How Common Are Truly Used US Souvenir/Miniature Sheets?

Here's a tricky question: how common/uncommon would You consider "truly used" US souvenir and miniature sheets? And I do mean "whole" sheets, not just single stamps from the sheet.

Personally I have a gut feeling that they are suprisingly difficult to come by. What's your opinion?

-keijo-

Good question, Keijo. I'll answer it from a Canadian perspective; as I use souvenir sheets on oversized packages to the United States.

The first issue is that the souvenir sheets technically (for the most part) do not pay a given rate. For example, Canada Post issued a set of flower stamps (Rhododendrons) earlier this year. Two designs each denominated 54¢.

Fifty-four cents is the domestic letter rate. The face value of the souvenir sheet is 2 x 54¢ = $1.08. This does not pay any rate. The closest you could get is by adding a 10¢ stamp to pay the $1.18 domestic oversized rate.

The second issueis the Chinese New Year stamps for 2009. A souvenir sheet was issued with a single $1.65 stamp. The souvenir sheet is small enough to nicely fit on an envelope, and the $1.65 will pay the International letter rate.

So, from a broad perspective, although the $1.08 souvenir sheet does not pay a specific rate, if I use it with other stamps to meet the 100g to 200g U.S. oversized rate of $3.20 on a packet to an American friend technically it is properly used, in-period.

For the technically minded philatelist, the $1.65 souvenir sheet on a letter to any country in the world (other than the United States) would be properly used, paying a prescribed rate that is met by the single usage of the souvenir sheet.

Have I confused you?

David

I often use sheets on envelopes and packages overseas and to the US.

The Girls at the postal outlet get a kick out of it because I usually use more postage than I usually need

Dianne

I would think that S/S on cover used properly would not be too common. Especially if they were used within the appropiate timeframe & not philatelic in nature. That would make an interesting postal history display.

Hello Keijo,

Nice to meet your again.




I think your gut feeling is very accurate,they are not easy to find on the mail.The situation for China S/S and M/S,most of them will have a premium price since issued from post office,and the premium price will almost lasted to the end.The reason of premium in China,it is the circulation is very smaller than stamps,and some nice kinds of them will short supply for Chinese stamp collectors and dealers to collect or invest.They will not be postage usually,and I think anything of collect-valum > use-valum is the same result.

An important channel to acquire postal used S/S and M/S is stamp collecters use them on the cover each other.

Cheers,
ZhangCheng

Early sheets are unlikely & rare, the needs for postage pre-WW2 would have people cutting thm up before ever needing postage requiring the entire sheet.
Some post WW2 sheetlets are common since they were so many I've seen dealers use them for postage. I've had a couple mailed to me this way.

Mike

I wouldn't say that properly used S/S on cover are rare, but you would probably have an easier time finding a mint collection of lizard lips.

Thanks. The replies (especially Mike's) pretty much confirmed my hunch about their usage... The problem is not with my collecting abilities; they are just tough nut to chase (especially from Europe).

-keijo-

G'Day Keijo I'll just start out by saying I think I'm one of the lucky one's as I tend to receive mail with S/S on them,not many mind you but some and the last one was a Scott U.S.#2217,I'll post this #2217 just to show you I'm not pulling your leg.




regards Harry



oh P.S. this is from Ruby stamps

Edited for the P.S.

Too bad the margin was removed before usage.
Because it is no longer a souvenir sheet without it!
But that's the idea I was referring to above!

Mike

I recently received a parcel which had the CAPEX US sheet on it in partial payment of the postage. Clearly this is not a contemporaneous use, so does it count? ( I saved it and it is in my album now)

It counts as used.

Keijo I have seen them !!

Nice find!

Thanks ! I paid too much for a collection...but you know what...THERES ALWAYS SOMETHING !

A stamp company in Vancouver always used the latest S/S on his postage to clients.
He even states on his invoice that he will purchases the stamps back if not wanted.
the company name you ask?
F v H stamps
David (DJD)