Ages ago I bought some stamps at an auction and found among them whole sheets of stamps, never used postally, but cancelled. I can't understand why somebody would want to do this. Surely selling the stamps cancelled to order would be a financial loss. Any idea why someone did this? By the way, these are normal Austrlian stamps.
In the past, Australia Post has sold stamps CTO at full face value, so there's no loss of revenue involved at all.
At one stage (was it in the '90s?), Australia Post was releasing remainders CTO for inclusion in starter kits for children at below face. But again, selling at less than face still produces a better return than burning them.
As to the broader question of why buy CTO - for the most part I don't. Maybe a CTO-fancier can offer a justification for the practice ...
WT1----Thanks for that link,it is going to help me out with a few people on another chat room about CTO's from Japan.When I get home I'll scan it here also.
Quote: In this case, the stamp actually fulfilled a postal function. As the article explained, the use of postage stamps as a receipt for a postage due bill payment is an approved postal service procedure. Though with full gum on the back the stamp resembles a CTO, it is, in fact, what is known as a favor cancel.
Something like this might explain some cancelled postage due stamps with full gum that I found in a mixture some years ago.
Quote: Something like this might explain some cancelled postage due stamps with full gum that I found in a mixture some years ago.
Exactly. I have hundreds of blocks of 4 postage due stamps (some going back to the 1950s) that are full gum, post office fresh, but have a handstamp postmark on them. I assume that is very reason why they exist:
Now for the not so obvious question: Why would anyone do this to a perfectly good sheet of stamps with original gum. Did it possibly pay for some postal use?
Many thanks to all. That explains everything. And it confirms what I've found in the short time I've been a member of this forum. There's a huge amount of knowledge and assistance here. Thanks again.
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Posted 03/22/2012 06:41 am
