Computer Vended Stamps (2012)

I just received my new strips today. 3 and 4 diff values on same backing paper strip, as well as a attached pair of the 63c

https://www.stampcommunity.org/uploaded/gilles le timbre/20130405_



strip4diffvalues.jpg

here is the 4 stamp strip, with 4 diff values

It is also interesting to note that the bar codes (pixel types) differ from one 63c to the other one

se delete duplicated post

The difference in the two 63¢ stamps' pixeled bar code must be: Time of Sale

In reading the February 2013 Postal Prices pamphlet from Canada Post, I see that we've covered all of the possible stamps for letter mail delivered within Canada and the USA.

However, in addition to the known $1.85 (up to 30 grams) international rate for "standard letters and cards", there is also a $2.68 value (31-50 grams).
AND
There are three rates for "International - Other letter-post":
$4.36 (up to 100 grams),
$7.60 (101-200 grams),
and $15.20 (201-500 grams).

Does anyone know if the CVP machines produce the $2.68, $4.36, $7.60 and $15.20 stamps?
And, can anyone post scans of them?

On January 10, 2013, I mailed covers with the Kiosk stamps at the Toronto Dominion Kiosk. I was expecting a dated (ink jet) cancellation on the front of the envelopes. None of the covers I mailed received a cancellation. This is the latest cover received:


United States

I sent a cover to "General Delivery", San Juan, Puerto Rico at the $1.05 U.S. Rate.



The cancelling machine was unable to recognize the Kiosk stamp. The stamp received an undated porelon cancellation.

There is a barely visible date on the back of the envelope :

" JA 11 M "



Not particularly exciting.

Re: cancelling of Kiosk (and Picture Postage(tm)) stamps:

At the ORAPEX stamp show this past weekend in Ottawa, Jim Phillips, Director, Stamp Services, Canada Post gave a presentation which included information about the kiosk machines/stamps.

He noted that kiosk and Picture Postage stamps are not programmed in their cancelling machines ... they are not intended to be cancelled.

Thus, a hand-cancelled kiosk/picture postage stamp is most likely "philatelic" in nature and a jet spray cancelled stamp would have received the cancel by mistake.

Then why are they tagged?





So theoretically they could be reused over and over again?
Fraudulently of course.

If they are not meant to be cancelled then I suppose
Canada Post does not think them as "stamps" but
more like meter mail.

This is my understanding of what happens during the sorting/cancelling process in Canada (from discussions with various Canada Post employees)...

Canada's stamps have tagging to 'face' the envelope in the MLOCR (multi-line optical character reader) machines.

'Facing' an envelope is the first step in the mechanized process of mail distribution. It orients the envelope such that the front is facing forward and the stamp is in the upper right corner. This allows the MLOCR to read the postal code and apply the necessary bar coding on the back of the envelope.

The envelope then goes to the cancelling machine where a scanner visualizes the stamp and compares the stamp to an image database of "current" Canadian postage stamps. (I don't know what is meant by 'current'; is that a couple of years or many years of stamp issues?).

The kiosk and Picture Postage(tm) stamps have not been included in the image database ... so, they do not get cancelled (similar to much older Canadian stamps), even if the stamp is tagged.

i.e. the tagging has nothing to do with the cancelling process (I was certainly under the impression that the purpose of taggant was to cancel, but apparently that is not the case).

Well thanks studystamps for that detailed explanation regarding
CP sorting process which seems to change over the years.

As far as the cancelling machine process is concerned it's obviously not working since we all know that
a large percentage of Canadian stamps on letters in the last few years either receive no cancellation whatsoever and then some receive two.

I concur.

I am constantly having to ask my local post office to cancel much of my incoming mail due to uncancelled stamps.

I mailed to myself one cover franked with the 61c Computer Vended Stamp as I mentioned on page 6




So I went to my local PO on January 17, 2003 and tried again as I stated on page 8







As you can see it was first cancelled at the counter and subsequently by the cancelling machine process.

Therefore going by the information Mr. Phillips provided at ORAPEX as per studystamps, the PO handstamp is philatelic and the jet spray machine cancel was a mistake.

In spite of all it's shortcomings I still like the cover.

Lithograving

The 2 cent stamp probably triggered the ink jet cancellation.

Studystamps




This may explain why all my Kiosk stamp covers were rejected by the automated system and the kiosk stamps obliterated by hand. One stamp was marked with a ball point , the other two received porelon roller markings. SInce the covers were rejected, there was a delay in their transmission.

I mailed my covers on January 10. Perhaps the machines have been programmed since then not to reject envelopes with kiosk stamps.

Official First Day Covers

Are these sold out?

I need to clarify my previous post...

Jim Phillips did not say that a hand cancel is "philatelic" and a cancelled kiosk/Picture Postage(tm) stamp is a "mistake" - those are my comments.

I would suggest that virtually any hand cancelled kiosk or Picture Postage stamp must surely be "philatelic" as only a stamp collector would have asked for such a service.

And, based on Jim's comments that kiosk and Picture Postage stamps are not included in the cancelling image database, a cancelled specimen is most likely a "mistake".

I am the first to admit that I regularly ask for all of my outgoing mail to be hand cancelled. Why? To ensure the stamp(s) are cancelled nicely for the recipient.

When the ink jet cancels started to appear (my memory fails as to when that was), I was also the first to complain. I, like many others at the time, preferred the steel hammer round cancels and/or the slogan cancels. With that said, today I would much rather prefer a jet-sprayed kiosk or Picture Postage stamp than an uncancelled example.