Business Reply Card Postage Due

Not sure what happened here, anyone have ideas?

Yup, this was the top piece of several, and the post office used it as a receipt. Of course, there were not very many pieces for 14 cents!


Peter

Agreed, clearly a "Top of the stack" piece containing all the due amount for multiple pieces in that day's mail delivery.

In 1951, the Business Reply Mail fee was an additional 1 cent beyond the regular postage of 3 cent a for a letter and 1 cent for a card. Without any calculation scribble, it is impossible to determine whether this was for 7 cards, 5 cards and 1 letter, 3 cards and 4 letters, etc., although there is a high likelihood it was all cards.

On a different tangent, it is somewhat unusual to find the due amount paid with a combination of postage stamps and due stamps. Here is an example with mixed franking from 1983, using a form to collect the due amount. Either way, the Post Office folks got their money, but perhaps in a different account.

In his famous "Steal This Book" (1971), Abbie Hoffman urged people to screw 'the man' by taping these kinds of return cards onto bricks and other heavy objects. I think that the PO eventually added regulations which prevented this behavior.

Not saying that this card was used this way (obviously too early) but I've always kept my eye out for one that may have been used that way.
Don

https://goscf.com/t/52262 ... earlier, similar thread

Thanks I fully understand now..

Back in the B.C. years - before computers - the use of stamps was an integral part of the accounting process to make sure the books at each post office were up to snuff. Stamps, embossed envelopes, post cards, etc. were defined as "accountable paper". Their balance on hand was tracked and compared to revenues reported.

I understand. It's the waste I don't get.

Postage due. Apply postage due stamp. Whazda problem?

In later years, of course, they applied a meter imprint.

Same accounting principle as outlined by hoosierboy.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey