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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : Who in their right mind would do this?

 

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Ningpo
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05 Nov 2016
04:52:03pm
While browsing Delcampe just now, I came across these:


Image Not Found


I actually had to check a few of these to see if the coloured markings were 'owner watermarks' laid over the stamps by the seller, as there were so many. They aren't. These markings have been made either by crayon or pen.

We're all familiar with those damned Sharpie scrawls but this just defies belief. There are 110 of these, all Straits Settlements 96 cents. All are (were) Fine to Very Fine+; so obviously obtained from the same collection. Did the collector do this I wonder?

Such a shame.



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michael78651

05 Nov 2016
07:08:43pm
re: Who in their right mind would do this?

The blue crayon markings usually indicate that the stamp was used on registered mail. Such markings were made prior to the creation of the registered labels. I do not know what the red crayon marking signifies.

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Winedrinker
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05 Nov 2016
07:42:35pm
re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Image Not Found

I am expecting this in the mail in a few days. Seller describes it as having a "red crayon registration mark."

1882 SG 152

Cheers,
Eric

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Ningpo
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05 Nov 2016
08:07:41pm
re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Well four colours have been used; red, blue, purple and orange. Perhaps you are right that these are registration markings.

But I am more familiar with them in blue crayon, and usually struck through tying them to the cover. Many of these are in ink and just ticked.

Perhaps this was a peculiarity of the Penang post office, as most if not all have that postmark. I'll see if I can run this past a Straits Settlements expert.

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Ningpo
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05 Nov 2016
09:39:54pm
re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Seemingly these are not manuscript registration markings, as many of us are familiar with. Here is the response from Michel Houde, who is an authority on Straits Settlements (& Malaya, Singapore):


"Hello Clive,

I agree an extraordinary array of these 96 cents stamps. All with a postal cancellation of PENANG. Those with discernible dates range from MR 15 1889 to FE 1890. The stamp was issued in July 1888 and was the highest denomination at the time. As you noted all show a check mark or line. Which would indicate that someone was keeping tabs on these high value stamps.

I have never seen anything similar so I can only speculate on what these represent. It looks like the cancellations are over the crayon markings. So some clerk was marking the stamps on the letters/covers to account for them and/or to prevent them being stolen. Whatever was mailed was much bulkier than an ordinary letter. My guess is that it was sizable documents being mailed. So I would guess that some bank, solicitor or business might have sent a pre paid return envelope with the 96 cents stamps on them and someone in the office clipped the stamps off the incoming mail, thus accounting for this horde. But who knows.

FYI - the horde is on eBay as well."



EDIT

Just checked eBay and they are indeed listed. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one who had to scan 110 of these.


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ikeyPikey
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06 Nov 2016
04:24:51pm
re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Q/ Howzabout somebody got up to answer the phone, and their little kid & his coloring pencils were nearby, and ...

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"I collect stamps today precisely the way I collected stamps when I was ten years old."
        

 

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Ningpo

05 Nov 2016
04:52:03pm

While browsing Delcampe just now, I came across these:


Image Not Found


I actually had to check a few of these to see if the coloured markings were 'owner watermarks' laid over the stamps by the seller, as there were so many. They aren't. These markings have been made either by crayon or pen.

We're all familiar with those damned Sharpie scrawls but this just defies belief. There are 110 of these, all Straits Settlements 96 cents. All are (were) Fine to Very Fine+; so obviously obtained from the same collection. Did the collector do this I wonder?

Such a shame.



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michael78651

05 Nov 2016
07:08:43pm

re: Who in their right mind would do this?

The blue crayon markings usually indicate that the stamp was used on registered mail. Such markings were made prior to the creation of the registered labels. I do not know what the red crayon marking signifies.

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Winedrinker

05 Nov 2016
07:42:35pm

re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Image Not Found

I am expecting this in the mail in a few days. Seller describes it as having a "red crayon registration mark."

1882 SG 152

Cheers,
Eric

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this post
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Ningpo

05 Nov 2016
08:07:41pm

re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Well four colours have been used; red, blue, purple and orange. Perhaps you are right that these are registration markings.

But I am more familiar with them in blue crayon, and usually struck through tying them to the cover. Many of these are in ink and just ticked.

Perhaps this was a peculiarity of the Penang post office, as most if not all have that postmark. I'll see if I can run this past a Straits Settlements expert.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
Ningpo

05 Nov 2016
09:39:54pm

re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Seemingly these are not manuscript registration markings, as many of us are familiar with. Here is the response from Michel Houde, who is an authority on Straits Settlements (& Malaya, Singapore):


"Hello Clive,

I agree an extraordinary array of these 96 cents stamps. All with a postal cancellation of PENANG. Those with discernible dates range from MR 15 1889 to FE 1890. The stamp was issued in July 1888 and was the highest denomination at the time. As you noted all show a check mark or line. Which would indicate that someone was keeping tabs on these high value stamps.

I have never seen anything similar so I can only speculate on what these represent. It looks like the cancellations are over the crayon markings. So some clerk was marking the stamps on the letters/covers to account for them and/or to prevent them being stolen. Whatever was mailed was much bulkier than an ordinary letter. My guess is that it was sizable documents being mailed. So I would guess that some bank, solicitor or business might have sent a pre paid return envelope with the 96 cents stamps on them and someone in the office clipped the stamps off the incoming mail, thus accounting for this horde. But who knows.

FYI - the horde is on eBay as well."



EDIT

Just checked eBay and they are indeed listed. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one who had to scan 110 of these.


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ikeyPikey

06 Nov 2016
04:24:51pm

re: Who in their right mind would do this?

Q/ Howzabout somebody got up to answer the phone, and their little kid & his coloring pencils were nearby, and ...

Like
Login to Like
this post

"I collect stamps today precisely the way I collected stamps when I was ten years old."
        

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