How Did This Happen?

Here are a couple of covers I received today from a Mccusker online auction:





Note the cancellation date. What would it take to pull this off? (The FDOI for these issues -- #2388 and #2389 -- is 9-14-88.)

Could be the local PO released them early by mistake (which is the most likely case). Also it could be they forgot to update the date in the machine cancel. These are collected by some as a novelty.

Yes. This happened quite often, as post office staff was often oblivious to the actual first day of issue of certain stamps. Fast forward to the present day and you will find that it is less likely to happen, as everything is barcoded and the USPS uses point of sale technology which is programmed so as to prohibit the sale of new stamps until the actual date of issue.

Although some of these early use covers are quite collectible, most of the recent ones don't really sell for much of a premium on the secondary market, as they are more of a curiosity than anything else.

Okay, that's two scenarios. I would lean toward "released early" since the two different machine cancels are evident. They do seem to be hand-backs. One cover is empty, with the top cut open. The other is sealed, but has a blank sheet of paper inside with a Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service letterhead.

I was wondering what post office this might be. The cancellations are indeterminate. One looks like it has a ZIP of "233" followed by a space and then "18." But I cannot find any evidence of zip code of 23318 for Hampton Roads. The other one just has "233."

Well, curious, or novelty, for sure.

I think that is 1B indicating the cancelling machine instead of a 18.

The first cover doesn't seem to be a hand-back, considering it has a bar code printed on it.

I don't think the second is a hand-back either. The three digit ZIP code indicates the cover was cancelled at a processing & distribution center. The Hampton Roads P&DC may have a retail counter where a hand-back can be created, but I don't think so in this case. But, the possibility is there.

Regards,

Robert

Considering the lack of a return address I would bet Mr. E.R. Brown Jr. mailed the covers to himself.

Thanks for the explanations about the cancellations. I still have some things to learn.