New 'Pointing Hand' Or 'return To Writer/Sender' Community Project

Unsure why the violation per the hand stamp. Do not see any indication of previous use or other. The postage totals 37¢. Is it not allowed to use non-profit postage for personal use (If that's what happened)???

In short, Non-profit stamps require a permit.

Have 4 Pointing Hands, from US Air Mail Directional Handstamps Catalogue. 2003 Ian McQueen

Numbers 183 -186 Page 220
4 Varieties
Pointing hand (right) then, VIA STEAMER ONLY.

No covers shown. just handstamp impressions, with year and cover origin.

Here are two return fingers.
First is from 1997 on the US postcard UX220: the hand is marked "Returned to Sender" and in line below is "Forwarding Order Expired // Media PA 19063-9997" The hand and text are so well-aligned I suspect they formed a single rubber stamp.

The sender was Clarence D. Bell, (1914-2002) who served as a Republican state senator from 1960 until his death in 2002, which apparently makes him the longest serving state senator in Pennsylvania history.




Next is one of the sad ones.
It was sent September 18 1945 from Big Spring Texas by Air Cadet Albert LeBreton to a Flight Officer Leon C. Kirk based in North Carolina. The Air Cadet free franked it. The impression of immediate interest is the return finger marked "Returned to Writer // Not Found" which are a single stamp. There is also a second stamp reading "Return to Sender // No Record at // Seymour Johnson Field // North Carolina." The Goldsboro PO mark on the verso for the return is September 27th.

As you can see, on the front there's a manuscript note "Deceased" signed and dated Sept. 24th 1945. I looked up Mr. Kirk and found he was killed at age 20 while on a routine training flight out of Goldsboro when his P-47 collided mid-air with another over Richmond, Virginia on Sept. 1. This is, of course, two weeks after the Japanese had announced their surrender and coincides with the day of the official ceremony on the USS Missouri (Sept. 2 in Japan, and Sept 1 in the US).

Air Cadet LeBreton's enclosure to Kirk was an announcement of his graduation from Advanced Bombardier School at Big Spring.

- Jonathan

Thank you to all the latest contributors, they have been added to the Community Project database. Please note that Vince has also emailed his latest additions, a very nice group including some less common Fingers. This brings the total number of Pointing Finger cancels to 600+ Fingers, I believe this is the largest listing of these interesting Auxiliary cancels in the world.
https://stampsmarter.org/features/C...dViewDB.html
Don

Here's another to add to the 39 "California" fingers.
There's nothing on the back.

Here is an interesting private 'pointing hand' cover that has come across my desk. This private pointing hand' is new to me. 1893 Columbian cover with duplex and a 'Forwarded From The Seminole Winter Park To Indian River House Rockledge" auxiliary markings. Winter Park receiver back stamp.
Don

A few more (drawn by hand) added to my album this week




Don

Not sure if this one has been added.

Did not see this one.
pat

Not only returned to sender,(if he was ever found) this one was opened and Officially Sealed with an OX16. Sure picked up a lot of Post Office ink and notes.
Being from a family of farmers and cops, I am suspicious of the handwritten note on back.. "found open and left in box"?

Couldn't help but notice the vast majority of hands are of the right hand and pointing to the left.
Here's one that looks like a left hand that is pointing to the right.
I was told in a earlier post the faint message inside the hand reads Missent To.
I'm unsure exactly what the message outside the hand reads, if someone should know can you please let me know?

Cheers, Bill

My apologies, I became so interested in the many different stampings I forgot I was in the U.S. covers section.
The above cover is Canadian, if inappropriate please remove.

Cheers, Bill

Here's a fickle finger of fate applied in December 2022.

My wife dropped holiday cards into about a dozen neighbors' mailboxes this past week and from just one, the carrier must have picked it up as outbound mail, brought it back to the PO. There, a very neat impression was applied of the pointing hand with associated message, and the cover was routed back into our mailbox thanks to our return address which I've blocked out..

The "return for postage" part appears to be unitary with the pointing hand. Overall, this handstamp seems to have very little wear and tear. Quite a crisp impression so I thought it was worth sharing.

Edited to add that the verso is blank.



Happy holidays to all.

- Jonathan

The greeting card required a stamp, since it was placed in an official USPS box.