What Determines A "Local Cover" In Scotts?

Scott catalogue has this cover with scott 850 listed as a local cover at a premium. What is the definition of a local cover and where can I find it?

A piece of mail that is being sent within the delivery area of a single post office.

So this could not be determined on this cover since the address is unknown

As there is no date in the town marking, it is most likely a bulk mailing. Since these were handled when resources were available after higher classes of mail were processed, the post office didn't want to let the receiver know just how long it took for the item to reach them, so they used a "mute" cancellation.

Not a local cover.
C.

(PS - Local covers often are addressed with the adressee's name and "Present" or "City," rather than a specified city and state).

would an electric bill mailing be considered a local cover?

I don't believe there are many local cover instances anymore. For example, I mail something to another person in my small town in MA of 1000 people and it goes to Hartford CT to be processed before it makes its way back. Crazy.

It is not a local cover. Local covers are 1st class mail sent within the delivery area of a city post office and it branch offices, if any. Such local mailings were discounted zero, one or two cents depending upon the normal 1st class rate of the time and if the city had or did not have carrier service. Local rates ended in the 1950s +/- (dates in post below) Lack of an addressee's address does make it more difficult to establish an item as local.

You have a "single franking on third class" which should also be listed for Scott 850. In the 2022 catalog that is priced at $75. The fact there is the "...This parcel is merchandise...." coupled with a third (or 4th) class undated cancel establishes it as third class. Yours is a good find. The lack of address does not affect the fact it is third class.

More directly, there is no local first class letter rate distinction at carrier offices since March 26, 1944, and at non-carrier offices since January 7, 1968.

The OP's cover contains the wording about the contents being merchandise and openable for inspection, therefore it is a 3rd class mailing regardess.

Looking inthe more antiquated 2020 Scott, they value 806 with several solo rate permutations, and oddly Scott 841 (perf vert) as a "Single franking on local cover", and Scott 850 as a "Single franking on third-class cover". So a bit "apples and oranges" here.

Utilities: certainly, if a local mailing, although many utilities sent with a permit or meter, which couls still exhibit the local rate. Here is the sheet version on a utility mailing:


(Parcelpostguy and I were posting at the same time. LOL)

Yes we were John Becker. I went back and added a +/- to my 1950s and will point out yours is neither a sheet stamp ( rather a Vert Perf Coil) nor a utility mailing, but remains a local cover example.

Edit to mention BRM (Business Reply Mail) was also calculated at the local rate if it applied.

Pardon me for making a mistake and posting the incorrect image!!!!
It still makes the point that there is local business mail.
I wil leave the post above uncorrected.

Up until a few years ago there was a "Local Mail" slot in my rural PO lobby. I would drop in a First-Class letter, and it would go right from that PO to the addressee in town. If it was to someone in the next town over it would go to a processing center in Springfield MA and find its way back. Mail within the town limits never left the town which makes abundant sense.

As others have said and which is stating the obvious, without and address there is no way of knowing the covers travels. Yes, you can use rates and make an assumption.

So the utility bill would be first class? and the stamp company cover 3 rd?

Yes.

Also the first class was limited to one ounce or below for 2 cents local; the third class two ounces or below for anywhere included within the "domestic United States."