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| | Chapter 11 -- 3c Ballot Box |
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Fig. 11-1. (select any pic to enlarge) |
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< Fig. 11-2 Fig. 11-3 > |
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Fig. 11-4 |
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Bonus 11-5. 3c stamp as makeup to Prominent American 15c stamp, with 17c post-office meter, for 35c two-ounce (28-57 g) 1st-class letter, June 13, 1981. The first ordinary 17c stamps since the 1938 Presidential Series were just issued May 28, which might or might not have reached this post office. When a postal patron brought this letter for its weight to be checked and it was found to weigh over one ounce, the mailer paid 17c for the additional postage. For post offices with meters, it was common practice for clerks to use a meter to apply postage. If this had been a meterless PO (e.g., contract station) without 17c stamps, however, a combination of stamps was required. (Note no 17c stamps were available after the new rates began March 22 and before the new 17c stamps.) |
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Bonus 11-6. Two randomly chosen envelopes bearing 3c stamps as part of uprating 15c postal stationery envelopes for 20c one-ounce 1st-class letter rate effective Nov. 1, during the autumn of 1981. The bottom example is a "just in case" usage of a second 3c stamp. It not only overpaid the 18c rate in effect on Oct. 26, but overpaid the new rate by 1c (evidently here the stamps were affixed before the letter was presented to a postal clerk who applied a handcancel postmark). The year 1981 saw an unprecedented two rate changes (the 15c envelopes were sufficient one-ounce postage for the first eleven weeks); understandably some postal users were unsure of rates later in that year. |
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Bonus 11-7. Another example of a 3c stamp uprating a 15c envelope, Oct. 10,1981 during the 18c rate. Also an example of purple machine cancel use. Something about the colors' combination makes the cover stand out. |
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Bonus 11-8. Color study of mint 3c stamps (typical selection, not meant to be exhaustive). The top row are shiny-gummed stamps; the bottom row are dry-gummed. Note: Often the apparent paper color shade is affected by the imperfect press-ink wiping that smeared faint traces outside the engraved areas (especially on shiny-gum stamps, but here the lower-right dry-gum stamp seems most affected). Only the last stamp, top row, was normally issued without the phosphor-tagging varnish overcoating; its ink appears to be closest to "green" than the other three. While the varnish is generally colorless, its presence can subtly alter light rays striking ink and paper and their reflection back to our eyes. The varnish also is known to yellow slightly with time for some issues (and possible for any overcoated stamp, based on age and storage conditions). |
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Contents (c) 2009,
Ronald Blanks. Contact by e-mail: rblanks_stamps@yahoo.com |
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