Marker Monkeys And Other Stamp Crimes.

I just received this letter which was cancelled on the back. How many letters similar would get through weekly ?

I've got pretty low standards when it comes to what goes into my collection. I don't mind a pen cancel or two - though I'd rather have a postmark showing the date and location it came from. Even I wouldn't have this one in my collection. Somebody must have had plenty of time on their hands though.

(No it did not come on that card - it came in a box of kiloware)

And so it begins again.

Why? Why? Why?

It's been a couple of months since the Marker Monkey was last seen.

I just wanted to let everyone know, that he recently made an appearance in southern Wisconsin.

Beware!!

That's just a postal clerk taking his frustration out on a stamp collector. He doesn't like to be bothered adding up all of those small denomination stamps so he takes it out on the stamps (since he can't take it out on the collector)!

Note: If I add up those stamps correctly, the postage is $10.13. Did they over or under pay for the parcel?

Oh that hurts.
The alligator and lizard must be messy eaters.

wt1, I agree with you. It's just SO frustrating when the person with the marker can clearly see that ALL the stamps have ALREADY been cancelled (very nicely, too) and yet feels the need to desecrate them. Makes no sense to me.

I wonder if it would be different if every postal clerk had to have a cancel stamper that gave his or her name as part of the cancel?

Oh, Puzzler!! I love this idea!!

Then we might have The Case of the Crazy Canceller or the Cat Canceller or the Purloined Postmark.

Perhaps Holmes should be called in before this goes too far!

I was reading on Google Books, an antique copy of Meekel's Weekly Stamp News (1919) where there was mention of a postmaster who intentionally created their town's postmark with the postmaster's name imprinted right on it. So there has been precedent for it having been done in the past. Although current postal regulations prohibit it, I suppose it also didn't catch on because there were probably more complaints than praises when the name was right there on a questionable piece of mail.

Here in the UK, despite Royal Mail losing money at an unprecedented rate, and hiking postal charges to try to recover, I would say at least 25% of my mail that comes with stamps is un-cancelled! Leaves "mint no gum" if gummed stamps are used. That's better than what the marker monkey leaves!

Yes, stampers, you know what's coming,,,,,,,,

Edmonton, Canada




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and....
Purchased from World ebay,
sent from a country town near me!
I could have cycled over and picked it up!

Country Australia

Oh, not a good one for Canada Post there. Ouch.

Bravo to the people at Kendenup, WA, though. Great Perth Mail Centre spary-jet cancel too. Now I know what it all means (or can guess).

Rod That a shame on the Titanic stamp, I almost got sick I thought I was one I sent you, Hopefully when I sent my wife to the post office I told this letter needs to be hand cancelled it got properly cancelled, Fingers crossed that my Titanic doesn't hit the Marker Berg