Does anyone here write the postage price when using multiple postage stamps when sending letters or postcards? The reason I ask, is that many postal administrations now use Non-Value-Indicator stamps (NVI) where the price is not displayed on the stamp (thus saving them printing new ones when the price increases).
I once had a disagreement with a post office counter clerk regarding using UK 1st class stamps for international post, explaining that the rate is not shown and certain foreign postal services won’t know how much the letter/postcard costs?
Secondly I have sent small parcels with mixed postage stamps, and I found it shocking that some post office workers take ages to add up the maths!
What gave me the idea was a letter I received that used lots of low denomination stamps with the price equalling the 1st class rate written on the top left hand side of the letter. I guess this is done to assist postal workers in the mail centres when mail is rejected my the sorting machines or to help post office clerks quickly work out the postage?
But why would foreign services care about that? Once mail reaches another country, it’s just forwarded as far as I know. Deutsche Post wouldn’t care if you paid the right amount to Royal Mail.
Tbh, I don’t really see why anyone would do that… but again, we have values on all our stamps, so I might not have the right perspective.
Also, I kind of see postcards as a kind of “gift” and it’s considered rude here to have a price tag on a gift.
Foreign postal authorities don’t check the postage. Any item not bearing a T-stamp (for underpayment) has to considered to be good. It is the duty for the sending postal authority to check postage. From the Letter Post Manual of the UPU:
Writing the postage on the card or letter is good, but the person checking the postage has to trust that your calculation is correct. If a machine checks the postage (that happens in the Netherlands), than the writing has no purpose, because the machine is not interested. I’ve never done it, I’ve combined many stamps (also from the UK) and never encountered any problems.
Interesting, thank you
I have run-in’s with the post office about using multiple stamps (some people dislike checking the correct postage, or are too lazy to do it).
I usually now just bung my cards in the post box, but as I use lot stamps from 80’s and 90’s I know the machines will most probably reject them, so write it as an assistance to the mail centre workers.
…but if they get through, then yes there is no point to it.
In the Netherlands you can only use stamps denominated in euro’s (from about 2001 I think) or NVI stamps (they became standard in 2010). Modern stamps have little marks on them, so the machine knows what kind of stamps they are, but they also recognise the image on the stamp. Last year the image of the recent December stamps were not uploaded into the software, so people received their Christmas cards with a request to pay for the postage. I think they also uploaded the images of older stamps, so the machine knows the worth of the stamps (and whether the stamp is a real stamp). I don’t know whether Royal Mail also uses machines, in that case older stamps don’t need to be a problem, RM only has to upload more stamp images (from 1971). When I’ve sent cards from the UK (with lots of older stamps), I’ve put them in the postbox, I’ve never brought them into the post office.
I wish a similar process was adopted in the UK, but the stamp designs uploaded into the system would run into the thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) ,
RM use graphite strip in various sizes and patterns on the stamps to sort out the different domestic and international rates,
Lots of the older stamps don’t have this, the only way I know they are rejected is that I’ve had messages from postcrosser and others, how my stamps are cancelled using the notorious Marker Pen!
Hence on occasions I’ve asked the post office to use the counter date/handstamp (along when posting other mail and parcels).
The only time I’ve seen the postage amount handwritten by the sender on the postcard is when someone from Italy sent a me a card with multiple stamps, some of which were old stamps in lire, the old currency before the euro. So she added the conversion and the total amount. Yes, it is perfectly legal (stamps issued after a certain year, which I forget but something like 1968 or similar, can be used).
You can also send post to the Special Handstamp Centre of Royal Mail. They have hand stamps for special occasions, but also “permanent” hand stamps. It will cost a bit extra, as you have to send the post first class to the Centre. I’ve tried it once, and it worked:
Haha, I am frequent collector or the RM Special Handstamp Postmarks, funny you should post the above photo, it was this picture on Flickr that inspired me to do research into the SHC’s because I was so disheartened by the amount of Pen Cancelled post
Is this your picture?
I linked into another thread about Pen Cancellations.
The UPU required a clear monetary value on all stamps used for international mail but the UPU rescinded the value indicator requirement around 1995 or 1996. I remember because the US Postal Service allowed nondenominated stamps (back then the old domestic A,B,C, etc. series and various rate change makeup stamps) to be used on international mail around that time. I can’t remember the exact date but I remember clearly the change in the rules. That is why the current Forever stamps are allowed on international mail and there are even international Forever stamps. Likewise the 1 and 2 class stamps of Great Britain, Italy’s zone stamps, etc. that do not show a monetary value.
Wow, that is cool. I wish we had that here. Is the only cost sending your items to them?
Here, for pictorial postmarks, you can send your mail to the post office that the stamp relates to, but for just regular hand-cancellations, you just go to any post office, and have to hope you get a staff member who understands what you want.
We’ve had NVI stamps in Belgium for a while now, but we are still allowed to use older stamps too. Not from before 1962, though. This means that we can have stamps in Belgian franks, in Euros or even a mix, as long as the total value adds up to what the cost is at the moment of sending. I have also considered writing the total value in Belgian franks and its equivalent in a corner, but then decided not to. I don’t use many stamps on a card though because of a lack of space. But I do put them in on envelope when my addressee asks for an envelope and collects stamps.
Funny anecdote: once somebody used the little stickers that are on kiwi-fruit as a stamp, and it still arrived
I’ve always found it interesting, where countries that have changed currency, what happens.
An interesting read, I guess when you have done this as an assistance to the postal worker who may sort/check the post by hand?
Yes, that is the only cost.
The permanent postmarks such as the one @michiel071 has shown are avaliable at any time, they can be issued with any date, including Sundays and Public Holidays.
The pictorial postmarks, usually have timelimit (usually 28 days from the day the bulletin/postmark is avaliable from).
First Day issue Postmarks can only be used on the corresponding stamp, but sponsored Postmarks can be issued on any stamp.
They usually have roughly a 10 day turnaround for postmarking, but a present times I am looking at three to four weeks for postcards/letters to be forwarded or returned.
Edit: I should also add, any item submitted for postmarking should have sufficient postage to cover the return postage, therefore 1st class post is requested, if it is to an international destination, then a postage stamp(s) to that destination should be used, ie ÂŁ1.70 stamp (or postage stamps equalling that value) for a postcard to Australia, etc
It was indeed my intention to assist the post office clerk, but then I decided against it for this simple reason: They’d probably check if I was right, so they have to do the maths anyway. And I don’t want the post clerk to think that I cannot trust him to do some simple additions.
Yes, now that you say that, it’s kind of undermining the post office clerk/mail centre worker.
I started writing it about a year ago, as we have had three price increases within the last 12 months, I thought it would be helpful.
But they have to check it anyway so I’ll have to get out of the habit of writing it, as said previously not much point writing it if 9/10 it won’t be looked at.
