Postage stamp reuse
Encyclopedia
In the earlier days of the postage stamp
, postal officials worried much about the problem of postage stamp reuse, and invented a number of schemes to mark or deface the stamps.
The crux of the problem was the stamp paid the fee for a single usage of the mails, but the stamp itself tended to arrive at the destination in reasonably good condition; it would be the work of a moment to remove the stamp from the envelope and then attach it to another piece of mail. In the 21st century, this may seem like more trouble than it's worth; but in the 19th century, the fee for sending a letter was often a significant percentage of a daily wage.
Since letters were already receiving postmark
s, the most obvious thing to do was to position the postmark so as to mark the stamp as well. This is still the most common method of stamp defacement. In many countries the postmark even comes in two parts; the location/date circle, and the "killer", a pattern of straight or wavy lines intended to mark the stamp.
More unusual methods have included tearing or slicing the stamp, but this is a slower process and can easily damage the contents, and was only occasionally used, for instance in 19th century Afghanistan
.
Some enterprising individuals discovered that the postmark ink
s could be washed off the stamps, which set off a new round of experimentation.
In the United States
, the experiment of grilling
was tried in 1867, where tiny squares were embossed into the paper
after the stamp was printed, the idea being that this would be break up the paper fibers and let more ink be absorbed into the paper. Unfortunately, this also made the stamps more prone to tearing, and grilling was abandoned around 1871. The more unusual types of grills are now among the great rarities of US stamps.
In Great Britain
, the 1880s saw the use of fugitive inks, which were water-soluble, thus preventing washing altogether. Unfortunately, only lilac
and green
colors were available, and neither the public nor mail clerks liked these; it was not easy to tell different denominations apart. As with the US grills, this scheme was abandoned after a few years, and the few surviving stamps (which are easily damaged by moisture) are somewhat expensive to collect.
Later experiments involved surface coatings. Between 1901 and 1907 Austria
applied varnish bars, thin diagonal strips of varnish
, to the paper before printing the design. Russia
did the same between 1909 and 1915, applying the varnish in a pattern of lozenges. In both cases the theory was the same; the ink of the printed design would not soak into the varnish, so that in the washing process the design would tend to flake off, forming a telltale pattern on the washed stamp.
In the modern age, the problem seems to have drastically reduced in frequency. Postmark ink is much less soluble, and the stamps are on the average worth much less (the US first class rate stayed at three cents for over a century, from 1851 to 1958, a remarkable statistic considering inflation
), so the motivation is much less than formerly.
Master P
made an album about the phenomenon, Ghetto Postage
.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
, postal officials worried much about the problem of postage stamp reuse, and invented a number of schemes to mark or deface the stamps.
The crux of the problem was the stamp paid the fee for a single usage of the mails, but the stamp itself tended to arrive at the destination in reasonably good condition; it would be the work of a moment to remove the stamp from the envelope and then attach it to another piece of mail. In the 21st century, this may seem like more trouble than it's worth; but in the 19th century, the fee for sending a letter was often a significant percentage of a daily wage.
Since letters were already receiving postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
s, the most obvious thing to do was to position the postmark so as to mark the stamp as well. This is still the most common method of stamp defacement. In many countries the postmark even comes in two parts; the location/date circle, and the "killer", a pattern of straight or wavy lines intended to mark the stamp.
More unusual methods have included tearing or slicing the stamp, but this is a slower process and can easily damage the contents, and was only occasionally used, for instance in 19th century Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Some enterprising individuals discovered that the postmark ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
s could be washed off the stamps, which set off a new round of experimentation.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the experiment of grilling
Grill (philately)
A grill on a postage stamp is an embossed pattern of small indentations intended to discourage postage stamp reuse. They were supposed to work by allowing the ink of the cancellation to be absorbed more readily by the fibers of the stamp paper, making it harder to wash off the cancellation.- In the...
was tried in 1867, where tiny squares were embossed into the paper
Postage stamp paper
Postage stamp paper is the foundation or substrate of the postage stamp to which the ink for the stamp's design is applied to one side and the adhesive is applied to the other...
after the stamp was printed, the idea being that this would be break up the paper fibers and let more ink be absorbed into the paper. Unfortunately, this also made the stamps more prone to tearing, and grilling was abandoned around 1871. The more unusual types of grills are now among the great rarities of US stamps.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the 1880s saw the use of fugitive inks, which were water-soluble, thus preventing washing altogether. Unfortunately, only lilac
Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family , native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere....
and green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
colors were available, and neither the public nor mail clerks liked these; it was not easy to tell different denominations apart. As with the US grills, this scheme was abandoned after a few years, and the few surviving stamps (which are easily damaged by moisture) are somewhat expensive to collect.
Later experiments involved surface coatings. Between 1901 and 1907 Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
applied varnish bars, thin diagonal strips of varnish
Varnish
Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil, a resin, and a thinner or solvent. Varnish finishes are usually glossy but may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss...
, to the paper before printing the design. Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
did the same between 1909 and 1915, applying the varnish in a pattern of lozenges. In both cases the theory was the same; the ink of the printed design would not soak into the varnish, so that in the washing process the design would tend to flake off, forming a telltale pattern on the washed stamp.
In the modern age, the problem seems to have drastically reduced in frequency. Postmark ink is much less soluble, and the stamps are on the average worth much less (the US first class rate stayed at three cents for over a century, from 1851 to 1958, a remarkable statistic considering inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
), so the motivation is much less than formerly.
Master P
Master P
Percy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
made an album about the phenomenon, Ghetto Postage
Ghetto Postage
This article is about the Master P album. For the crime, see postage stamp reuse.Ghetto Postage is the 9th studio album by Master P released in 2000. The album debuted at #26 on the Billboard Pop Charts in December, 2000 with over 93,000 copies sold in its first week out...
.