No. Only in the Canal Zone.
Okay, thanks.
WB
Michael is correct. Though I do have one cover from US city to another US city with a Canal Zone stamp on it.
Also US special delivery stamps were used in the Canal Zone without overprint.
Yah, I wasn't sure. I have a few sheets of unused stamps that I was thinking about using on cover for shipping/mailing here in the U.S. I thought it would be kinda cool, but alas...
WB
You could still use them as "cinderellas" along with the required US postage.
Not quite as cool, but I might do that on a few.
Enjoyed your website,
WB
My own belief was that the post office department overprinted stamps "Canal Zone", "Cuba", "Philippines" as a way of loss prevention, same as soldier currency. Once marked, they couldn't be turned over for US currency if large batches got stolen and if the territory got overrun, they would simply be declared invalid.
That's an interesting statement Tom. I don't think I have ever thought to wonder why Canal Zone stamps (or other US occupied territories) were overprinted.
For the Canal Zone I think in the first couple of years of the postal service it was a matter of necessity which I why the first stamps were Panamanian stamps which were overprinted just to show distinction from Panamanian stamps. In the first half of the twentieth century there was also a certain pride at being a colonizing country in the US, and the various overprints reinforced that image.
Given that thumbnail sketch I think more research is needed on my part to come to better understanding of this question.
Are (or were) Canal Zone stamps valid for U.S. postage?
WB
re: Canal Zone Stamps
No. Only in the Canal Zone.
re: Canal Zone Stamps
Michael is correct. Though I do have one cover from US city to another US city with a Canal Zone stamp on it.
Also US special delivery stamps were used in the Canal Zone without overprint.
re: Canal Zone Stamps
Yah, I wasn't sure. I have a few sheets of unused stamps that I was thinking about using on cover for shipping/mailing here in the U.S. I thought it would be kinda cool, but alas...
WB
re: Canal Zone Stamps
You could still use them as "cinderellas" along with the required US postage.
re: Canal Zone Stamps
Not quite as cool, but I might do that on a few.
Enjoyed your website,
WB
re: Canal Zone Stamps
My own belief was that the post office department overprinted stamps "Canal Zone", "Cuba", "Philippines" as a way of loss prevention, same as soldier currency. Once marked, they couldn't be turned over for US currency if large batches got stolen and if the territory got overrun, they would simply be declared invalid.
re: Canal Zone Stamps
That's an interesting statement Tom. I don't think I have ever thought to wonder why Canal Zone stamps (or other US occupied territories) were overprinted.
For the Canal Zone I think in the first couple of years of the postal service it was a matter of necessity which I why the first stamps were Panamanian stamps which were overprinted just to show distinction from Panamanian stamps. In the first half of the twentieth century there was also a certain pride at being a colonizing country in the US, and the various overprints reinforced that image.
Given that thumbnail sketch I think more research is needed on my part to come to better understanding of this question.