As I continue working my way through the items in my mail tray, today I can share a scan of a Tui-Tui postal card I recently received from Dogfish, a mail artist in Washington state.
Tui-Tui postal card
In addition to the postal card’s 15-nupee design picturing a woman and a flying saucer, it also has a 46p Tui-Tui stamp with a 1997 date along with a United States brain coral postcard stamp issued in 2019.
Although artistamps and local post stamps are not necessarily exactly the same thing, they’re certainly both part of the overall family of cinderella stamps, and it’s always interesting to see what other creators are producing!
Envelope from Chicago charity features preprinted flower designs
When I got back from a business trip last week, my post office box was full of mail. I spent some time Friday doing the initial sort-and-shred, then a while Sunday dealing with most of what was left. One of the items still remaining in my mail tray is yet another business reply envelope, this one from Chicago’s Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Mercy Home for Boys and Girls business reply envelope
This BRE has two preprinted stamp-sized images picturing flowers. Both are dated 2019 despite the envelope being distributed in a mailing this month; my guess is the charity must have had a large lot of envelopes produced several years ago and is still working through old stock.
The print quality on the stamp-sized images is not fantastic, but the envelope we’re discussing here isn’t exactly made of photo paper. For what it is, it is no doubt adequate.
Philosateleian Post to issue stamp picturing Western cattle
On January 30, 2023, Philosateleian Post will participate in World Local Post Day by issuing a stamp picturing Western cattle not in a storm.
Philosateleian Post Western Cattle Not in Storm stamp
The 1-stamp stamp pictures a herd of cattle in the San Antonio, Texas, area, with the caption—“Western Cattle Not in Storm”—being a nod to the famous $1 “Western Cattle in Storm” United States stamp issued in 1898.
“My family and I can often see cattle from our own home,” says Philosateleian Post’s proprietor, Kevin Blackston. “Cattle are closely associated with the state of Texas, and I could think of no more appropriate animal to feature on Philosateleian Post’s stamp for World Local Post Day 2023.”
The Local Post Collectors Society celebrates World Local Post Day on the final Monday in January each year. Local wildlife was chosen as the official WLPD topic for 2023.
Technical Specifications
Format: sheets of 55. Design size: 36×21 mm. Separation method: perforated 12. Adhesive: water-activated dry gum. Printing method: laser.
Philatelic Services
To receive a mint single of Philosateleian Post’s Western Cattle Not in Storm stamp, or for first day cover service, send either $2 or a self-addressed stamped envelope and your request to:
Kevin Blackston
Philosateleian Post
PO Box 217
Floresville TX 78114-0217
United States of America
Philippine Stamp Collectors’ Society launches local post
The newest entry into the world of local posting comes not from a single individual, but from a society! According to a notice I received from the Philippine Stamp Collectors’ Society, the group is launching the PSCS Local Post using provisional stamps celebrating the Society’s second anniversary.
For a better idea of what to watch for, here’s a November 2022 cover mailed from San Diego, California, to Floresville, Texas, bearing one of the stamps along with PSCS Local Post markings.
60¢ PSCS Local Post provisional stamp on cover
The notice I received indicated the provisional stamps would have denominations of P1.00, P15.00, P18.00, or P21.00; however, the stamp on the cover I received appears to have a face value of 60¢. I’m not sure at this time whether that’s because the stamp sent to me originated in the United States instead of the Philippines or if the 60¢ value was merely a late addition to the lineup, but I’ll be sure to post here if I learn more.
Although the labels currently being used are provisionals not originally intended for use as local post stamps, the notice I received anticipates official PSCS Local Post stamps will be available beginning in January 2023.
If you’re a member of the Philippine Stamp Collectors’ Society, welcome to the world of local posting! I look forward to learning more about this new operation.
When fellow Local Post Collectors Society member Rusty M. recently sent a few of his local post covers my way, he also included a cover with what at first glance look like common Forever stamps issued over the past several years.
The only problem is that they’re counterfeits. Every one of them.
Postal counterfeit stamps on cover with Jefferson Territory cancellations
As you can see, Rusty has wisely canceled the stamps with his Jefferson Territory postmark to ensure they can’t actually be used. He has spent a ton of time looking for modern postal counterfeits, and sadly enough, he has found plenty.
Postal counterfeits go back a long way. The first ones to be produced in the United States showed up in the late 19th century! Those early counterfeits were generally not very dangerous since the genuine article was engraved and the counterfeits were not, but at any rate, this is not a new problem.
It is, however, a big problem for the United States Postal Service. The things have become so common that I received one on a cover in 2019, and found one in the recycle bin at the post office earlier this year, and then received two more on covers from a collector! My guess is that collector didn’t even realize the stamps he was using were not legitimate.
I don’t receive a ton of mail with stamps on it, and most of the stamps I do acquire are the nondemoninated nonprofit stamps used on fundraising solicitations. If I’m finding counterfeits on my incoming mail, they have to be common.
Some of these modern postal counterfeits are pretty easy to spot. A couple of the flag stamps on Rusty’s cover, for example, look wrong and feel wrong. Many are much more convincing, and some look so close to the real thing that it’s only under high magnification that inconsistencies appear. The print quality and accuracy of the die cutting is good enough that the counterfeits must be the products of a professional operation; they’re not simply copies that people are running off their inkjet printers at home.
You’re most likely to get hold of a batch of counterfeits by buying from various online sellers advertising recent coils or sheets of Forever stamps at less than face value—sometimes much less than face value. Some of those offers may be legitimate, but ask yourself this: why would someone sell Forever stamps at less than face value? 3¢ and 5¢ stamps of years gone by? Sure; collectors saved huge numbers of those, and they’re not very convenient to use. But Forever stamps don’t have that drawback. A Forever stamp has the same value it did when it was purchased: it pays the cost of mailing one letter.
With that in mind, I invite you to join me in steering clear of online ads for Forever stamps at less than face value unless you’re buying from a reputable, established stamp dealer who’s willing to guarantee that the stamps are legitimate. Otherwise, buy your Forever stamps from your local post office or via the official USPS website; that’s what I do, and I can be far more confident that I’m getting the real deal and not getting ripped off or inadvertently defrauding the USPS by using counterfeit stamps. No, it won’t stop other people who aren’t aware that they’re buying counterfeits from putting money in the countefeiters’ pockets, but at least we won’t be contributing to the plague.
