The final major update of the year for The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album is complete and ready to go live! I just finished placing stamps on my freshly-printed pages a little earlier this evening; the pages should be online and available for you to print early next month.
During my lunch break at work today, I saw a USPS delivery truck roll past the office. I wouldn’t usually think much of that, but today was a federal holiday, and a USPS holiday. Did someone have to deliver Priority Mail Express packages today, or what’s going on?
Back in April, I shared a post about one messed-up APC label picturing Spider-Man. In that case, the machine was apparently not properly reprogrammed after the Spider-Man paper was loaded, which resulted in an apparent “invert” with the then-current USPS design on it.
John Ryskamp writes that he recently ran across a machine that had been reprogrammed, but where the paper was still loaded incorrectly. That gave rise to this label with bar code and insignia appropriate for the preprinted Spider-Man paper, but as with the April label, Spider-Man is upside down.
Spider-Man APC error label
My thanks to John for sharing this scan. Do you know of any other Spider-Man label varieties? Let us know!
Penny Black the theme for World Local Post Day 2015
The Local Post Collectors Society recently announced that the 175th anniversary of the Penny Black—the world’s first stamp—will be the focus of World Local Post Day 2015.
World Local Post Day, which takes place next year on January 26, is an annual event for which private local post operators such as myself issue special commemorative stamps. Philosateleian Post will issue a stamp marking the Penny Black’s anniversary, the design of which will be announced at a future date.
If you produce your own labels or local post stamps, consider joining in the fun!
New Purgatory Post stamp pictures West Swanzey bridge
If you’ve been keeping up with Scott A.’s Purgatory Post local post stamps, you’re no doubt aware of the series he is producing commemorating covered bridges in New Hampshire. Scott was kind enough to send a cover bearing a copy of his most recent bridge stamp, which pictures the West Swanzey bridge.
Purgatory Post West Swanzey cover
The West Swanzey bridge was built in 1832 for a bit more than $500. Although there’s a sidewalk along one side of the bridge, authorities closed it to vehicles in 1990.
Purgatory Post West Swanzey stamp
Concerns about the bridge’s safety arose as far back as the 1970s; at that time, students had to disembark from their school bus and walk across the bridge so that the combined weight of bus and children would not cause the aging structure to collapse.
I seem to recall seeing at least a couple of columns in the American Philatelist and other hobby publications over the years regarding stamps with humorous postmarks. Some of the most innocuous cancellations can become quite eye-catching if they land just so on a stamp.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Thanks to how the Energy Awareness Month cancellation landed right on top of this Janis Joplin stamp, it almost looks like Janis has a giant hand that she’s extending to flip the light switch just to the left of the stamp. Janis, you see, is all for conserving electricity.
Energy Awareness Month cancellation on Janis Joplin stamp
What’s the grooviest (or funniest) postmark and stamp combination that you’ve ever seen?
