This Is The Mail For Which You Sent Postage

These two covers have a "THIS IS THE MAIL FOR WHICH YOU SENT POSTAGE" stamp on the front.

The first cover appears to have a Postage Due 3 Cents stamp behind the 3-cent prexie. The second letter may have been intentionally underpaid by 1-1/2 cents, but has no postage due markings. Neither cover has any markings on the back.

I suspect both of the covers were mailed with a philatelic goal. Since neither has a return address, presumably the post office was compelled to request postage from the addressee. However, I'm wondering what action the post office would have taken to to request stamps from the point of origin.

I would appreciate any insights.

I believe these were originally returned as postage due and if possible then the postal patron would add the postage. If not possible, the PO office would try to collect the amount due from the recipient.
Once the additional postage was received, the item would be marked, "THIS IS THE MAIL FOR WHICH YOU SENT POSTAGE"
Don

Thanks for your reply, Don.

Since the sender didn't reveal their name, I don't see the originating post office being able to return the mail to the sender for payment of postage due. So I'm thinking that the recipient was somehow asked to send (through the mail) to the originating post office, the postage that was due. The eight-day span between Canton, Ohio postmarks could indicate that the post office sent correspondence to the addressee asking for postage, and the addressee replied by mailing the 3-cent prexie to the Canton postmaster.

See this thread for examples of Form 3548 as the mechanism to get the stamp sent in for postage:
https://goscf.com/t/65748&whichpage=1&

In your examples, I doubt either was philatelic in intent:
#1: No postage paid, probably an accidental skip when the sender was stamping a pile of cards, apparently sealed thus 1st class, no return address: no choice but ask the recipient to pay to get their mail.
#2: not underpaid, but rather sent unsealed as single piece 3rd class. Not forwardable without repaying an additional 3rd class rate.


Here are some examples with dues, so not done with a Form 3548, thus there was apparently some difference in procedure depending on how far along the letter got in its journey before the due process started, etc. Bottom line, each due or forwarded piece should be evaluated on its own merits for the time period.

Totally unpaid unsealed 3rd class Christmas card. Nice use of half cent due stamp, J79.


An uncommon "Forwarding Postage Guaranteed" marking, so it went on quickly rather than waiting for postage to be sent back. Another nice use of J79.


Unsealed Christmas card, sent as single piece 3rd class in 1959. The irony to this: The first class sealed letter rate at the time was 4 cents, 3rd class was 3 cents, but without free forwarding, thus the thrifty sender saved a cent, cost the recipient 3 cents forwarding, and the USPOD got 6 cents total instead of 4.


Back closer to the "held for postage" & "This is the mail for which you sent postage" markings, here are two examples I have shown before.
The first is an attempt at paying a 2 cent local letter rate in 1941 and having it caught for the inter-city 3 cent rate.
The second cover attempted to use a pair of precancels without a permit and was caught/rated as unpaid and the 3 cents collected from the recipient.

Brilliant, John Becker! Thanks for your very thorough reply.

John Becker should be recognized as an SCF GOAT.

Thanks, but I want to be a lower case goat sometimes too.

If there is something even higher than a GOAT than John is that. AND he can cook too!

John's name has been on the nomination list with 2 others; I was waiting for the new year before adding more folks. Since starting the GOAT acknowledgment, I did not want to add a lot of the existing GOATS all at once and have it feel too pedestrian.
Don

Is there a thread were we are voting for Goats or even goats?

Hi stampcrow,
SCF GOATS
https://goscf.com/t/82187
Don

Thank you Don.