Marker Monkeys And Other Stamp Crimes.

what if you stamped it "PLEASE NO MARKER CANCEL"

or "Hand cancel only, NO MARKER"

I also like the way he obliterated the plate numbers -- wouldn't want those getting by unscathed!

Oooh, they markered the Queen! Off with their heads!

We are not amused.

That's a great portrait too.

I like some of the other stamps too, the matte black highway signs, the Seaway stamp, reindeer, the Alouette satellite.

Get these people a roller canceller with names or dates or something. Personalized is better, then they would enjoy leaving their personal mark on history. This anonymous way is disastrous. No pride in work, except to marker everything and not miss one.

There was a Post Master at the Morris Street, Halifax Post Office around 1899, a retired sea captain who prided himself on cancelling almost every stamp that came through his hands with a socked on the nose cancel, the more centered, the better. Amazing to see a page of these, you think at first that the faker-conterfeiter has been and gone but this guy really did this excellent precise cancelling.

Letting the employees now use markers and pens takes some of that pride away I would think.

I have seen some ladies here at different Post Offices slow down and examine the envelope and stamps once they have the canceller in hand, and place precise (not always to My liking, but very nice overall) cancels on the envelopes.

Most are comparable to beginning stamp collectors, not appreciating the beauty and history of cancelling a stamp SOTN but trying to leave the design free and just touching the stamp with the cancelling device.

This so amazed me when I first saw it my mouth dropped open. After, I tried to explain the interest and niceness of having a cancel SOTN sometimes but some couldn't fathom the idea of it. I think you would have to take nice examples in and show them the difference.

Of course this is not every employee, just some.

And, most customers are happy their piece of mail is being handled efficiently and competently (mostly) and will get taken to the destination in a reasonable time frame.

An oldie from 1933. What did they use...a grease pencil? It would have been a nice collectible in 2010 considering the BSA anniversary, but the post office had to be sure to obsure 1-1/2 cents worth of stamps!

Looks more to me like someone put their finger on the inkpad and then smudged it accross the stamps.

I have no idea why I am telling you this, but...

Did you know, Ann Boleyn was the only wife of Henry 8th
that lost her head with a sword?
They imported a French knight for the occaision.

Very considerate, the English.

Harsh business, politics.
Very polite though.

The Marker Monkey is NOT dead ...

I guess mail volume is increasing because of Christmas, so I figured it was time to bump this thread with a scan from today's mail ...



Kirk

Kirk,

I'd hang on to that if I were you -- someday red MM cancellations will have a significant premium over the more common black ones.

Steve

Good one, Steve!

Yesterday I poked a little fun at MMs and today I get this in the mail from Hackettstown, New Jersey 07840.



The more I look at the cover the more I think this is not the work of an ordinary, run-of-the-mill MM but rather that of an artisan -- the precision and fluidity of the strokes is masterful.

you guys crack me up.

See what happens when you poke the bear, Steve.

But I must agree -- your monkey does have a bit of flair to the swish -- almost like a Nike swish.

Kirk

Do you think they're monitoring the forum? If so, I'd wager their primary focus would be trying to identify those who use glue stick!

The marker monkey apologises,
being Christmas, the IQ is being overloaded
and the broad stylish sweeps of the felt pen
are being replaced by the standard bic biro.

Normal felt pen scribbles will resume in the new year
as time permits.

Merry Christmas, MM