Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I'm very interested in US Parcel Posts stamps Q1-Q12 and I often see them offered affixed to tags. The manila type with a punch hole for a string. Some of these are described as "bank tags" and "parcel post tags"
Could someone one please give me a brief overview of what these were, how they were used and the collectibility of them? I couldn't get the picture to upload so if anyone has a picture to share that would be great.
Thanks in advance,
-Ernie
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If I understand your question, the tags were generally used to attach to parcels that stamps could not easily be affixed to. A common use was for shipment by mail of coins or currency. Here's an example from my collection, posted by the Bank of Nova Scotia in Vancouver to a pulp and paper mill north of Vancouver:
The parcel was likely a canvas bag containing cash; Chinese workers at the mill were (probably) paid separately from Caucasion workers. See details in my web page, Payday at Woodfibre.
Bob
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I just noticed an error in my "Payday at Woodfibre" web page, concerning dates. The shipping tag was definitely posted in 1946, not 1945. I'll update it soon.
Bob
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That's a neat item Bob, thanks for sharing the picture. So I guess in a day and time before computers and ACH wire transfers cash was actually sent through the mail! You had to hope the tag didn't get ripped off in transit!
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Very interesting that they'd send payroll cash through the mails! And so obviously marked too!
I do remember the days when I worked for a large engineering company. Their union agreement was that their members were to be paid in cash, every Friday. They paid everyone by company check, with their payroll stub attached. But they gave everyone the option of cashing their check right on the property, fulfilling that agreement.
The company had an armored car show up, and a couple of guards / cashiers would push a metal cart from department to department. Everyone would get on a line to get their cash. And this was as late as the early 1980s.
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Maresch Auctions recently sold this "money letter" cover:
What interests me, and makes me more than a little sad, is that there was a time when people, at least postal workers, were so trusted that money could be mailed so openly. I suppose, however, that theft of such covers, perhaps by postal workers, led to the ending of the practice.
Bob
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Bob,
On that picture of the tag that you posted, it appears that "Chinese payroll" was crossed out only to be written again above the original. Whats going on there?
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@Erniejax said,
"...it appears that "Chinese payroll" was crossed out only to be written again above the original. Whats going on there?"
I don't know. I wasn't there! And if I had been, I would have been only three years old!
However, I suspect that the first notation was thought to be in error, then the writer decided it had been correct. White-Out hadn't been invented!Bob
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Lol Gotcha Bob,
The only reason I asked is because you had that portion blown up and emphasized. Very interesting indeed!
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Don't know much about it, but here's another;
Randy
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Here are the tags from my collection:
I don't claim to know much about them, but they are there taking up space!
Lars
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Excellent! Thank you Bobstamp, Musicman and Larsdog!
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10:13:03am
I'm very interested in US Parcel Posts stamps Q1-Q12 and I often see them offered affixed to tags. The manila type with a punch hole for a string. Some of these are described as "bank tags" and "parcel post tags"
Could someone one please give me a brief overview of what these were, how they were used and the collectibility of them? I couldn't get the picture to upload so if anyone has a picture to share that would be great.
Thanks in advance,
-Ernie
Login to Like
this post
re: Tags?
If I understand your question, the tags were generally used to attach to parcels that stamps could not easily be affixed to. A common use was for shipment by mail of coins or currency. Here's an example from my collection, posted by the Bank of Nova Scotia in Vancouver to a pulp and paper mill north of Vancouver:
The parcel was likely a canvas bag containing cash; Chinese workers at the mill were (probably) paid separately from Caucasion workers. See details in my web page, Payday at Woodfibre.
Bob
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this post
re: Tags?
I just noticed an error in my "Payday at Woodfibre" web page, concerning dates. The shipping tag was definitely posted in 1946, not 1945. I'll update it soon.
Bob
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11:23:45am
re: Tags?
That's a neat item Bob, thanks for sharing the picture. So I guess in a day and time before computers and ACH wire transfers cash was actually sent through the mail! You had to hope the tag didn't get ripped off in transit!
Login to Like
this post
re: Tags?
Very interesting that they'd send payroll cash through the mails! And so obviously marked too!
I do remember the days when I worked for a large engineering company. Their union agreement was that their members were to be paid in cash, every Friday. They paid everyone by company check, with their payroll stub attached. But they gave everyone the option of cashing their check right on the property, fulfilling that agreement.
The company had an armored car show up, and a couple of guards / cashiers would push a metal cart from department to department. Everyone would get on a line to get their cash. And this was as late as the early 1980s.
Login to Like
this post
re: Tags?
Maresch Auctions recently sold this "money letter" cover:
What interests me, and makes me more than a little sad, is that there was a time when people, at least postal workers, were so trusted that money could be mailed so openly. I suppose, however, that theft of such covers, perhaps by postal workers, led to the ending of the practice.
Bob
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01:17:42pm
re: Tags?
Bob,
On that picture of the tag that you posted, it appears that "Chinese payroll" was crossed out only to be written again above the original. Whats going on there?
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re: Tags?
@Erniejax said,
"...it appears that "Chinese payroll" was crossed out only to be written again above the original. Whats going on there?"
I don't know. I wasn't there! And if I had been, I would have been only three years old!
However, I suspect that the first notation was thought to be in error, then the writer decided it had been correct. White-Out hadn't been invented!Bob
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02:10:33pm
re: Tags?
Lol Gotcha Bob,
The only reason I asked is because you had that portion blown up and emphasized. Very interesting indeed!
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re: Tags?
Don't know much about it, but here's another;
Randy
1 Member
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re: Tags?
Here are the tags from my collection:
I don't claim to know much about them, but they are there taking up space!
Lars
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04:43:54pm
re: Tags?
Excellent! Thank you Bobstamp, Musicman and Larsdog!
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