What Am I Missing-$1704.00 For A Prexie Tag, Seattle Wa From Flat AK 1946

Below is an early example. Note the rubber stamp endorsement. On some tags this or a similar endorsement was printed on the tag when the tag was printed. I believe this was covered in Linn's. That said it is not a regulation that jumps out in the postal guide. I need to do more work to find the start stop dates.

You will find that such items are endorsed insured and often given a number. However, they, as with this are struck again as registered, or registered round-daters are used to cancel the stamps and track transit.

I like items such as the one shown since during the parcel tax period, the tax still is paid showing this is in fact fourth class not first class, even if handled as registered.

The Insurance paid here was for some amount $50 or less at a fee level of 3/5/10 cents. The higher 25 cents ($100 indeminty) would not support the three cents in parcel tax on postage (not fees and services). This a zone 2 parcel with postage of a nickle for the first pound and one cent for each additional pound. So this tag rates as follows:

If
3 cents insurance ($5 indemnity), 62 pound package (weight limit for zone 2 was 70 lbs).
5 cents insurance ($5.01-$25 indemnity), 60 pound package.
10 cents insurance ($25.01-$50 indemnity), 54 pound package.

I do not know if the following is the case here, but any time I see a silly "winning bid" on Ebay my first thought of the most likely situation is that it is a sham auction rather than there being two out of control bidders. There is a practice that you see on Ebay where some shady "seller" has multiple accounts that they use to shill bid on their own items and they will bid up an item to some silly level for the purpose of establishing a fake "value" for something. Later on they will put up more items of the same kind and eventually that initial item and scam real bidders into thinking it has a much higher value than it really has. This is not as uncommon a practice as one might initially might think. This is not to say that once in a while two overly eager bidders might not get into a bidding wwar that is more about being macho than about the value of something, but the scam I described is the more likely case. Ebay is still a bit of a wild west so anyone bidding on things there needs to be street smart about the kinds of scams that can and do happen there.

I disagree in this particular case. There would have been no reason for a seller to shill the auction this far beyond expected selling price. Sellers likely would have been happy for a hammer price that was a fraction of this amount. No, I believe two people, likely exhibitors, wanted it badly.

Parcelpostguy, thanks for the example and explnation. I am not familiar with the "parcel Tax". A quick survey of my material finds one other example of tax stamps on a tag from this era but several examples of registered tags not showiung tax.

As far as why the gold tag that started this thread sold as it did, lacking other evidence, this is an example of an item in an honest auction finding its true value at this point in time in a dog fight between two bidders. Reminds me of some estate and farm auctions I attended in my younger years.

Two bidders were both blind, at the last second, no chance of a follow up. They both wanted the item, and hopefully had the funds to pay for it. I think you're right Hoosier. In my opinion.
Cheers

@Kimo--I understand what you are saying and I am aware of several such cases. I spoke to one seller on the phone years ago and he admitted he did it.

That said this seller of the tag in the OP is a solid seller. I do not for a minute believe he expected to see this sell at that level. It is far and away above what he normally sees. His closest item was an IRS tax stamp for wagering issued in 1956 to an establishment in Hot Springs, AK and that went of a sum of 25% of the tag.

@hoosierboy==

You are welcome. There is one thread that I have found which touched on the subject by having some of the regulations posted. I know you are aware of it, but other readers may not know about it and the several thread links within http://goscf.com/t/66286 . This also has tax mentioned http://goscf.com/t/48837 . Here discusses the stamps used to pay the tax (which I must note were not to be cancelled nor precanceled, only manuscript cancelled with date and initial, no "x" as show in my example posted above) https://www.stampcommunity.org/topi...age=1#362920 .

I will get some images together and eventually start a thread which details the parcel post war taxes, yes two types of taxes for parcel post matter.

[personal to hoosier, I answered your Saturday email Sunday. Did you get it?]

One sees a lot of 1917 issue documentaries with registry or parcel post cancels off cover or tag, but they are not so easy to find still on the tag, at least in my experience. It's always nice to see them.

I now know who purchased the item in the OP. The tag was used to mail gold dust qualifying placer gold. The item was purchased expressly for both the special gold rate and specifically for being from Flat. It was not ore. My guess is a Prexie collector was the under-bidder.

@revcollector--The documentaries are hard to find on tag, wrapper or envelope during their 11/1917 through 12/31/1921 use period.

@hoosierboy--
The special gold rate ended 4-6-1977. After it started, it was clarified to only be fore shipment within Alaska or from Alaska to US domestic ground based locations, the lower 48 and any territory or possession.