U.s Stamp, Does It Mean Something Or Is It Just Doodle?

Hello I would love a little help here. I have this stamp already used but when I look at the back of the stamp through the envelope it has a odd looking hand written design or number or letter. Im not sure what it is, just want to k ow if it may mean something or its just a basic doodle. This is one stamp I have another one aswell.

It looks like someone wrote something on the envelope and stuck the stamp over it.

But why? I have another one which is even more odd. I will post it up asap

When that stamp was issued, there was no grace period for submitting First Day Cover requests. You had to send your envelopes to the official first day city along with payment for the stamps you wanted affixed. You could request that more than one stamp be affixed to the FDC, a block for example. The writing looks to me like the word "single". My guess is that the requestor, or perhaps the people servicing the FDCs, made a notation on the envelope as to how many stamps were to be affixed.

I checked my FDCs from that era and it reinforces the comment that these were notes that identify what should be applied to the envelope. I have 1 that has 4 (4 stamps affixed) and 1 that has Via Air Mail as it was an air mail envelope.

I never knew that was the process. Thanks for sharing stamp and those in the know who answered.

Wow, thanks for sharing that. Never crossed my mind that this was a way of getting 1st day of issues. If you dont mind I will post another one that I have and give me your thoughts on it.

@philatomic. Thanks for the info, I actually have some old receipts, im guessing where enclosed in the envelope providing the charge for the stamp. I have a couple of receiptsbut out of place. I need to match them to the first day of issue

Reading the word backwards, it clearly says "SINGLE" meaning they wanted a single stamp attached.

Back then, to request a First Day Cover, you mailed in an envelope to have the new stamp attached to it and have it cancelled "First Day of Issue". Individuals did this and various stamp companies did this, as well. But you had to request what you wanted, a single or a block of four or whatever you wanted (and send them the cost of the stamps you wanted). This "SINGLE" is just someone doing that so the mail clerk would know. It's totally normal. Nothing is special about this at all.

The other stamp says "30" and below that, it says "8". What that refers to I have no idea.

I'll take a stab at it. There were three stamps issued that day, 1c, 2c and 3c, Scott 899-901. Perhaps the "30" is "3c" for the 3 cent stamp. The other figure that looks like the number 8 could be an upper case cursive S. (Long time since I wrote one of them.) Here's a flipped image.

If one browses enough mid-20th century FDCs on a popular site (like ebay) one can see instances where the indication of what to affix is not completely covered by the stamp(s) affixed.
No one has mentioned new-stamp announcements (Postal Bulletin, or PO poster), every single one of them for adhesive stamps, through 19?? (anyone know? I don't, but surely into 1970s), state that the collector should indicate how many stamps to affix "in the upper right corner." One can also browse the PO posters for sale online, too and read for oneself.