No Scott Values For US Postage Dues On Cover?

It may shock some but today was the first time I tried to use my Scott catalog to look up the value of a postage due stamp on cover. Turns out the Scott catalog does not list any.

Anyone know why? They are often collected and studied on cover certainly.

Smauggie, it may be that since Postage due is added to in most cases an under paid postage and so would have another stamp with it. So the value in that situation is not easily assessed. At best they could do a + or - with a postage due attached.

I also think it's a case of where the common ones are very common and the scarce ones are very scarce with relatively few in the middle ground. This means that like a lot of postal history value has to be determined on a case by case basis.

It seems to me many early postage due stamps were precanceled or locally "mute" cancelled before ever being affixed to an underpaid piece of mail. In these cases, the postage due stamps may have been affixed to the envelope when postage due was paid, but not always "tied" to the cover with a subsequent postmark. Identifying a true postage due stamp affixed to a underpaid cover as opposed to a "faked" one can sometimes be a challenge the same way valuing a legitimately affixed postage due stamp on cover can also be difficult to appraise but must be evaluated individually on their own merit.

I agree WT1 but the question would be how would one be faked ? The cover would need to be underpaid to begin with and if the proper rate was paid the postage due stamp should stick out like a sore thumb ?

I've always wondered what these properly placed postage due Stamps would bring in value to this cover.

Wow, that cover is machine cancel heaven, Stallzer (in addition to a lovely and unusual postage due rate). Any chance to see the front?

No problem

That's a Great cover, Stallzer! I have a few older postage due covers that I, like some others, find to be quite challenging to put a $ value on. I've picked up a few on ebay recently, for between $10 - $20, that I believe to be a great bargain, but really don't have a good way to determine. I am both a collector and dealer, and have a feeling I may be ending up "collecting" these! Not necessarily because I have a challenge to price them, but I have become attached...

One of the diversions I dabble in is uses of J68 (half-cent postage due) on card or cover. Even though it's a minimum-value stamp in Scott in used condition, just try finding one on cover. I'm not talking about as multiples paying full-cent due rates; those are relatively easy, but rather solo or in conjunction with full-cent dues paying legit 0.5, 1.5, or 2.5-cent due rates.

It is NOT easy. They are much more scarce than one would think, and bely the stamp-only used value.

Most probably due to 3rd class mail not catching on with collectors. I'd imagine the majority have been destroyed.

Nice Cover Stallzer