I have been receiving similar envelopes, Phil. I'm making a trip to the local PO next week, with some awful examples of my own. Now I have outgoing mail to reference also, since that one was mine.
Did you see this one? That was a $1000 stamp before some lunatic with a pen got ahold of it! :-)
I think the pen cancels happen at the receiving end of the postal process. I'm getting mostly uncanceled mail with stamps torn in the sorting machines.
I spoke with the local post office yesterday, and provided some of my incoming mail. The clerk to whom I was speaking, who seemed to have some authority, took them and copied them, then said he 'would speak to him'. I mentioned the outgoing mail also, which Phil has pictured.
I said it was pictured on the internet, and so it was affecting both incoming and outgoing mail. I got another example the same day, but I think the carrier had left the building before I was there.
I am saving any and all examples, and indicated that if it didn't stop immediately, I would be back.
I think I made my point. Sorry to both of you, that you had to get involved.
Marilyn, no problemo..i thought it was at my end as i receive a lot of uncancelled mail from Canada and Europe. I try not to put too many older stamps on an envelope as it seems to draw attention.
I dislike seeing pen cancels on the mail I receive; however, the USPS carriers are simply performing their duties and it is difficult to find fault with that.
Below is an excerpt from Handbook M-41, City Delivery Carriers Duties and Responsibilities which is posted on the National Association of Letter Carriers website.
It seems that one should only be able to object to the practice when the item is clearly marked as being "Philatelic Mail."
I have printed the phrase "Stamp Collector - Please do NOT pen cancel" several times on a sheet of white paper. I cut them apart which yields about 12-15 slips of paper. I highlight the NOT (and sometimes the stamp collector part and sometimes the whole thing) in brilliant yellow and tape it above (not touching) the stamps. Make sure to leave room for the printed label the post office affixes.
This works well. Even the overally agressive, black sharpie wielding carrier that delivers mail to my parents doesn't mark up my stamps.
I am not sure how many carriers would actually know what "Philatelic" means.
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