Asking For Help With Stamp On Scott U438

Good Afternoon
I was trying to look for other examples of this 3 cent stamp, but havent been so successful. So I'm bringing it to the SC. What I am really wondering is if the penalty stamp is significant. I really wanted to know the history behind. Treina

At various times during the late 19th and 20th centuries, when the post office department had an excess supply of stamped envelopes (often due to a change in rates), they would demonetize them and make them available to government agencies. One common aspect to these envelopes was the penalty clause, which didn't change in wording (nor penalty amount) throughout the entire period.

These are typically collected as entires. The corner cards printed (usually) at the same time figure into the catalog nomenclature of these "penalty overprinted stamped envelopes".

See the UPSS website (www.upss.org) for the catalog that covers these envelopes. Printed as well as ebook versions are available.

Thank you Thomas

Hi TJA1523, is there anything worth seeing on the reverse side?

Stampmaster

Stampmaster
Good Morning. I dont see anything interesting on the back.

Hi TJA1523, perhaps if possible unfold and then determine if the reverse side when the imprint is located might or might not return results.

Stampmaster

Ole stampmaster is looking for offset on the backside of the indicium. I, too, would find that interesting.

But, before we leave the back side (with the full corner still folded), let's observe the information we can get from the shape of the side and bottom flaps. They are from a high back knife, which tells us the item is a Die 1. Dies 5 and 6 (Scott die nomenclature; 144(E) and 145(F) for UPSS nomenclature), which can be difficult to determine vs die 1, only come from low back envelopes.

Dies 7, 9, and J are easy to contrast with die 1 with simple observation.