stamplover
Administrator
Posts: 62
Registered: 2/6/2009
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Mood: Curious
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POW postcard
Here is a POW postcard listed on Ebay by Ruby Stamps (390161317016). Why was it charged postage due upon arrival to the USA being a POW mail? And if
it was charged as regular mail, why the postmaster did not add the penalty?
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David Jay
Major Philatelist
Posts: 417
Registered: 1/24/2007
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PO mail to the home country of the prisoner was free-frank. Whether PO mail sent to other locations
should have been free frank or not, I'm not sure, but the US frequently charged it with postage due if it was not franked.
Similarly, soldier's mail home was free frank, but not to foreign countries.
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Lacplesis
Major Philatelist
Posts: 148
Registered: 5/26/2006
Location: Germany
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I'm not that experienced with US postage due stamps use. Have they been precancled on sheet? Or why the postmark not tying them to the card?
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jlechtanski
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Registered: 7/7/2004
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Post offices have "pre-cancelled" postage due stamps (and even regular stamps) to be placed on mail to indicate receipt of monies for deficient
postage.
On large groupings of deficient mail, the total was affixed to the top-most piece, resulting in a seemingly large amount being charged.
Sometimes the "pre-cancelled" stamps were just handed to the recipient as a receipt.
The "pre-cancelled" stamps on cover make it hard to determine if they really belong on the cover or were added later to enhance the cover.
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