Probably what are called CTO's (cancelled to order)
Look this up for information
http://www.linns.com/howto/refresher/ctos_19980511/refreshercourse.aspx
I found the article interesting since it spoke about being able to pay postage due by way of having mint US postage cancelled. Back in the late 1970s I worked for a real estate developer who would periodically send out mailings. They included 'no postage necessary' reply cards. I was in charge of picking up the mail, and in the days after making one of those large mailings I would be picking up the reply cards and paying the postage due on them. It often ran over $100 a day in postage.
I knew I could pay it in mint postage and keep the cancelled stamps. The first time I tried it, the post office refused. I made them call their regional office, which informed them that I was absolutely correct. So I have a big hoard of full sheets of stamps from that era. I even have a complete $1 stamp sheet. These are cancelled nicely with the round counter cancel, mainly because they allowed me to do it myself! And of course they all have pristine gum on the backs.
So per the article, these appear to be US CTO stamps. But they have indeed done their job, being traded for postage due. I guess if I ever chance to sell these, I'll have to type up and sign an explanation sheet.
The best thing to note in the Linns' article is;
" .... Many of the countries that have issued CTO stamps are former Eastern European communist bloc nations, including Albania, East Germany, Hungary, Romania and Russia, as well as Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Most of these countries began marketing CTOs during the 1950s and stopped after 1991.
During the 1960s, the stamp market was flooded with CTOs from the Trucial States of the Arabian peninsula. Many of the stamps produced by these entities — Ajman, Dubai, Fujeira, Manama, Ras al-Khaima and Sharjah — are not recognized in the Scott catalog because evidence suggests that actual postal use of these stamps was negligible.
Other countries that have issued CTOs include Costa Rica (during the 1910s), Spain (from 1854-82), Liberia (beginning in 1885), and several more....."
The "several" more should include certain rocks that poke their guano coated heads above the water of the Caribbean near Grenada as well as Libya under Kadafi, Somalia and the several incarnations of what was once called the "Congo.".
I am sure that there are other candidates for similar condemnation.
One minor technical thing that is not explicitly mentioned is that often, probably very often, the cancels were "added" as the sheets were printed as a part of the process and not added afterward.
Something that is not explicitly mentioned in the Linns article is that while many youths may have been introduced to Philately due to the usually attractive, diverse topical Jam Jar labels passed off as stamps, there are quite a few who suddenly discovered that their collections were essentially worthless and who then reached the conclusion that the hobby is rife with cheats and scammers.
Some more CTO countries: Belize, Togo, other former French Africa colonies, Angola, Cuba, North Korea, North Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, Nicaragua and more.
Many stamps from the British Empire were CTO as well, like the UPU omnibus issue. Such instances are often indicated in the catalog with italicized used values and a comment.
I actually think that CTOs have their place in philately. they may not rest on the highest pedastal, but they are often the cartes de visage that allow new members entry into our field. They tend to be pretty, and often inexpensive.
They are no more contrived than, say, first flights and FDCs that also figures prominently in collecting.
As to poor resale value, I wouldn't worry much about that; we're getting mils on the dollar back on most of our collection anyway, and many of the real jewels aren't such because of their monetary value.
Hell, I wouldn't have a Czech collection if it weren't for CTOs.
David
True, David. Many stamps from many countries wouldn't be available to us if it weren't for CTO.
Some of the CTO, pretty much the Arab "Sand Dune" issues, as they were called in the day, were nothing more than pretty stickers. It was a conspiracy between commercial printers who produced the stamps and the entities whose names appeared on them to make money. Stamp sets from devote Muslim countries for Christmas, or other Western topics like Disney that had no presence in those countries. These sets were often extensive. Some were sold mint as new issues, and these sets had many high face values to get that price up. They never saw postal usage in the issuing country. In fact it's doubtful that the stamps ever were there. The fact that Scott doesn't list them solidifies this point.
Tom, that IS accurate description of SOME of the CTO issuers. But it's not for all.
In Czechoslovakia, for instance, all CTOs also exist postally used, and the used copies are prized.
For some dune issues, used copies exist, and I sold some dunes on cover for tidy amounts, just because of their rarity.
My problem with bemoaning CTOs in isolation is that it misses other instances of postal greed and philatelic contrivances. And it misses the service that CTOs do for the hobby, introducing youngsters, far more likely to be attracted by a guady CTO SS than a used block of 15c Buchanans
David
I believe that you will also find much less anathema toward CTOs from collectors in countries other than the US and Canada.
Bobby
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I often buy CTOs simply because they're available and generally inexpensive. Given my druthers, I'd rather have a postally used or mint stamp, but my main reason for collecting any stamps is what they illustrate. Here's a set of Vietnam CTOs that nicely illustrate the main stages of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. I'm actually expecting a mint set from Delcampe any day now, but the CTOs do the same job.
Bob
Quote from Linns
"CTOs packaged in packets have been used for many years to introduce new collectors to the hobby. Though the CTO stamps may never have fulfilled a postal function, they are inexpensive collectible items that have been used to help promote the growth of the hobby."
"They never saw postal usage in the issuing country. In fact it's doubtful that the stamps ever were there. "
I purchased a box of stamps and in the box was another box and in that box were a number of full sheets of stamps from various counties. Even though they were mint sheets, they all had a cancel placed at the point that four stamps came together, thereby canceling all the stamps on each one of the sheets. So the questions are: what do you call this? If I want to trade them with someone what do I tell them I have to trade?
re: cancels on full mint sheets
Probably what are called CTO's (cancelled to order)
Look this up for information
http://www.linns.com/howto/refresher/ctos_19980511/refreshercourse.aspx
re: cancels on full mint sheets
I found the article interesting since it spoke about being able to pay postage due by way of having mint US postage cancelled. Back in the late 1970s I worked for a real estate developer who would periodically send out mailings. They included 'no postage necessary' reply cards. I was in charge of picking up the mail, and in the days after making one of those large mailings I would be picking up the reply cards and paying the postage due on them. It often ran over $100 a day in postage.
I knew I could pay it in mint postage and keep the cancelled stamps. The first time I tried it, the post office refused. I made them call their regional office, which informed them that I was absolutely correct. So I have a big hoard of full sheets of stamps from that era. I even have a complete $1 stamp sheet. These are cancelled nicely with the round counter cancel, mainly because they allowed me to do it myself! And of course they all have pristine gum on the backs.
So per the article, these appear to be US CTO stamps. But they have indeed done their job, being traded for postage due. I guess if I ever chance to sell these, I'll have to type up and sign an explanation sheet.
re: cancels on full mint sheets
The best thing to note in the Linns' article is;
" .... Many of the countries that have issued CTO stamps are former Eastern European communist bloc nations, including Albania, East Germany, Hungary, Romania and Russia, as well as Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Most of these countries began marketing CTOs during the 1950s and stopped after 1991.
During the 1960s, the stamp market was flooded with CTOs from the Trucial States of the Arabian peninsula. Many of the stamps produced by these entities — Ajman, Dubai, Fujeira, Manama, Ras al-Khaima and Sharjah — are not recognized in the Scott catalog because evidence suggests that actual postal use of these stamps was negligible.
Other countries that have issued CTOs include Costa Rica (during the 1910s), Spain (from 1854-82), Liberia (beginning in 1885), and several more....."
The "several" more should include certain rocks that poke their guano coated heads above the water of the Caribbean near Grenada as well as Libya under Kadafi, Somalia and the several incarnations of what was once called the "Congo.".
I am sure that there are other candidates for similar condemnation.
One minor technical thing that is not explicitly mentioned is that often, probably very often, the cancels were "added" as the sheets were printed as a part of the process and not added afterward.
Something that is not explicitly mentioned in the Linns article is that while many youths may have been introduced to Philately due to the usually attractive, diverse topical Jam Jar labels passed off as stamps, there are quite a few who suddenly discovered that their collections were essentially worthless and who then reached the conclusion that the hobby is rife with cheats and scammers.
re: cancels on full mint sheets
Some more CTO countries: Belize, Togo, other former French Africa colonies, Angola, Cuba, North Korea, North Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, Nicaragua and more.
Many stamps from the British Empire were CTO as well, like the UPU omnibus issue. Such instances are often indicated in the catalog with italicized used values and a comment.
re: cancels on full mint sheets
I actually think that CTOs have their place in philately. they may not rest on the highest pedastal, but they are often the cartes de visage that allow new members entry into our field. They tend to be pretty, and often inexpensive.
They are no more contrived than, say, first flights and FDCs that also figures prominently in collecting.
As to poor resale value, I wouldn't worry much about that; we're getting mils on the dollar back on most of our collection anyway, and many of the real jewels aren't such because of their monetary value.
Hell, I wouldn't have a Czech collection if it weren't for CTOs.
David
re: cancels on full mint sheets
True, David. Many stamps from many countries wouldn't be available to us if it weren't for CTO.
re: cancels on full mint sheets
Some of the CTO, pretty much the Arab "Sand Dune" issues, as they were called in the day, were nothing more than pretty stickers. It was a conspiracy between commercial printers who produced the stamps and the entities whose names appeared on them to make money. Stamp sets from devote Muslim countries for Christmas, or other Western topics like Disney that had no presence in those countries. These sets were often extensive. Some were sold mint as new issues, and these sets had many high face values to get that price up. They never saw postal usage in the issuing country. In fact it's doubtful that the stamps ever were there. The fact that Scott doesn't list them solidifies this point.
re: cancels on full mint sheets
Tom, that IS accurate description of SOME of the CTO issuers. But it's not for all.
In Czechoslovakia, for instance, all CTOs also exist postally used, and the used copies are prized.
For some dune issues, used copies exist, and I sold some dunes on cover for tidy amounts, just because of their rarity.
My problem with bemoaning CTOs in isolation is that it misses other instances of postal greed and philatelic contrivances. And it misses the service that CTOs do for the hobby, introducing youngsters, far more likely to be attracted by a guady CTO SS than a used block of 15c Buchanans
David
re: cancels on full mint sheets
I believe that you will also find much less anathema toward CTOs from collectors in countries other than the US and Canada.
Bobby
re: cancels on full mint sheets
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I often buy CTOs simply because they're available and generally inexpensive. Given my druthers, I'd rather have a postally used or mint stamp, but my main reason for collecting any stamps is what they illustrate. Here's a set of Vietnam CTOs that nicely illustrate the main stages of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. I'm actually expecting a mint set from Delcampe any day now, but the CTOs do the same job.
Bob
re: cancels on full mint sheets
Quote from Linns
"CTOs packaged in packets have been used for many years to introduce new collectors to the hobby. Though the CTO stamps may never have fulfilled a postal function, they are inexpensive collectible items that have been used to help promote the growth of the hobby."
re: cancels on full mint sheets
"They never saw postal usage in the issuing country. In fact it's doubtful that the stamps ever were there. "