A Cover From Canada With Overlapping Postage Stamps

I received this cover some time ago. I didn't know that you can overlap postage stamps like this, at least in Canada.

Does anyone know if this practice is ok, or is it actually illegal?

Jim

I can't answer either of your questions, but I doubt that the practice is acceptable.

Perhaps the sender asked the postal clerk how much to mail the cover. Then the postal clerk sold the stamps and watched them being overlapped on the cover. Then unsure if OK or not, but knowing that they were all legitimate stamps, hand cancelled it and sent it into the mail stream.

Alternatively, the purpose of overlapping could hide cancellations on stamps that had been soaked of off paper and reused.

Jim, this practice is not legal in most countries because the full face of the stamp has to be visible, to avoid fraud by using previously cancelled stamps. I don't think this area is covered under UPU standards, rather than by each countries' own legislation.

That is a pretty extreme example of overlapping.. I would guess that either the clerk knew the sender (stamp dealer?) through past experience, or he/she saw the person place the stamps on the cover, as BlackJag stated.

It's acceptable when applied at the post office counter, as this obviously was.

I've certainly done it. Especially when using up old postage, and you have to get dozens of 1¢ stamps on a cover.
And the mail got through!

I have done it several times myself as well as received many packages from dealers done this way. This is an example of a great way to use 1978 12c postage up. I believe as long as the value is showing and the country is shown it should not be a problem. As for the reuse of postage, that is a definite no-no. It could easily be detected by the bean counters and if they catch you it definetly puts you in a position for a "big hurt" as one Canadian comedian says.

I do not know what specific regulations may apply, but I cannot imagine that even if done at a postal counter that it would be considered to be legal. The problem is that one could easily reuse all of the stamps other than the ones on top of the stacks as the rest would only have small areas with a single edge with a tiny bit of cancel that could easily be covered up by artfully restacking them on another cover. I would also imagine that not all postal clerks and carriers are equally diligent in ensuring this is not done as in the case with this cover, and that any such covers that may slip through would not be a justification for doing this stacking.