fabulous cover and great context, Dave; thanks
Dave:
Your cover is especially interesting since this was addressed to the "District Postal Manager".
Was this perhaps the recipient's cheeky attempt at testing his/her own system? Or to create a unique cover for a profitable sale later? Have you ever attempted to track down this person?
Enquiring minds want to know!
(The Other) Dave (lemaven)
Dave, the cover is full of questions! I've always assumed that this was a "tester" but Tamworth is an inland New South Wales city, 300kms from Tenambit, which is on the coast. I can't imagine that he sent it to himself over that distance.
I hadn't considered looking for Mr Frost, but I'm working on it now!
Great Britain.
One clever Philatelist sent me this cover with his catalogue enclosed. To make up the weight step of £1.08p he used Post Office Training School stamps which should not even be on the marketplace !!
They were obviously asleep in Romford, Essex !!!
A letter my parents got a few years ago, franked with a metallic Easter seal.
The sender here, probably a tourist, sent this delightful card thinking.. a). the labels were postage stamps or b). forgot to put a stamp on or c). tried to pull a sneaky one !! In any event, Postage was due as can be seen by the dreaded 'T' !!
Here is one of many illegal covers from my postal history collection. A 10 cent trading stamp used for postage, and it went through the USPS with no postage due in 1999 from Houston, Texas, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Linus
The sender taped a penny to this cover when postage rates went up, from Huntsville, Alabama, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA. (from my collection)
Linus
.
Incorporating by reference:
The American Philatelist, January 2019, p40-41:
Ducks(*) Carry Priority Mail Across Connecticut
(*) Migratory Bird Hunting Stamps are not valid for postage, but these did the job.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
Here is another cover from my collection, saved from the trash can, with illegal postage.
Linus
Here is another one from my postal history collection with a 26p Great Britain machin illegally used as USA postage in combination, from Stockton, California, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA in 1993.
Linus
This is a cover my mother sent to my wife and me when we had first arrived in the Republic of Panama in late December 1970. It contain a Christmas card and letter as I recall. We used the U.S. Embassy as a collection point for mail until we had a permanent address. The Embassy obligingly complied. The cover is franked with two 10 cents postal savings stamps, Sc. S1 and sailed through the system without question.
FF
With regard to the original post which is not even in this thread - That sticker is a publishers clearing house sticker. They used to do tons of mail outs selling mostly magazine subscriptions and a few other things. Always contained a few pages of those stickers and a bunch of junk about prize contests and mail order junk.
Brian, I'm surprised the PO did not charge you postage due!!!
Brian, this illustrates why the Postal authorities prefer to move away from stamps.
How is a young postal clerk supposed to know all Australian stamps - old and recent, of which there are thousands upon thousands, and determine that the postage is paid in the matter of 1 second?
I sometimes feel bad for those guys when I put 3 postage stamps on a cover to make up the rate and then leave them do the math 63c + 15c + 12c = 90 cents ! Then, next one ...43c + 45c + 2c = 90 cents, then next one....... Poor guys!
" .... and then leave them do the math 63c + 15c + 12c = 90 cents ! Then,
next one ...43c + 45c + 2c = 90 cents, then next one....... Poor guys! ...."
I almost always do the math and write it just below a "First Class Paid"
impression from a rubber stamp I had made a year or two ago. Before that
I'd do the math and print "Postage Paid." on the left side of the cover.
It could be considered a matter of courtesy, but just between us, I do not
have much faith in almost any young person's skill to do more than add a
simple column.
From experience combining skill in both addition and the black arts of mental
multiplication, with decimal points, in one problem has become a lot to
expect. And yes, BLOCK PRINTING, never what might pass for an attempt at
the "Palmer Method."
.
3 x 13 = .39
2 x.06 = .12
1 x.04 = . 4
... .... $0.55
POSTAGE PAID
'
I also do the math, right on the cover ...
... and I add a big check mark, as if the clerk agreed ...
... even though there was no clerk.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
Legal or illegal cover?
A few years ago, we visited Morocco on a cruise, and afterward made a port call in Spain. I had no chance of mailing a postcard to myself from Tangier, so I franked the postcard with King Juan Carlos stamps next to one or two stamps of the Moroccan king. The Spanish post office obliterated the Spanish King postage stamp, but did not make a mark on the Moroccan king. I did receive the item in the USA...
I am looking for that postcard. When I find it I will post it to this thread.
Just saying...
A political message.
I remember one time I took a cover in to be cancelled it was going to the US and had no international stamps on it.I copped a newbe at the counter and was told I couldn't post it as it didn't have international stamps on it.
Being the polite person I am I explained to her that as long as there was 10% extra postage on the cover it was OK.She still wasn't satisfied and had to confer with another clerk who told it it was fine.
Brian
"... The Spanish post office obliterated the Spanish King postage stamp, but did not make a mark on the Moroccan king ..."
"... A political message ..."
This one is illegal, but got found out. Postage of 7c is correct (1971), but five 1c Nauru stamps were used, which have never been valid in Australia. Taxed double the shortage, 10c
re: Illegal Covers
fabulous cover and great context, Dave; thanks
re: Illegal Covers
Dave:
Your cover is especially interesting since this was addressed to the "District Postal Manager".
Was this perhaps the recipient's cheeky attempt at testing his/her own system? Or to create a unique cover for a profitable sale later? Have you ever attempted to track down this person?
Enquiring minds want to know!
(The Other) Dave (lemaven)
re: Illegal Covers
Dave, the cover is full of questions! I've always assumed that this was a "tester" but Tamworth is an inland New South Wales city, 300kms from Tenambit, which is on the coast. I can't imagine that he sent it to himself over that distance.
I hadn't considered looking for Mr Frost, but I'm working on it now!
re: Illegal Covers
Great Britain.
One clever Philatelist sent me this cover with his catalogue enclosed. To make up the weight step of £1.08p he used Post Office Training School stamps which should not even be on the marketplace !!
They were obviously asleep in Romford, Essex !!!
re: Illegal Covers
A letter my parents got a few years ago, franked with a metallic Easter seal.
re: Illegal Covers
The sender here, probably a tourist, sent this delightful card thinking.. a). the labels were postage stamps or b). forgot to put a stamp on or c). tried to pull a sneaky one !! In any event, Postage was due as can be seen by the dreaded 'T' !!
re: Illegal Covers
Here is one of many illegal covers from my postal history collection. A 10 cent trading stamp used for postage, and it went through the USPS with no postage due in 1999 from Houston, Texas, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Linus
re: Illegal Covers
The sender taped a penny to this cover when postage rates went up, from Huntsville, Alabama, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA. (from my collection)
Linus
re: Illegal Covers
.
Incorporating by reference:
The American Philatelist, January 2019, p40-41:
Ducks(*) Carry Priority Mail Across Connecticut
(*) Migratory Bird Hunting Stamps are not valid for postage, but these did the job.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Illegal Covers
Here is another cover from my collection, saved from the trash can, with illegal postage.
Linus
re: Illegal Covers
Here is another one from my postal history collection with a 26p Great Britain machin illegally used as USA postage in combination, from Stockton, California, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA in 1993.
Linus
re: Illegal Covers
This is a cover my mother sent to my wife and me when we had first arrived in the Republic of Panama in late December 1970. It contain a Christmas card and letter as I recall. We used the U.S. Embassy as a collection point for mail until we had a permanent address. The Embassy obligingly complied. The cover is franked with two 10 cents postal savings stamps, Sc. S1 and sailed through the system without question.
FF
re: Illegal Covers
With regard to the original post which is not even in this thread - That sticker is a publishers clearing house sticker. They used to do tons of mail outs selling mostly magazine subscriptions and a few other things. Always contained a few pages of those stickers and a bunch of junk about prize contests and mail order junk.
re: Illegal Covers
Brian, I'm surprised the PO did not charge you postage due!!!
re: Illegal Covers
Brian, this illustrates why the Postal authorities prefer to move away from stamps.
How is a young postal clerk supposed to know all Australian stamps - old and recent, of which there are thousands upon thousands, and determine that the postage is paid in the matter of 1 second?
I sometimes feel bad for those guys when I put 3 postage stamps on a cover to make up the rate and then leave them do the math 63c + 15c + 12c = 90 cents ! Then, next one ...43c + 45c + 2c = 90 cents, then next one....... Poor guys!
re: Illegal Covers
" .... and then leave them do the math 63c + 15c + 12c = 90 cents ! Then,
next one ...43c + 45c + 2c = 90 cents, then next one....... Poor guys! ...."
I almost always do the math and write it just below a "First Class Paid"
impression from a rubber stamp I had made a year or two ago. Before that
I'd do the math and print "Postage Paid." on the left side of the cover.
It could be considered a matter of courtesy, but just between us, I do not
have much faith in almost any young person's skill to do more than add a
simple column.
From experience combining skill in both addition and the black arts of mental
multiplication, with decimal points, in one problem has become a lot to
expect. And yes, BLOCK PRINTING, never what might pass for an attempt at
the "Palmer Method."
.
3 x 13 = .39
2 x.06 = .12
1 x.04 = . 4
... .... $0.55
POSTAGE PAID
re: Illegal Covers
'
I also do the math, right on the cover ...
... and I add a big check mark, as if the clerk agreed ...
... even though there was no clerk.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Illegal Covers
Legal or illegal cover?
A few years ago, we visited Morocco on a cruise, and afterward made a port call in Spain. I had no chance of mailing a postcard to myself from Tangier, so I franked the postcard with King Juan Carlos stamps next to one or two stamps of the Moroccan king. The Spanish post office obliterated the Spanish King postage stamp, but did not make a mark on the Moroccan king. I did receive the item in the USA...
I am looking for that postcard. When I find it I will post it to this thread.
Just saying...
re: Illegal Covers
A political message.
re: Illegal Covers
I remember one time I took a cover in to be cancelled it was going to the US and had no international stamps on it.I copped a newbe at the counter and was told I couldn't post it as it didn't have international stamps on it.
Being the polite person I am I explained to her that as long as there was 10% extra postage on the cover it was OK.She still wasn't satisfied and had to confer with another clerk who told it it was fine.
Brian
re: Illegal Covers
"... The Spanish post office obliterated the Spanish King postage stamp, but did not make a mark on the Moroccan king ..."
"... A political message ..."