05-13-2018 01:46 PM
Never seen this P.O. mark before…
Apparently Blue Seal Linen Supply ran out of 10₵ stamps and decided instead to use some 11₵ airmail stamps on what was probably local billing. First class mail was 10₵ at the time, so they figured they had it covered. But prior to 1977 any stamped letter, card or PSE that bore the AIR MAIL slogan had to be charged full air freight (in this case 13₵) even if the item was only going the next street over. Thus the Postage Due of 2₵ and the finger-wag about using air mail stamps.
05-13-2018 01:49 PM
Interesting
05-13-2018 04:27 PM
Probably a few more went out there until a customer complained about the PD...
I wonder if the policy was well known. It kind of seems like a hidden fee
05-14-2018 10:42 AM
annadryl...
Good point. Getting a bill that you have to pay PD on is pretty raw. If it were my company I would sprinkle a few complimentary credits around then find those airmail stamps and burn them. haha
05-14-2018 11:04 AM
What is the back story to this item?
05-14-2018 11:34 AM
05-14-2018 11:40 AM
The back story of acquisition?
05-14-2018 06:20 PM
05-15-2018 12:05 PM
billsey…
From Wawrukiewicz page 52, PB 14687 May 11, 1928—"Use of airmail stamps on non-airmail not permissible”. Further bulletins muddied the issue, saying both “airmail stamps are strongly discouraged on regular mail” and also that they are “not acceptable on surface mail” in the same directive. Ah, bureaucracy…
So it probably depended on the local P.O. as to whether to charge postage due on any “short-paid” air mail on surface mail, items which were probably few and far between. Perhaps all P.O.s had those hand stamps available but owing to volume of mail or other reasons simply passed such items through.
05-15-2018 12:12 PM
Sounds reasonable, but still only a guess.