Share Your Story Of A Pre-Forever Rate Increase

I recall the days before Forever stamps when the local post offices would sell out a week in advance on whatever the first class makeup stamp was, a 2c Wright, or 3c Parkman, for example. The demand would bring out old postal stock, such that during the 70s I recall obtaining some 2c Jeffersons from the Liberty series.

During the '90s when rate changes of 1 cent happened, a post office clerrk told me people would tape a penny on an envelope. The envelopes would get processed anyhow, and the coins would pop off and jam the sorting equipment.

Perf10 -

Some of them made it through the mail sorter and were delivered as normal mail. From my postal history collection, here is a 1998 Lincoln Cent on cover cancelled 19 January 1999 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA and delivered to Des Moines, Iowa, USA.

Linus

I remember going to the local Post Office to purchase some forevers just after the rate change. I expected to pay the current postage for the sheet. Evidently the POS readers were not yet charging the additional rate change so the clerk was using a sheet of $.02 Navajo Jewelry to make up the difference. Instead of just handing me the forever stamps, I also received the $.02 Navajo Jewelry sheet. (The forever sheet charged the previous rate not the current) I didn't realize this until I got home when I looked at the receipt... The forever stamp sheet was charged at the previous rate, the $.02 Navajo Jewelry sheet was charged the difference, I got both sheets. The forever sheet should have been the only sheet received as those stamps would have carried 1st class mail. Still got the sheet.

Love that cover, Linns. Not many coins have been cancelled and made invalid to pay postage.

Thanks Perf10, here is another rate change cover from my USA postal history collection that you do not see everyday. This is Scott #UO84 stamped envelope entire with a strip of 3 of Scott #O143 (perf 11) one-cent official stamp used when the rate changed to 32 cents in 1995.

Linus

Great topic.
I never heard about someone using tape and a penny.
Thanks for sharing!