Spotting Philatelic Covers...

What are some of the criteria you use to spot covers that were used for philatelic rather than normal or commercial use?

For example would say that the cover below was constructed purely for philatelic purposes or not?

[url=http://www.thegomc.com/PicHosting/share-C0DD_4D54527A.html"][/url]

Thanks

alex

What leads you to think that it is philatelic?

I'd say not,
lots of Aussies travel a lot, and I'd suggest
this cover was to meet a friend when he/she reached Gibraltar.
The sender has numbered the cover (#7) so
they were corresponding regularly.

I'd give it the benefit of the doubt.

Agree with Rod222. The writing of the mail rate at the upper right is not suspicious. My local postal person regularly writes the rate in the upper corner if it obviously not a regular letter. It could be just a reminder, written by the sender of the proper rate.

Thanks for your comments. I am not really sure what makes me think it's philatelic, when I originally bid for it I thought it wasn't. Once I had it in my hands I started to doubt my original assessment.

It seems that the sender went to a lot of extra trouble to ensure that it was returned to himself. If he was corresponding with a friend that was moving around one would think that he would have it sent to his friend's next port of call or that he would let it stay there more than 7 days.

One thing I am not quite clear on is who pays for the return journey? I think that 60c was enough franking for one way delivery from Australia to Europe by airmail. Has anyone else tried to do this?

alex

This used to be a common practice. Posting to oneself, general delivery, hold for pickup, etc., and collecting interesting markings from out of the way places.

I'll take the contrarian view, and go along with your suspicion that this was created intentionally.

Sorry guys, but that cover is 100% philatelic.

Please note the handwriting.

This guy has posted it to Gibraltar (and in the same handwriting, noted the rate and "please return"). I'll bet London to a brick he sent one of these to every zone, and waited for them to come back, knowing full well they couldn't be delivered.

Nice markings, but a manufactured cover. Not to say it's not pretty though!

Dave you said in a few words what I was groping around to express in many! One thing for sure no one can ever accuse you of being illogical - clear thinking as always!

I agree with you it is pretty and I am still glad that I bid for it and got it. :)

Oh yes...but who pays for the return trip?

So, what are some of the criteria used to determine the "philatelicity" of a cover?

1. Over-franking
2. Too many different issues on one cover when one or two stamps could have been used
3. Out-of-period stamps used
4. Addressed to a known philatelist.
5. Addressed to a known stamp dealer.
6. ?

Any others? Do you agree with all of the above?

:)

I suppose there might be exceptions, but generally the return trip is "free." That is part of the attraction to it, and probably a large part of why it was so popular.

I think Perf14's list is a good summary of the red flag items: you could add over-careful placement of the stamps and/or cancellations.

However, they don't automatically make a cover 'philatelic'. Even dealers send and receive non-philatelic mail, for example. My test for 'philatelic' is simply does the cover look contrived? Is it obviously a natural, unaffected usage? Or is there anything artificial about it?

The cover in this case looks contrived to me. All that additional writing on it - the postage rate, number, 'URGENT' - and the address say 'philatelic'.

Non believers. Flat Earth people.
Passionless Republicans.

The very fact there is an abundance of information
suggests to me the contrary.
If the pursuit was Philatelic
why broadcast the fact ?
It would ergo be counter productive.

It would be counter-productive only if the sender were planning to sell it as a commercial cover. If it was for a private collection, the objection wouldn't arise, would it?

quote: "add over-careful placement of the stamps and/or cancellations. "

that's a good one tonymacg

And I think you hit the nail on the head of why I got the funny feeling about that cover when I had it my hands, it looked contrived.

Well, here is another cover:

what do the experts say?

[url=http://www.thegomc.com/PicHosting/share-B18F_4DA4E5B8.html"][/url]

:)

Philatelic, I'm afraid. Who - except collectors - would create a First Flight Cover?

You may be right, tonymacg, but I would have thought that if it was a first flight cover it would have a special cancellation on the stamps and the stamps used would be more current to that date sent. Instead they are just stamps used at the time for general mail

I tend to think that this maybe is just a registered letter that used a 'spare' commemorative envelope.

I am guessing that at the time, it was faster to mail "air mail" to England and hence to NY, rather than send it by surface mail directly to NY from Australia.

Also, in those days I am not sure if there were too many female philatelists, Miss Longshaw is presumably young and unmarried...it maybe a letter from her parents, sent to the address of the family she is staying with.

Sorry I cannot guess at her grandmother's age, except to say that she was probably older!


Am I reading too much into it? :))


:)