the jusqu'à location and proceeded via surface transport.

originally published in 1993, is considered the definitive ground-breaking research on the subject.

To appreciate Ian McQueen’s contributions, one must first understand the purpose of a Jusqu’à marking.

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Each era has its own chapter in McQueen’s book. By following his chronology, a collector can tell a complete story of how airmail evolved from an experimental luxury to a scheduled, segmented service.

The French word translates to "as far as" or "up to." In a postal context, these markings indicate that a letter traveled by air only for a specific portion of its journey.

He linked specific markings to historical air routes and postal agreements.

The French term translates literally to "Until" or "As far as." This article provides a comprehensive overview of the

McQueen’s work was first published in by W.A. Page of Dartford, England. It is an A4‑size paperback, comb‑bound, comprising iii + 109 pages, and was priced at the time at £10.00 (about US$15). Just two years later, in 1995, a supplement was issued, also comb‑bound, but this time with iii + 163 pages—actually more pages than the original study. The supplement contained a wealth of new discoveries and amendments, reflecting McQueen’s ongoing research. The two parts are often found together, and the whole set has become a sought‑after item among aerophilatelists.

This book is often sought after by specialists who collect:

The term translates from French as “as far as” or “up to.” In postal practice, a Jusqu’à marking indicated that the postal authorities should carry the letter by air only to a specific airport or city. Beyond that point, the letter was to revert to surface mail (sea or rail).

The study also covers the simple that were often stamped across airmail etiquettes to indicate that the letter would not be carried further by air because of the rate paid. For example, on a 1932 cover from Bridge River, British Columbia, to London, the six‑cent rate paid only for air transport within Canada. When the cover arrived in England, purple bars were struck through the airmail indicators, and the letter then crossed the Atlantic by ship. McQueen’s book documents this and countless similar examples, drawn from many countries. These transit and arrival postmarks prove that the

Ian McQueen's work is credited with being a "ground-breaking" resource for aerophilatelists. Key features of the study include:

: The sender paid for domestic or regional airmail but did not add enough stamps to cover full international air routing.

McQueen’s work allowed collectors to systematically identify whether a marking on a cover was an official postal handstamp, a rare provisional marker, or a simple manuscript notation by a clerk. Types of Jusqu’à Markings Cataloged by McQueen

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Frequently found on early 1930s covers where formal stamps had not yet been manufactured. 2. Geographic and Language Variations