Requesting Pictorial Cancellations From USPS

As many cover collectors will know, the USPS authorizes numerous pictorial cancellations for various local events at many locations around the country promoting various themes. I selectively order some of the cancels that look especially nice as its a refreshing change to the spray-on cancels I see in day-to-day mail.

Anyway, according to The Postal Bulletin, all one has to do to request these cancels is to provide a self-addressed stamped envelope or postal card with sufficient first class postage mailed to a special "station" address in the cancellation community and they will apply the cancel and return the cover via the mailstream. If you desire they be returned unaddressed and in a protective cover, you may (but do not have to) enclose a larger self-addressed envelope for the return of the covers so they do not get undesired markings in the return mail. Traditional FDC's are returned in a plastic sleeve and cardboard backing without charge; some local cancellation stations may include the returned cancels in a plastic sleeve or even a USPS postage paid envelope. That is a kind gesture on the part of the post office to be sure, even though I do not necessarily request it.

My typical way of preparing such covers is to request that they be returned via the regular mailstream and therefore do not enclose a return envelope for the covers. Instead, I place a piece of Scotch 811 removable tape at the bottom margin of my covers which includes a return address label and sufficient space so that the barcode is affixed to the tape, so when they arrive in my mailbox cancelled, I simply remove the tape and I have an unaddressed cancelled cover without the undesired postal markings and save the cost for the extra stamp and envelope. This procedure has worked reasonably well with few problems.

I recently requested this cancellation:



It arrived back to me in a protective plastic sleeve (which I had not requested) along with this note, suggesting that I should have enclosed 20 cents additional postage:



Has anyone ever heard of this "20 cents additional postage " requirement? ...OR...

Has anyone taken this regulation to bear and enclosed a glassine envelope with 20 cents postage on it for the return of such covers? I suppose that would make an interesting postal history piece, as I can't say that I ever recall seeing 20 cents in postage cover anything except the second ounce of first class mail and I was curious how the USPS arrived at requiring the amount of 20 cents additional postage for this purpose.

I'd be interested to hear of other collector's experiences in this process.

I have heard about the additional postage option. I generally put my covers in an addressed glassine cover, usually the ones that the post office will put my stamps in that fit a 6 3/4 envelope. Occasionally, I'll get a note back about additional the extra postage, but in most cases nothing is said and my cover comes back clean. I few years ago it used to be 17 Cents. I have never added the extra postage required. Sometimes my covers come back inside an USPS postage paid envelope from the postmaster.

Thanks for the insight. My experience is similar to yours. Most PO's don't bother mentioning the additional postage, but nevertheless send the requested cancels back in either a plastic sleeve or a USPS envelope. A few don't; but even then the cancels are still quite acceptable going through the general mailstream.

I guess the 20-cent postage requirement is the real question. Until receiving the above slip, I had never heard of the 20-cent additional postage, nor do I see it in any USPS publication, nor is any mention made of it in the Postal Bulletin (where most of these pictorial cancellations are announced). It seems to me that if the USPS were really making an issue of requiring that extra postage, it should be clearly mentioned in all of their publicity.

I have a few other pictorial cancellations pending. I guess I'll wait to see if it is brought up by any other post offices. Maybe the reason for the note had to do with the "unofficial" First Day of Issue cancel at Tucson, AZ, as I imagine they were probably swamped with requests for that cancel as compared to traditional local cancels that generally have nothing to do with a new stamp issue.

I need information on this pictorial cancel. Reason for the cancel. Dates of use.

It appears to be a 'name sake' thing:

https://books.google.com/books?id=n...nois&f=false

I like to collect pictorial cancels as well. I am selective as to which ones I send for. Regarding the cost, I sent postal cards, for the cancellations without a return larger cover, and the processing techniques damaged the edges of the card. Now, I do go the extra cost for the enlarged return cover. Most of the time, I receive the return cover pictorially cancelled as well as the the postal card. Sometimes I receive a good postmark on the outer cover. When you consider purchasing from an auction site, I include the cost of shipping as part of the cost of the item.
However, in trying to keep the cost down on individual items, send a #6 SASE, with a index card inserted for backing, and request that the postmaster insert the cancelled cover in a cellophane envelope. The postmaster may or may-not comply with the request.
I go the extra step and include a #6 SASE for the cancelled postal card. What one does in collecting these items is an individual choice. I like to mount the postal cards on a display page in the form of an enlarged picture postcard, write up and pictures included.

A question to those who request local event pictorial postmark cancellations (published in the Postal Bulletin):

The above comment indicates one can request the postmaster to insert the cancelled cover in a cellophane envelope (provided by the postmaster?), then insert the cellophane envelope in a SASE (provided by the requester) and mail the SASE. Any feedback on the success rate of this approach? I don't know if postmasters keep cellophane envelopes for that purpose.

I ask because I recently mailed in two stamped envelopes for postmark cancellation for a local event together with a SASE. Because the covers were not separated in the SASE, the cancellation ink transferred from one to the other.

When ordering multiple covers and sending in one SASE, has anyone tried providing polypro sleeves to the postmaster to place the covers in the sleeves?

I suspect that it is impossible to make any generalizations about this given the fact that every post office is free to do whatever it wants. I recently received 10 covers back from a post office without any problems like you describe. I didn't think to send them poly covers to use. They just put the 10 covers in the SASE I provided and I received them with no sign of ink transference from lack of being covered. I do this only very occasionally, but have never had a problem.

Otherwise, I don't know what to tell you. I'll keep sending mine off without expecting the PO to place them into covers. It would help, I'm sure, if anyone who has experience asking for them to place them into covers would share their experience with you. If you get no such responses, I'd take that to imply that no one here has actually tried to do this.

One last thought. Is there any possibility that the type of cover might have contributed to the problem? Ink dries more slowly on some surfaces than others.

Basil

I have been using glassines with 21c postage (currently) for many years (20+) as outside return covers with varied results. I usually send out an average of 8-9 covers every two weeks when the Postal Bulletin comes out. Some postmasters ignore the glassines, but return them in a penalty envelope with the cover. The glassines can then be used again. Some use the glassines and they are never cancelled. Many use the pictorial cancel on the glassine as well as on the cover. A few complain about using the glassines and mark postage due, but my carrier never bothers to collect.

Recently, I have received more poorly cancelled covers than before, but all of the group for the 100th Anniversary of Air Mail have been particularly well done. I have received about seven of them so far, mostly from the West Coast, and they are all perfect. They are all different and appear to be using laser printers instead of the many recent messy hand cancels.

I always enclosed a sase for the return of the cancelled covers without any problems.