Cool cover! Obviously the photographs were 3 times the allowed 3 cent rate. I like postage dues, in fact I am putting together my postage due album. I decided that it was much more interesting to collect them used on cover than as mint stamps.
I wish you the best of luck with that endeavor. This particular cover being from 1864 predates actual postage due stamps. The recipient of the letter just had to settle up with the postman in order to receive the letter. I have a variety of styles and amounts of postage due - pre-1879 (when postage due stamps were issued) including a few manuscript postage dues.
Great cover!
Does the postage due mark indicate actual payment, or was there another way of knowing if it was ever paid by the recipient?
WB
WB - Yours is a wonderful question. I think the reason we came up with postage due stamps is related to your question.
Prior to the advent of postage due stamps there was never any indication on the cover whether or not the postage due had been paid (with the exception of pre-stamp era stampless covers).
I think the postmasters settled up with the locals and were supposed to register the payment of postage due in their official financial ledger. I think a there were some postmasters, likely in smaller towns, just pocketed the postage due money (or any variety of malfeasance of that nature), or that postal regulators were afraid that they were. Having to use stamps gave a literal paper trail and ensured that the postage due payments got back to the US Post Office Department.
Very interesting. Auxiliary markings aren't an area I've had much dealings with, thanks for the response.
WB
Whenever a cover gets marked for postage due, in this case for 6 cents, you are often left wondering why the extra postage was due. Here the answer is right on the cover. Some photographs had been included in the cover, likely one or more carte de vistes.
For those wondering what a Carte de Viste is here is the Wikipedia page on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carte_de_visite
If you have handled a carte de viste you know they are thick and heavy, so no wonder extra postage was needed.
The cover was sent from Chambersburgh, PA to Knoxboro, NY. Thankfully the recipient not only tells us what was included but what year it was mailed, 1864.
re: United States Auxiliary Markings - The Hunt Continues
Cool cover! Obviously the photographs were 3 times the allowed 3 cent rate. I like postage dues, in fact I am putting together my postage due album. I decided that it was much more interesting to collect them used on cover than as mint stamps.
re: United States Auxiliary Markings - The Hunt Continues
I wish you the best of luck with that endeavor. This particular cover being from 1864 predates actual postage due stamps. The recipient of the letter just had to settle up with the postman in order to receive the letter. I have a variety of styles and amounts of postage due - pre-1879 (when postage due stamps were issued) including a few manuscript postage dues.
re: United States Auxiliary Markings - The Hunt Continues
Great cover!
Does the postage due mark indicate actual payment, or was there another way of knowing if it was ever paid by the recipient?
WB
re: United States Auxiliary Markings - The Hunt Continues
WB - Yours is a wonderful question. I think the reason we came up with postage due stamps is related to your question.
Prior to the advent of postage due stamps there was never any indication on the cover whether or not the postage due had been paid (with the exception of pre-stamp era stampless covers).
I think the postmasters settled up with the locals and were supposed to register the payment of postage due in their official financial ledger. I think a there were some postmasters, likely in smaller towns, just pocketed the postage due money (or any variety of malfeasance of that nature), or that postal regulators were afraid that they were. Having to use stamps gave a literal paper trail and ensured that the postage due payments got back to the US Post Office Department.
re: United States Auxiliary Markings - The Hunt Continues
Very interesting. Auxiliary markings aren't an area I've had much dealings with, thanks for the response.
WB