Support the Hobby -- Join the American Philatelic Society 09 May 2013 10:11:47pm
Here is a postcard mailed from Cleveland, Ohio, Station D, March 29, 1907 to Greentown, Ohio. The card has a magnificent flag cancel, but the 'action' is in the uncommon auxiliary marking "Unmailable except enclosed in envelope."
Ok, postal history detectives: What's on the front of the card?
re: Auxilliary marking: Unmailable except enclosed in envelope
My guess would be glitter or something like that. Those cards messed up the canceling machines--I have a couple with similar markings, that's why my guess.
re: Auxilliary marking: Unmailable except enclosed in envelope
"My guess would be glitter or something like that. Those cards messed up the canceling machines--I have a couple with similar markings, that's why my guess.
Roger"
Correct, drmicro68, but for a different reason. It was for the safety of the mail handlers, for which that regulation was created.
Here is a newspaper article from Feb 28, 1907, explaining:
Support the Hobby -- Join the American Philatelic Society 10 May 2013 03:11:17pm
re: Auxilliary marking: Unmailable except enclosed in envelope
I am sorry to disappoint -- those that expected some racy picture on the front of the card.
It looks we like we have several closet postal historians among us. The answer is 100% correct. To be precise, quoting from Helbock's Postmarks on Postcards:
Postmaster General Order No. 98, effective February 16, 1907 prescribed that "postcards ornamented with particles of glass, mica or other substance, liable to injure the persons handling the mails, are hereby excluded from the mails except when enclosed in suitable envelopes." Helbock also asserts that damage to mail marking machines was an additional reason for excluding these postcards. So both reasons may have played a role, but the possible cause of injury is the one expresssly given.
Here is the front of the card:
And a detail showing the mica crystal decoration, which indeed easily can cause cuts:
Because the postcard did not have a return address, I surmise that the marking "Unmailable except enclosed in envelope" was meant to educate the recipient, but that the card was not refused and delivered despite the change in the postal regulation.
re: Auxilliary marking: Unmailable except enclosed in envelope
I have seen numbers of these in antique shops, but they're not canceled & that would be my main interest. Do not remember where I read about these--I think American Philatelist (since that's my primary philatelic source of these things).
