Help With Official Cut Square Identity

Just when you think you've seen it all, you open up a box lot and Surprise! Can anybody help me with the identity/background of these 'cut squares' that apparently are not Scott listed. Any info such as era, user, etc. or direction to any appropriate reference will be a great help.

This has been a subject of discussion in other stamp forums as well. Bottom line: Scott has purposely decided not to list them.

Here's my hand-waved explanation. Scott has lumped them together with Penalty Mail envelopes -- which of course, Scott doesn't list.

They are not denominated. Disregarding non-postage stamps (i.e., revenues, locals...), Scott historically did not list these officials envelopes that were not specifically denominated. Yeah, I know -- now we have A, B, C... make-up, bulk-rate, forever...; but that is now, not back then. Scott reserves the right to change their policy and be inconsistent about things.

As far as period of use of this style of penalty mail -- late 1800s through mid-1900s, that I know of. Do not know exact dates. The top one you showed I know was definitely used at least in the first half of the 1900's. Not sure about the bottom one -- maybe someone familiar with the various wavy-line cancels can give you a time frame.

Yeah, I know, there is at least one early Official Envelope that is not denominated. Like I said, Scott reserves the right to be inconsistent.

k

Be realistic. If Scott was not inconsistent, then they would not be Scott.

Try this earlier thread https://goscf.com/t/5309&SearchTerm...ial,envelope

Thanks for the input. Does any recognize the identity of the Seals depicted? That would allow assignment to a Department. Then the issue only becomes a period of use when the best evidence one has is the 'cut square' without a date cancel. The lower one is the Treasury Department which just leaves the top one which feels familiar but, I can't call it up.