New Happy Holidays Spray-On Cancellations

Cal516: You've got one of those so-called APC "errors" where the APC incorrectly applied the eagle logo over the holiday mailbox APC stamp.

Based on ZIP 11377 it was purchased at Woodside, NY on 12/01/2012, which may help to explain why the APC wasn't updated to accommodate the new labels.

No matter what the circumstances, it's definitely a collectible!

Is the above postmark with the snowman from Dallas a nationwide thing, or some special Dallas thing that I hadn't heard about?

Sportfanatic1: Not sure about the Dallas Snowman ... just got it on an inbound card.

Here's a two-fer ... holiday cancel and circular cancel:

Here's my attempt at a 12-12-12 cover..



Maybe we should just start a "Post your newly-received postmarks" thread.

What Holidays are all these spray-on cancels referring to ?

Londonbus1

The Happy ones.

Cal516:

It's kind of funny that the circular cancel in your scan (applied by a human, rather than a machine) doesn't even hit the stamp itself! At least you got a double 12/12/12 postmark out of it.

Also, there's been recent discussion on other stamp-related sites that the marking "DO NOT BEND" on the envelope will, as a matter of policy, require an extra 20-cents postage as a non-machinable surcharge, which apparently was not paid in your instance. I guess if you deposit the letter in a mailbox, no one is going to bother you about it. On the other hand, if you were to present the piece to a mail clerk at a post office, they would demand a minimum of 65-cents postage because of that marking.

Based on USPS documents, the Domestic Mail Manual, Section 601.5.1 (a) states that:

"...Markings such as "Do Not Bend" must be used only when the content is protected with stiffeners..."

Then under "Standards for Mailing" a piece is declared "nonmachinable" if "...it is too rigid (does not bend easily when subjected to a transport belt tension of 40 pounds around an 11-inch diameter turn)."

Therefore, since (a) the use of a "Do Not Bend" marking requires the use of stiffeners; and (b) the use of stiffeners renders the piece "nonmachinable" the 20-cent surcharge applies.

Further, the USPS will contend that since all first class mail is "subject to a belt tension of 40 pounds around an 11-inch diameter turn", then that requirement alone would make the request of "Do Not Bend" impossible unless the piece were handled in a different fashion, which ultimately makes them "nonmachinable" and results in the extra 20-cent surcharge.

wt1 ...

Yes, I think I posted this in that thread too ... can't actually remember because there are several 12-12-12, Holiday Cancel, and Circular Cancel threads on going on several of the philatelic sites. Oddly, I was interestd in the double cancel (which proved the implied non-machine handling of the "Do Not Bend" request did not happen and I never even noticed they were both 12-12-12s.

OBTW, I had quite an issue with my local PO over trying to get Hand Back service for a few 12-12-12 covers I created. All the old "rules" were quoted ... no hand back, must enter mail stream, must be addressed, no hand cancels anymore, etc.; in the end they reluctantly gave in but ... gee ... why go to the effort?

Of course !

What a dumb question.

Londonbus1

I'd be all for starting a "show off your new postmarks" thread!

Refer the clerk to the Postal Operations Manual or speak with the Postmaster. The service is clearly available, as per this regulation:

I got what I thought was a nice dark printed "Happy Holidays from the USPS" postmark, then I see it was sent through the canceller twice:

I got this recently and thought it was worth noting- it seems to have a slogan message.