Bat’s Private Post issues pair of make-up stamps

Here in the United States, a 3¢ postage rate hike for first-class letters went into effect last week. In olden days, such a rate increase for the United States Postal Service would have been accompanied by a “make-up” stamp allowing customers to pay the difference in postage between the old rate printed on stamps that they had not yet used and the new rate, but with Forever stamps, that’s no longer needed.

Rate change stamps are still necessary for Bat’s Private Post, however. The local post based in Beverly Hills, California, on August 29 issued 3¢ and 4¢ stamps picturing the California Condor.

According to a press release, the orange brown 3¢ stamp is for use with 60¢ Bat’s Private Post stamps on letters, while the red 4¢ stamp is intended for use on Bat’s Private Post postal cards.

If you think the frame used on these stamps looks familiar, you’re right. It appears to have been borrowed from the United States fourth Bureau issue, but that does nothing to detract from the stamps’ appearance.

Update (2021-09-14): Bat’s Private Post on September 7 issued two additional local post stamps using the same California Condor design.

One, a black 10¢ stamp, covers Bat’s international rate when combined with an existing $1.25 stamp. The second, a 45¢ value in peacock blue, pays the new Bat’s Private Post postcard rate.

In the local post world, we don’t necessarily see much in the way of definitive sets, but I think these four would look good together on an album pages.

Published 2021-09-04 Last updated 2021-09-14