Category Archives: Postal history

Switzerland – Franchise stamps – update

From 1911 to 1943 the Swiss Post issued some franchise stamps to support charity organizations like the Salvation Army. The overprinted numbers 146 and 369 were used for the Salvation Army. The 146 overprint was used from 1911 – 1925 and the 369 overprint was used from 1926 to 1943. (Source: Heilsarmee-Briefmarken). Here are these overprints shown on a nice private and four official Salvation Army covers in good condition. Very nice & rare items!!

1921 - 146 overprint (Heilsarmee)
1925 - Franchise stamps 146 overprint
1926 - Franchise stamps 369 overprint
1927 - 369 overprint (SA overprint)
1937 - Franchise stamps 369 overprint

1927 – Switzerland – Franchise stamps

From 1911 to 1943 the Swiss Post issued some franchise stamps to support charity organizations like the Salvation Army. The overprinted numbers 146 and 369 were used for the Salvation Army. The 146 overprint was used from 1911 – 1925 and the 369 overprint was used from 1926 to 1934. (Source: Heilsarmee-Briefmarken). The official SA cover also has an extra “Armee du Salut” slogan PM (St. Aubin Colonie Agricole). The agriculture facility  was called “Le Devens” and was administered by the Salvation Army from 1912. 

1921 - 146 overprint (Heilsarmee)
1927 - 369 overprint (SA overprint)

US naval covers with SA stamps

1968 – Canal Transit Submarine

In 1908, US Congress authorized post offices aboard ships and stations of the U.S. Navy. These post offices offer the same service as do post offices in cities and towns, and have identifiable postmarks. Around 1930, collectors began sending their own covers to U.S. Navy ships to be cancelled and returned. These envelopes or postcards that have been postmarked on and mailed from a navy ship are commonly referred to as naval covers. Also around this time, printed, stamped or hand drawn designs were added to naval covers. These designs, known as

1967 – Tautog Launching

cachets, became popular. The cachet may be specific to a ship, an event, or may be generic in design. Collectors today continue to send covers to ships for servicing. Covers commemorating keel layings, launchings or ship commissionings are popular with collectors. After 1965, some of these covers were issued with the Salvation Army stamp, which must be the ultimate contradiction: The Army without guns commemorated on naval covers. More covers are shown here. Source: About Collecting Naval Covers

US – Ranto cachet – SA 4.56

SA 4.56a – PO bulletin FDC

Stamp Posters w/First Day Cancels (SPFDC) are the forerunners of the USPO Souvenir Pages which have been issued since 1972. The USPO began distributing Stamp Posters to post offices in 1959. These 8 x 10-1/2 inch posters soon caught the eye of stamp collectors. Soon, some collectors had the idea of affixing a copy of the stamp(s) depicted to the poster and having the stamp(s) first day cancelled. Exactly, when collectors began this activity is uncertain, but by 1963, a stamp dealer started a service where he would apply the stamp(s) to copies of the posters for mailing to subscribers (Ranto). Usually, his work can be identified because he folded the posters twice for cancelation and mailing to his customers. All SPFDC are scarce, and many are rare, especially if they are flat (unfolded). In fact, SPFDC are unknown for quite a few issues. The shown poster bulletin here is unfolded and rare!

1932 Community Welfare Info sheet

1932 – Info sheet – SA community welfare

Community Welfare info sheet showing the first Salvation Army stamps issued in the Netherlands Indies 1932. The stamps were issued on December 01. Each stamp had a surcharge above its face value and the Salvation Army was given these charitable donations. The design showed various native occupations, in a Batik border, and each stamp showed the SA Crest in the bottom corners. Nice & rarely seen object (Ref. SA Historical & Philatelic Journal, 2006: Vol 1, no. 2).