I just had the cover shown returned to me today, apparently I must have left too much selvedge around the stamp when I cut it from the imperf press sheet and someone did not believe it was a real stamp. I thought I would share with Stamporama.
that IS interesting. It was machine cancelled first? then refused AFTER being cancelled by an automatic cancelling machine that is triggered by the phosphor on the stamps? It looks like it never made it out of Varysburg, so that should be easy to find out who affixed the the RTS Refused/due label.
it is a FABULOUS piece, Josh. and a bargain at 49c.
David
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
The ancillary markings on the wrapper are "Refused" and "Unable to Forward". If the usage of the stamp was in question, there would have been a different marking, such as "Invalid Stamps". Of course the USPS employee handling the piece may have used the wrong label, but the NIXIE label is automatic from the sorting equipment. The remainder of the address is covered by the label. Maybe there was something there that the sorting machinery couldn't recognize. Still, there should not have been any postage due for its return.
Michael, it's the DUE that convinces me the postage wasn't recognized. I believe the UTF label was likely what was available rather than the reason; if it were, then, as you say, the clerk doesn't understand RTS and UTF rules because no postage was due. Please also note that the RTS/UTF labels were affixed in Varysburg, not at the addressee's ZIP.
David
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
The whole thing is weird. The NIXIE label spits out. Obviously, the AP Building and the street address are real. Don't know about the rest of the address, but there's no reason to think that it is wrong.
Ah, the USPS, and the wonderment that it presents.
That's a very cool cover. And it came in the mailbox. Would love to see links to exhibits/collections formed from junk mail or otherwise received through the mailbox.
-Ernie
It had to have left Varysburg as it has the Buffalo, NY spray on cancel. I am assuming I mailed it from Varysburg because of the Buffalo, NY cancel - I mail a lot out of the Silver Springs, NY post office which is closer to where I work and has more convenient hours for me. Silver Springs outgoing mail usually was cancelled Rochester, NY (although the clerk at Silver Springs likes to hand cancel things even if you do not ask), but with processing center consolidations I do not know. Varysburg is a very small post office, two employees - a clerk and a carrier, I walk in to pick up a package and the clerk will have recognized my car and have it ready for me, they are not putting any Nixie labels on anything locally. I'll attach a picture - the post office is the little building on the left attached to the bigger building with the garages, not sure when the picture is from as the carrier uses his own car to deliver mail, not the USPS truck.
I found the following link to try to understand the nixie label - I think it was applied at a processing center in zip 152 which is in PA if I am interpreting correctly:
