Demurrage: Lets Play What Is It - Bring Your Best Or Your Worst - Just Bring It

I have included photos unlike some of my other threads. If you all who respond think this is worthy I will put a succinct description for later search purposes.

Now the game is this :

What is it?
Is it good, bad or unremarkable?
Does the condition suck?
Would you want it?
What do you wish was different?
How is the condition, should it be improved?
Bring your own rabbit hole to the party and continue digging!

All comments welcome, and yes my mother wears army boots.





***Title Updated 3/5 by Mod***

I have never seen either of those particular auxiliary markings before. Since the date is unclear, I am assuming it was mailed in period for the stamps.

a cover; unremarkable; eh; no; sharp cancel; ? - cut and soak?

I'm sure it's something. I'll probably check back to see.

Stamps: Scott 975, Will Rodgers, issued November 11, 1948.

I knew what they are, I was just making sure they were not used later. There has to be something about those handstamps that creates an unusual usage.

My initial impression without the rate book handy, is that the sender tried for a single-piece 3rd class mailing, but sealed it for some reason.
A clerk found it sealed, added the "closed against inspection" mark, and re-rated it to first class with the added penalty for being more than 1 rate underpaid.

Well revcollecor, clearly you need to get down in the lower classes of mail more than you have . For domestic US mail only third or 4th class (parcel post) can be "sealed" or "closed" from inspection as those are the only classes which the contents can be examined. First class, including airmail are not to be examined. If 3rd and 4th class domestic matter is sealed, contains writing or other first class matter then the mailing is rerated up the the proper class with normally a reason mentioned.

In this cover's case it was being noted as "closed." Also in this cover's case the rather rough opening and tearing of the back flap underscores the "closed" condition. While some may find the rough opening a detraction to the cover it is also well underscores the appropriateness of that auxiliary mark. It is a plus similar to the burn marks on a Hindenburg Crash Cover, no?




As this item seems (is) an example of 3rd or 4th class matter, The fact there was a dated cancel is just "an extra" on the cover as 3rd or 4th class matter did not require a dated cancel. So this cancellation while blurry does supply information as to where the item was mailed and that it seems mailed after between the FD date of #975 and 1950.

Edit: As the postage stamps were already touched upon, I will add that the two postage dues are of the proper period for contemporary use with the Will Rogers stamps.

All the 3rd class mail I have seen has been unsealed, so I had no reason to see those markings. My interests in postal history usually run to Holocaust Perpetrator covers (and revenue documents) and to a lesser extent, censored covers.

Yes as they should be. But the ones uprated to first class all carry a reasonable premium when found.

I need to go purchase a dishwasher. But upon my return later today, I will see what I have for uprated 3rd class photos and post one or two. Such would be consistent with this thread. That said, I would not mind if John Becker post some before I do. Otherwise take a look here: https://goscf.com/t/32566

That thread has uprated examples.but I saw none with the reason endorsed on the item. I will add one more piece of information to explain some of those examples. Post cards could be sent as printed matter internationally and 3rd class domestically if there was no added writing other than the sender's info and the addressee's info. That is why the messaged cards were up rated. Note the referenced thread to J88 in the last post of the topic does not have any examples of uprated third class.

Edit: One of the covers also shows an example of the other marking on my cover as shown here:


Via SCF messaging I also invited revenuecollector to this thread since the above cover was posted by him back in the linked thread.

Uprated mail from 3rd class to 1st class: (These two relating to writing enclosed, rather than being sealed, but still receiving uncommon markings.)

Here is one sent unsealed, which would have required only 1.5 cents as single-piece 3rd class without writing. Likely overpaid as a convenience to the sender. Inspected and marked at the bottom "First Class Writing Inside". No return address so the recipient had to send postage for it.


A large envelope sent unsealed from a photographer in Toledo, Ohio. Inspected and marked in pencil and then with a rubber stamp: "Contains writing / First class rate applies", collected with due stamps.

Well I paid for a new dishwasher and it will be here next week, so....

I looked through my existing photos and did not find any sealed or closed. However I did find two worthy of posting. One shows the fee for being "undersized" third class. meaning one or more dimensions are below a particular minimum.



The other show the cost for returning third class mail. For third (and forth class) forwarding and returning to sender cost a new postage fee. There were exceptions such as if a military recipient was moved due to official orders.

Looking through my half-cent due covers that I have imaged thus far, it appears that the vast majority are for forwarded or returned mail, as opposed to uprated mail. There are a number that I'm not sure why they were postage due as there are no indicators other than handrwritten or rubber stamped "Due X 1/2 cents" or similar.

I assume that when one paid a 1/2 postage due you gave the clerk a penny and received a half-cent stamp in return.

My guess is that most people lost the stamp, and thus the post office really got a penny.

In terms of the long arc of US postal history, I find it interesting to contrast these uprated covers with what's happening now.

Plenty of labor in the Post Office to look into an envelope and determine there was writing and uprate it for a few cents (with more purchasing power back then, I know).

Now the Postal Service can hardly address the influx of contraband, the prevalence of forgeries, and keep the daily mails running close to timely. Oh, and cancel the stamps on envelopes....

then vs now.

All of the items shown here are from the era before tagging, zip codes, and bar codes. Each mail piece was handled multiple times to get faced, canceled and then sorted several times all by humans. These survivors are uncommon occurrences and justly demand premiums in the marketplace.

Today's typical mail piece dropped in a blue will not be seen by a human until your carrier puts it in your box.

Yes you are correct a 1/2 cent postage stamp was given as change. This is such an example however, I do not know the reason for the additional postage required:




When the postal patron was not around to be handed the 1/2 cent stamp, The mint 1/2 cent stamp was attached to the envelope generally one of three ways:

Paper clipped
Stamp with selvage used with just the selvage attached to the cover.
Stamp as above used but only just attached by a small bit of corner such that it could be removed without damaging the 1/2 cent unused stamp.

Now over time and with various storage methods, when the recipient did not remove the 1/2 cent unused stamp, it often held on with more than just the corner. For collectors of Prexie and Liberty issues, such covers are highly sought after.

So that being me to saying one issue I have with the cover in the OP, I wish rather than a commemorative the stamps paying postage were either Prexies or Liberties if of a later date. Either would make this cover of greater interest.

Edit to address the jlib 1972 - John Becker exchange:

John Becker is correct in his pre automation reference but jlib 1972 is a bit off in the modern efforts. Media Mail is subject to opening to determine if the matter sent at the Media Rate (lower rate) qualifies as Media mail. Often when mailed as Media Mail the packages are endorsed 'subject to inspection.'