Does Anybody Know What To Make Of This Cover?

This is neat and visually appealing, but I'm having trouble coming up with any explanation of a genuine usage. No address and a suspect CDS are the two things I immediately noticed. Can anybody chime in on this?:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1918-Regis...AOSwGBRcDaUF

It's philatelic - a postal "hand back" - and because it carried so much postage it met the requirement for registration. For years - when I collected FDCs I got a registered one along with the single and block. Makes a unique collector's item.

Strictly philatelic item. On my watched items, just to see if someone does buys it.

The cds' are Californian but the corner card is from Massachusetts, making it a bit too contrived for my tastes, even for a 'hand-back,' albeit a pretty visually appealing one. I googled the name on the corner card, half expecting it to belong to a stamp dealer, but it turns out they were tailors.
Its got one bid at $100 already with 7 watchers...

Hand backs on a registered cover? Would not the PO be hesitant to do this since they had added responsibility to ensure a registered mail piece being tracked? What if the sender purchased indemnity...would the PO just hand back one of those?
Don

The cancels look similar too the one below,albeit not the same
diameter.?.

I would vote for it being a complete fake - and poorly too. It never saw the inside of the post office.

Postmarks are not of any standard postal-made style.
Postmark should not contain a date on the front of a registered letter in this era.
Postmark should be across the flaps on the reverse side.
Registry number is not typically repeated on the reverse side.

Add: For the record for when the internet image in the link above is no longer available:

While it is visually attractive, it's chance of being legitimate I think is zero.

Others have already pointed out the problems with "hand-backs" and the oddities of the cancel and registration.

I'll add to this fantasy mix the fact that these all appear to be 1909 issue stamps and were unlikely to have still be available in 1918. I really do not like the cancel, either. It's definitely not of the period.

Just my thoughts on it...

I agree that is a contrived cover that never saw a post office.

John - you've convinced me. It's a complete mock-up and as said - never saw a post office. And the postmarks are way too contrived. (have a look at the superfluous one in UL. Think they started to do that and realized to late it was over kill).

PS I don't know rules for USA stationery but should not the envelope also have been cancelled?

Although I am very comfortable with stamp attributions, I am admittedly a novice when it comes to postal history. As I indicated in my OP, this one just didn't feel right. Although an aesthetically pretty cover, I think my suspicions have been confirmed-this appears to be a total fantasy item.

More points against being legitimate:
- Each stamp is carefully cancelled but not the envelope. The forger got tired, perhaps?
- In 1918, Los Angeles, like other cities, had offices identified by name or alphabetic letter in its cancels, nothing generic.
- "R: 01474" There never was "R:" before the registry number as the numbering handstamp could be used for insured mail and special delivery; "REGISTERED" is already struck. And the number here is not changeable as in a handstamp; the "1" is spaced so only a "1" could exist in that position.
- The typeface for the above number is very modern.
- A blacklight on the cancels and markings would reveal this instantly to be a very modern fabrication; i.e., the inks would glow strongly whereas period ink will not.

As per John Williams two volume set on California postmarks, Los Angeles was not using that style in 1918 or any other year. Additionally, I believe that style has been used on fake 1922 series First Day Covers.

Call me cynical. I guessed it would be an anonymous bidder on this - and I was right. If a legitimate collector - too bad they didn't peek in here before they laid down $100

CanadaStamp said "PS I don't know rules for USA stationery but should not the envelope also have been cancelled?

Per US postal regulations, canceled anywhere on the front is adequate. It was not necessary to cancel the stamp imprint as postal laws forbid the use of cut outs for payment of postage.

as every stamp is poorly centered I would venture to say that if soaked every one of the stamps would possibly show some other form of damage. it is a poor attempt to separate a collector from his money.