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Letters From Senators?

 
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1121 Posts
Posted 03/08/2013   2:23 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this topic Add spain_1850 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message
I have a couple of these that I've just found, do they have any collector appeal? Not trying to sell, just wondering if there are collectors of this type of cover?
Also, I have a local antique place that has a box full of these types of covers, some from senators, some from representatives, some from congress, etc... Most are from the 1950's-1980's. For .75 each, do you think it would be worth my time to sift through them? I'm thinking of specifically for resale.

Are there certain names to look for, or just names I might recognize (future presidents)?

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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1106 Posts
Posted 03/09/2013   2:06 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add danstamps54 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
My short answer is "no."
All congressmen and some other government officials have (had?) free franking privileges. They could send "official business" without postage, just their signature. Consequently, their constituents and the local press got a lot of "official business" such as copies of speeches, legislative updates, etc.
The envelopes are printed. It isn't their actual signature.
It is sort of a philatelic dead spot. I imagine there are some collectors who try to get all the congressmen from their state or a particular congress but they are few and far between. You almost never see free frank covers post 1945 for sale; there isn't a market. I tried to sell some "names" (e.g. Hubert Humphrey) on ebay a couple of years ago for 5 covers at 99 cents with free postage and got nowhere. I ended up giving all my duplicates away. I don't actively collect these covers.
As for "future presidents" the last auction I saw that sold was one JFK cover and 3 Eisenhower covers for 10 + bucks. That was an exception, not the rule.
Some free frank covers pre-1945 might sell for a couple of bucks, 19th century covers maybe a little more.
As a money making venture, I'd pass.
Dan
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1121 Posts
Posted 03/09/2013   3:38 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add spain_1850 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Yeah, I did some ebay searching late last night, not really knowing what they were referred to as (free frankings?) and found quite a few, with little interest, so yeah I'll probably let them sit.

Does it make a difference if the original contents of the envelope is with them? I've got one from Iowa, with the original letter, and an actual ink pen signature of the senator, Gwynn I think was his name.

Anyway, thanks for the information!
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1106 Posts
Posted 03/09/2013   4:18 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add danstamps54 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, they commonly are called "free frank" covers.

If the envelope has contents, I would highly recommend saving it with the cover. Depending on the nature of the content, it may have interest to a postal history collector or a history buff. Even the most mundane contents can have historical interest.
If you are interested, you might want to check the signature on the letter with the signature on the cover. A lot of congressional correspondence was signed with auto-pens, not the person. If the signature is identical, it was probably done by auto-pen.

Dan
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Experienced stamps need a home too. I'd rather have an example that is imperfect than no example.
I collect for enjoyment, not investment.
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1121 Posts
Posted 03/09/2013   4:24 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add spain_1850 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
I didn't think about the ol' auto pen. I'll have to see if I can locate it.

Interestingly, all the ones I saw at that antique place were addressed to the "American Topical Association" or someone at the Association.
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United States
6661 Posts
Posted 03/10/2013   10:46 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add stallzer to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Would make an interesting thematic collection. I've thought about it since I have quite a few of these, just haven't got around to it yet.
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
12128 Posts
Posted 03/10/2013   11:08 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add wt1 to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Even though there may not be much monetary value to such covers, the historical information one can gather from these former politicians do make for an interesting sub-collection.

For example, the cover scanned above, is from Senator Guy Mark Gillette. His biography is as follows:




Quote:
GILLETTE, Guy Mark, a Representative and a Senator from Iowa; born in Cherokee, Cherokee County, Iowa, February 3, 1879; attended the public schools; graduated from the law department of Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, in 1900; admitted to the bar in 1900 and commenced practice in Cherokee; during the Spanish-American War served as a sergeant in the Fifty-second Iowa Regiment, United States Army 1898; engaged in agricultural pursuits; city attorney of Cherokee 1906-1907; prosecuting attorney of Cherokee County 1907-1909; member, State senate 1912-1916; during the First World War served as a captain in the United States Army 1917-1919; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-third Congress; reelected to the Seventy-fourth Congress and served from March 4, 1933, until his resignation on November 3, 1936, having been elected to the United States Senate; elected on November 3, 1936, as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Richard Louis Murphy during the term ending January 3, 1939; reelected in 1938 and served from November 4, 1936, to January 3, 1945; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1944; chairman of the Surplus Property Board 1945; president of the American League for a Free Palestine 1945-1948; again elected to the United States Senate and served from January 3, 1949, to January 3, 1955; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1954; counsel with the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee 1955-1956; counsel with the Senate Judiciary Committee 1956-1961; retired and resided in Cherokee, Iowa, until his death there March 3, 1973; interment in Oak Knoll Cemetery.
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Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
1131 Posts
Posted 03/12/2013   12:09 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add filipo to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
I have a couple of them, too... but, they all handwritten by the congressmen, with the original handwritten letters included,









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