My Postal Cards

Tom,

These are 2 of the 4 cards I have. This is where my love of collecting comes in. You can see that this first card tells a story! You can finally read (and hopefully get a better picture) these since I rescanned them with a resolution that I can post here.


Image: PostalCard1a.jpg
97.39 KB

Image: PostalCard1b.jpg
66.25 KB

Image: PostalCard1d.jpg
62.92 KB

Image: PostalCard2a.jpg
98.03 KB

Image: PostalCard2b.jpg
84.44 KB

The first one is the front of the One Cent Postal Card. It is dated 1884 (which is not hard to tell from the hand writing on the back, as well as the little "84" just outside of the post mark on the front.
The second picture is it the corner of that same card.
The third one is the back of the card, this is where the story comes in.
The forth and fifth pictures are of a second Postal Card. This one is not as interesting since it is hard to make out the persons hand writing (at least for me it is).

Anyway, maybe from seeing these you might be able to tell me (or hopefully I can see what you mean from your last posting) what it is you are talking about.

Thanks again....Marty

***Edited by Forum Dad to move to post card forum***

Hi Marty.....

There are five cards with that design......

UX4 with a small watermark USPOD in monogram, inscribed "WRITE THE ADDRESS"...$400.00

the second, without a watermark inscribed "WRITE THE ADDRESS"...UX5 $.45

the third, UX7 inscribed "NOTHING BUT THE ADDRESS"...$.40

the fourth, UX7a with 23 teeth below "one cent" inscribed "NOTHING BUT THE ADDRESS"...$65.00

The fifth, UX7 printed on both sides, inscribed "NOTHING BUT THE ADDRESS"...$750.00
.
.
.
On the front of both cards the inscription is "Nothing but the address....I presume they are not printed on both sides so that eliminates type five, which would make them either the third or fourth type......on the bottom of the imprint stamp under where it says 'one cent', if there are 23 teeth it is type four (UX7a)......if there are not 23 teeth it is type three (UX7)...........I count 21 on both so they appearently are type three...Scott #UX7....40 cents each.....check my count of the teeth to make sure.

Hi Marty

Very nice collection! I wonder who changed the year from 1883 to 1884 in "PostalCard1d.jpg".

Hey Tom,

I agree! I count 23 teeth. Great information! I find it really interesting that they would create several various types of plates to print these Postal Cards, and then go ahead and change a minute detail from 21 to 23 teeth. I am sure that several (if not a lot) of plates were created to print out these Postal Cards, most likely commissioned by craftsmen all over the USA. So, some overabitious craftsman decided to make a small change to his design. Okay, so back then it was human error and these days it is machine error, like when a machine puts a perf in a coil of stamps right in the middle of the stamp. Or when a coin stamp machine goes and restamps the same coil only slightly off, making a rare and possily one-of-a-kind coin.
Again, thanks for your help and information, as always it is appreciated....Marty

Good Evening amitvyas03 (cause it is evening over in India),

That is a great question. I wish I had answer for you. One of the things I like most about that card is that these were printed for this "W. Jennings Demorest" Publishing Company in NY City, NY. I tried to find some information about them online, but there was not a lot listed on Google.com. I'd imagine that it had to be someone on his staff, most likely someone in the collections dept. (since they were crediting his account that whole $1.00, which I am sure back in those days was a lot of money..lol.) Also, what most likely happened was that they probably had a bunch of them printed in 1883 and then didn't use them up, so why waste the 1 cent Postal Card?? I am sure that it was still good. If he were still alive and in business, I'd hope that someone would tell him next time to make it 188_, or 18__, that way he could fill in the rest...lol. All in all though, I love the story it tells. I also love how on the front, they ONLY need to put their name, town and county that they live in. No house number, no ZIP code, etc. I guess there were NOT a lot of people living in his town back then??

Great question though, thanks a million....Marty