Question About Official & Postage Due Stamps

I know we've discussed a little of this before, in dribs and drabs, no
doubt.

OK... Why would dealers or even collectors get mint copies of
official stamps or postage due stamps - say, U.S. only for the moment.

One may reply because the post office gave them sheets as receipts of
something or other. Wouldn't they be cancelled? I've seen plenty of
pre-cancelled postage due stamps, but not officials.

since it is a penalty to use "official" stamps or envelopes, etc., how
come these mint stamps are in the hands of dealers?

OK, another thought comes to mind, but that didn't make sense when the
respective stamps were being used by our government / USPOD / USPS.
The thought is that they were being removed from active duty and maybe
sold off because of this.

Then, one may ask, that official stamps are still being used. Where?
Who knows, but they keep showing up in Scott catalog.

What about those "early" postage due stamps? Back in the day, w-a-a-y
back, did P.O. personnel sell these "on the side"? Scott mentions
mint and used for CV. Eh?

Further, was this simply a revenue gaining option when the powers that
be were bored with the current postage due stamp and printed more?

Something just doesn't seem to ring true here.

-OR- did the postal service dump officials / postage due holdings much
like the revenues of the Smithsonian?

Any ideas, pass 'em along. These stamps are truly "used" items
instead of mint items.

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:22 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

I know we've discussed a little of this before, in dribs and drabs, no
doubt.

OK... Why would dealers or even collectors get mint copies of official
stamps or postage due stamps - say, U.S. only for the moment.

One may reply because the post office gave them sheets as receipts of
something or other. Wouldn't they be cancelled? I've seen plenty of
pre-cancelled postage due stamps, but not officials.

since it is a penalty to use "official" stamps or envelopes, etc., how
come these mint stamps are in the hands of dealers?

OK, another thought comes to mind, but that didn't make sense when the
respective stamps were being used by our government / USPOD / USPS. The
thought is that they were being removed from active duty and maybe sold
off because of this.

Then, one may ask, that official stamps are still being used. Where?
Who knows, but they keep showing up in Scott catalog.

What about those "early" postage due stamps? Back in the day, w-a-a-y
back, did P.O. personnel sell these "on the side"? Scott mentions mint
and used for CV. Eh?

Further, was this simply a revenue gaining option when the powers that
be were bored with the current postage due stamp and printed more?

Something just doesn't seem to ring true here.

-OR- did the postal service dump officials / postage due holdings much
like the revenues of the Smithsonian?

Any ideas, pass 'em along. These stamps are truly "used" items instead
of mint items.

Due to philatelic demands, Officials and Postage Dues, worldwide, have
long been available for purchase by normal civilians. The USPS *still*
sells official stamps to collectors, and they even make an exception to
the "official-only" policy by designating a first day city for collectors
to mail their covers!

http://www.stampnewsnow.com/2007usps.html -- "OFFICIAL MAIL"

Think of it as CTO without the cancels: postally-worthless stamps sold by
a postal administration.

--
Joshua H. McGee, Los Angeles, California, USA
Member: APS, ATA, ISWSC, AFDCS, MBPC, MCC, BPS
President: http://www.penguinstamps.org
Trade?: http://www.mcgees.org/stamp-offers/

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:08:30 -0500, Joshua McGee
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:22 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

I know we've discussed a little of this before, in dribs and drabs, no
doubt.

OK... Why would dealers or even collectors get mint copies of official
stamps or postage due stamps - say, U.S. only for the moment.

One may reply because the post office gave them sheets as receipts of
something or other. Wouldn't they be cancelled? I've seen plenty of
pre-cancelled postage due stamps, but not officials.

since it is a penalty to use "official" stamps or envelopes, etc., how
come these mint stamps are in the hands of dealers?

OK, another thought comes to mind, but that didn't make sense when the
respective stamps were being used by our government / USPOD / USPS. The
thought is that they were being removed from active duty and maybe sold
off because of this.

Then, one may ask, that official stamps are still being used. Where?
Who knows, but they keep showing up in Scott catalog.

What about those "early" postage due stamps? Back in the day, w-a-a-y
back, did P.O. personnel sell these "on the side"? Scott mentions mint
and used for CV. Eh?

Further, was this simply a revenue gaining option when the powers that
be were bored with the current postage due stamp and printed more?

Something just doesn't seem to ring true here.

-OR- did the postal service dump officials / postage due holdings much
like the revenues of the Smithsonian?

Any ideas, pass 'em along. These stamps are truly "used" items instead
of mint items.

Due to philatelic demands, Officials and Postage Dues, worldwide, have
long been available for purchase by normal civilians. The USPS *still*
sells official stamps to collectors, and they even make an exception to
the "official-only" policy by designating a first day city for collectors
to mail their covers!

http://www.stampnewsnow.com/2007usps.html -- "OFFICIAL MAIL"

Think of it as CTO without the cancels: postally-worthless stamps sold by
a postal administration.

Bingo. Used, now that's a much better formula.

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:08:30 -0500, Joshua McGee
wrote:

http://www.stampnewsnow.com/2007usps.html -- "OFFICIAL MAIL"

You gotta love the Scott numbers used on this web site. hehehehe...

Furter, the webmastr needs a spellng lecon. He spelt Okefonokee
instedd of Okefenokee.

Rolls of 100 Official stamps? Sheesh...

OK, now what departments in our country use these suckers?

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:17:03 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

Think of it as CTO without the cancels: postally-worthless stamps sold
by a postal administration.

Bingo. Used, now that's a much better formula.

I collect worldwide MNH Postage Dues in a special album. Some are harder
to find than others, but as far as I can tell, none are impossible to
find. Philatelic pressure is greater than one might think.

--
Joshua H. McGee, Los Angeles, California, USA
Member: APS, ATA, ISWSC, AFDCS, MBPC, MCC, BPS
President: http://www.penguinstamps.org
Trade?: http://www.mcgees.org/stamp-offers/

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:21:14 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

OK, now what departments in our country use these suckers?

http://www.afdcs.gov


--
Joshua H. McGee, Los Angeles, California, USA
Member: APS, ATA, ISWSC, AFDCS, MBPC, MCC, BPS
President: http://www.penguinstamps.org
Trade?: http://www.mcgees.org/stamp-offers/

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:22:22 -0500, Joshua McGee
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:17:03 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

Think of it as CTO without the cancels: postally-worthless stamps sold
by a postal administration.

Bingo. Used, now that's a much better formula.

I collect worldwide MNH Postage Dues in a special album. Some are harder
to find than others, but as far as I can tell, none are impossible to
find. Philatelic pressure is greater than one might think.

I can definitely see mint postage due sold in bulk after they've been
demonetized or taken out of the rotation. I just sorted some older
Belgian P.D.

Does any country still use P.D. stamps? We saw a few posts about
Machins and the labels / cancels, but no stamps.

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:26:18 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:22:22 -0500, Joshua McGee
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:17:03 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

Think of it as CTO without the cancels: postally-worthless stamps sold
by a postal administration.

Bingo. Used, now that's a much better formula.

I collect worldwide MNH Postage Dues in a special album. Some are
harder to find than others, but as far as I can tell, none are
impossible to find. Philatelic pressure is greater than one might
think.

I can definitely see mint postage due sold in bulk after they've been
demonetized or taken out of the rotation. I just sorted some older
Belgian P.D.

The only think I know that "P.D." stands for is "psychadelic drugs". And
I read the verb in the second section as "snorted". I was wondering at
the relevance.

Indeed, what does "P.D." stand for in this context? "Private Die"?

--
Joshua H. McGee, Los Angeles, California, USA
Member: APS, ATA, ISWSC, AFDCS, MBPC, MCC, BPS
President: http://www.penguinstamps.org
Trade?: http://www.mcgees.org/stamp-offers/

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:29:20 -0500, Joshua McGee wrote:

The only think

"The only think" -- that's good spelling, isn't it?

--
Joshua H. McGee, Los Angeles, California, USA
Member: APS, ATA, ISWSC, AFDCS, MBPC, MCC, BPS
President: http://www.penguinstamps.org
Trade?: http://www.mcgees.org/stamp-offers/

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:26:15 -0500, Joshua McGee
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:21:14 -0400, Tracy_Barber wrote:

OK, now what departments in our country use these suckers?

http://www.afdcs.gov

Jeopardy game show beep. Meeeaaannnnnnttttttttttt! Issue 404, good
buddy. Web page no existy.

2 more tries for that quarter. :^)