| Postage Due Stamps |  Top |
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US$ | ||
249691 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #J81a [1931 (not replaced until 1959) 3c scarlet Postage Due, Perf 11 x 10.5, Wet Printing] (VF) on extremely unusual LARGE PIECE (front and back) of the center slice of a cover. The original postage that was on the cover is not present on this LARGE PIECE, but this item still has a complex story to tell. This piece of cover came from the estate of O.A. Tjeltveit, who was POSTMASTER at the receiving town. Sent 30 June 1958 from "LAUREL, MONT. [Montana, MT], with an unknown amount of postage, to "RED LODGE, MONT." where on 1 July 1958 it received the 3c postage due stamp and was canceled. Postmaster Tjeltveit wrote in pen on the back of the piece "New Postage due on July 1 -58. This is the last day of old rate." That message from the past sent me scurrying to U.S. Domestic Postal Rates, 1872-1999; Revised Second Edition (1999); by Beecher and Wawrukiewicz ("Tony W"). On pages 272-273 Tony W wrote in some detail about the confusing and poorly documented postage due practices, rules, and penalties of this time period -- it is too much to quote here. However, he stated that a "highly controversial fee" came into effect on 1 July 1958 whereby then insufficient postage was due plus a 5 cent fee. This was so unpopular that it was "in effect only until July 31, 1958." At the time of his 1999 writing (I do not know about after that, prior to his passing), Tony W had been unable to prove some of these rate/fee changes and had not seen clear examples. That this cover bears a 3 cent postage due stamp AND the statement that it was still handled under the old penalty structure (which was the shortage plus a 1 cent penalty per short paid rate [1c per 1 oz, 2c per 2oz, etc.] strongly suggests that this envelope had been franked with a 1c stamp. The 3c stamp represents 2c additional postage required plus a 1c fee for a single weight letter. Even though the postage due stamp was canceled on 1 July, it had been mailed prior to that date, and apparently in his small community Tjeltveit gave the recipient a break on the penalty amount. Based on where this item was located in the Tjeltveit collection, I am "sure" that his handwritten comment was made at approximately the date of the cancellation. Unfortunately this piece of cover does not provide the complete documentation of the new-rate date that Tony W was missing in 1999, but it sure gets us a closer to a definitive answer! This is a great example of what looks like an ordinary (and even incomplete) philatelic item can be very significant to our understanding of the postal history when official documentation is lacking. ACTUAL item. |
SOLD |
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246041 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #J92 [1959 4c red and black Postage Due] (VF) on somewhat unusual August 1960 small-size business cover (window envelope) mailed locally within Kansas City, Missouri. Four folds on the envelope, none affecting the stamp. The envelope, probably containing an invoice or statement, was accidentally mailed without postage. According to regulations at the time, the post office correctly attempted delivery with postage due charged to the recipient. The 4c postage due stamp was affixed and canceled (undated roller device), as was the practice, before delivery was attempted. There is a penciled notation "no Resp" (no response) with carrier initials, and then a magenta handstamped date of "AUG 26 1960" again with the carrier initials (probably from a second attempt). The cover then received TWO DIFFERENT magenta "POINTING HAND" markings, one "RETURNED TO Sender / KANSAS CITY, MO." and the other "RETURNED TO WRITER / UNCLAIMED". At that time, a magenta "VOID" handstamp was applied to the 4c postage due stamp, indicating that the recipient did not pay the 4c due amount. Also with "KANSAS CITY / MO." September 6 1960 machine cancel on reverse. "9-6" was written in red in the lower right corner -- this was likely a filing system "trigger date" at which time the item would be returned to the sender if delivery was not successful. When returned to the original sender, current regulations stated that the original sender had to pay the postage due amount. However, the cover bears no indication of such payment by the original sender, resulting in (at least) one of four possibilities: 1) The original sender refused to accept the return and to pay the due amount; it is unclear to me if that was even possible. 2) A postal worker could have simply let it pass unpaid since the original sender was a "good customer". 3) A postal employee could have collected the 4c due amount and simply not put the canceled postage on the envelope, but perhaps gave the canceled postage directly to the original sender; 4) The explanation that I think is most likely: The original sender, a large business office, received several postage due items per day/week and the post office bundled them with a facing sheet that bore the total of all postage due stamps for the entire bundle. From time to time I encounter such facing sheets from this time period. While in many ways ordinary, this example illustrates the application of multiple regulations and processes. While such covers are not "rare" we do not often see them offered in the market. ACTUAL item. |
12.00 |
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246042 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #J93 [1959 5c red and black Postage Due] (VF) on December 17 1963 small-size greeting card size cover mailed locally within Spartanburg, South Carolina SC, with "PRAY / FOR / PEACE" machine cancellation. Accidentally mailed without postage. According to regulations at the time, the post office correctly attempted delivery with postage due charged to the recipient. The 5c postage due stamp was affixed and canceled (undated magenta double oval), as was the practice, before delivery was attempted. Also clearly handstamped in violet "POSTAGE DUE 5 CENTS". Neat and attractive example. ACTUAL item. |
8.00 |