Can anyone tell me what these are and what they were used for, please? I have a booklet of 50 in mint condition. Scans show front and back of one strip. Thanks.
The post office used (uses) them to seal items that were or became opened or unsealed (either intentional or accidental) while in the hands of the USPS. I think now they mostly use plastic bags to "seal" the opened mail piece.
In the Scott US Specialized Catalog, they are listed with the prefix "OX". There are several different types.
the design is POS6; catalogue numbers range from OX21-40. it is issued in 1919 through 1970; values vary, with mint and used examples comparable; but on cover usage much higher. Panes command a premium.
Here's one I just found on eBay:
Login to Like this post
"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
Thanks David. What is the purpose of these? Are they to indicate that an opened or torn, and then resealed envelope has been done so by the Post Office? Do we still use these?
Here's a used example on a cover that is in my NJ cancellation collection. It is near and dear to my heart as it was my paycheck, which arrived with the pay slip, with my address on it, but not the check itself.
Scott Specialized 2015 shows image as POS6. The catalog number range from OX21 to OX40. Used from 1919 to 1969. The CV varies from 0.25 to $17.50 for a mint single. Panes of 20 are listed but no panes of 10. The stamp was issued in panes of 20 or 16. Some sheets were cut into panes of 10 for use by smaller Post Offices. Looking closer at the back of your stamps, it appears that they are "hyphen-hole" perfed horizontally. This means that they are either OX38, OX39, or OX40. These were also issued in panes of 5. There should be a tab at either the bottom or top with various numbers and the initials GPO. The prices for the panes run $250.00, $1.25 and $2.25.
The $250.00 pane has a tab with the inscription "16-56146-1 GPO"
If yours has a tab the numbers will tell what the specific Scott # is and it's CV.
Looks like you may have OX40 in panes of 5 with a CV of $2.25 according to Scott 2013. My catalog says the inscription should read "c43-16-56164-1 GPO". Sorry for the delay. Daughter and family from Torrance California coming in today for a visit. House cleaning time. Especially the stamp room!