Nice #158/161 On Envelope

Found this nice example of a #158 & 161 ties to an envelope, unfortunately I can't make out the year on the cancel and there isn't anything to tell me the year. But I thought it looked pretty nice.

Dave

I'm no expert but are those stamps actually tied to the cover? It also looks like another stamp was removed at some point (behind and below the 3 cent stamp).

Hi Dave where do you see the stamps tied? I can make out a portion of a cancel on both stamps, but neither ties. Also are there any special instructions on the cover to explain the 13 cent rate?

Perhaps a scan of the entire cover?

Judging by the 3c I'd be more likely to say 184 and 188, soft paper. Here's one for the UV light.

Registered cover?

I could be incorrect when I say they are tied to the cover, looking at it now they technically aren't.....my original post I "assumed" that if they were stuck on, they were tied. I see the error in my thinking now. No special instructions on the cover to explain the 13 cent rate; no sign of it being registered either. I'll have to take a closer look to see if a third stamp fell off.

I'm betting with Essayk that this IS a registered cover. And as stallzer notes, a scan of the entire cover (and the back if there are any postal markings) would be very helpful to figuring it all out.

I'll take a front and back tomorrow and post it.
Thanks for the advice and comments so far!

Whole front and back photos. Looks like some water damage on back?

It's not water damage on the back, but stains from an adhesive - possibly even molasses as it was used in the past at times as a glue. It looks like something was once adhered to the back as there are remains of paper. What's also confusing is that the penned writing on the back left side is complete across the adhered paper and the envelope. It must have been written later, probably by the receiver.

If we may assume that both the 3c and 10c stamps are original to the cover, then in view of the reverse treatment (and the absence of telltale markings on the cover itself) that this cover must have been affixed to something as part of its mailing. It also appears that it was removed from its mount and the notation on the reverse added, as per the observations of Battlestamps above.

However, I'm not sure that the notation on the reverse side is the usual kind of docketing. Here is a closer look:



To me this looks like a name which has been underscored, and below the line the note: "pen and paper"

That seems to me like a reminder note on a scrap piece of paper. Or, more likely, it could have been noting the contents of the parcel on the back of the envelope which had been attached to said parcel prior to mailing. If so, then the postage may have had more to do with weight and nothing to do with registry. Perhaps a slight overpayment for using a handy 10c?

Not sure what to make of it.

The writing looks like "[illegible] court papers"?

I believe the name on the cover is misspelled and should be Herndon ?

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/f...Rid=10076811

It fits, Tyler Tx., in Smith county and after the war he became a lawyer so court papers makes sense.

It's definitely Herndon. I have court documents/letters and etc.all from/to him...he was a Colonel in the confederate army and then became a prominent lawyer in Tyler, TX.