Certified Mail, Commercial Or Philatelic ?

I don't see these used commercially often at all. Sender writes philatelic material, it's not even close to first day use. Rate appears correct.

Commercial. Two first class stamps for double-weight envelope and certified mail stamp. Great cover!

This is an example of an area that is sorta gray. Some collectors think that anything from anyone connected with philately automatically becomes philatelic rather than commercial. Other collectors, including myself, feel that each item needs to be classified on a case by case example. I would say this is a commercial example from a philatelic related sender. Does it really make any difference? I don't think so.

Philatelic usages usually are addressed to the purveyor, no? This cover was used to send actual materials through the mails to a legitimate recipient. The sender had a high degree of philatelic knowledge but it still seems like a commercial usage to me.

I agree that it can be argued either way, but it comes down on the side of being philatelic in my opinion. Harry Lindquist was a well known publisher of philatelic literature as well as other philatelic endeavors such as being the president of the National Federation of Stamp Clubs. Philately was his lifelong passion and career. Like most all stamp dealers and many collectors he enjoyed making all of his mail into future stamp collector items and made them philtelically attractive and interesting. I am sure this was used by him to send one of his philatelic publications to a collector somewhere and as usual Linquist took the time to make the envelope attractive and something the recipient would likely want to either keep as is or soak the stamps off of to add to their collection. To me that makes this more philatelic than ordinary commercial mail that would not have been made up like this.

I agree with Glenn, each item should be judged on its now merit. If the item is used in the: correct period, at the correct rate for the correct purpose (like the cover shown) than it's not "philatelic" -- other than philatelic by association, from a philatelic: dealer, collector, organization, or publication.

My personal approach is to subdivide "philatelic" covers into two groups: philatelically inspired and philatelically contrived. If the cover pays the proper rate for the proper service and the stamps are used in period, it is philatelically inspired. Otherwise, it is philatelically contrived. If it is an inspired cover, I have absolutely no problem collecting/exhibiting the cover. The cover under discussion here would be 'inspired' in my view--a legitimate use of in-period stamps paying a proper rate. There is nothing about this cover that raises any concerns in my mind. It is a common double-weight, certified mail cover.