Today, I will share with the club a cover I received in my mail back in 2010. The oversized cover is franked with a block of Internal Revenue Documentary stamps, Scott #R734. Obviously, the post office should not have allowed these stamps to be used as postage, yet the cover was hand cancelled and passed right through from Dallas, Texas to rural Iowa, USA.
Also notice the "1" is upside down in the cancellation date. An interesting piece of postal history, not often seen.
I have seen/received mail with the US certified mail stamp, which is also not valid for postage. I like the cover with the block of four revenue stamps. I guess in a way you could say that IRS helped pay the postage?
The truth is within and only you can reveal it 06 Aug 2018 07:37:50pm
re: Revenues Used As Postage
Here is a similar cover a collector friend sent me years ago to see if the postal clerks were on their toes, it seems not. I think many of them will just look for U.S. a denomination and cancellation. These postage dues seemed good enough for the postal clerk processing this piece. Randy you might just remember this cover. it was sent to me by Vic Horadam from the old Ebay chat.
Thanks everyone for the kind words, and Mitch, that is a nice cover, with blocks, also. Thanks for adding to this thread. My cover above is in my worldwide block collection, and to me, Randy, it's a "keeper."
The only people upset would be the government bean counters who waste taxpayers money by endlessly reallocating money which ends up in the same government pot anyway. The correct amount has gone to the government in the end. No pecuniary advantage by deception ( rather nice legal term eh! )
Below is another cover I saved out of the trash can back in 1990. The scan shows a pair of savings stamps, Scott #S1, on cover used as postage to mail a mortgage payment from Tempe, Arizona, USA to Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Savings Stamps were issued by the United States Post Office Department as a means of saving money and were redeemable in the form of United States Savings Bonds. Sale of Savings Stamps ended June 30, 1970. These stamps were not valid for postal use, yet here is evidence they were used to mail a letter years later.
