70-1/2 Cents Postage Due In 1936... That Was One Heavy Cover!

Actually, only the half-cent postage due is directly related to this cover. Presumably this cover was on the top of a stack of letters that were postage due, and all of the postage due stamps were affixed to this cover.

Still, a neat item for my half-cent due cover collection.

Just of curiosity, what is the return address on this cover? Can we see the back?
Don

Nothing on the back. No return address, no backstamps.

Then I assume it indeed had to be a part of a stack.
Don

Here's a legitimate usage of J88. By 1962 the rate requiring the usage of the 1/2 cent postage due was gone and the stamps were discontinued.

Had to be a big stack? Assuming all covers were franked the same (1½ ¢) then the pile was 141 covers. The ½ ¢ for the cover shown and 140 covers needing an additional ½¢ each would account for the 70¢ due. Or there were 35 covers under this one franked at 1¢ each.

I would not assume they are were the same amount due. In fact they could have been parcels (or even a single parcel). No way to know.

while the cover does not resemble a charity request, the sender was probably known to the PO clerks and the mailing was either returned entirely or all were held with the top cover being hit with the entire amount due.
many return postage guaranteed covers were bundled with the return postage due plastered on the top cover of the stack. the recipient usually paid the fees in the hope of finding a donation check in one of the covers. I remember asking for and getting meny examples for my collection in the late fifties and early sixties. if memory serves me correctly most were not cancelled and few were high face value. it seemed to be a game how many stamps could you fit on a cover.
alas I no longer have them as my collecting interests changed over the years.