United States Auxiliary Markings - 'Unsealed'

(Published: May, 2013, Volume 13, Number 2, Issue #34) (Table Of Contents)
(Author: Larry Fillion)


Auxiliary Marking: Postal marking applied to covers by handstamp, machine cancellation, a stick-on label, manuscript markings, or by mechanical or electronic methods such as addressograph or computer, indicating that the covers were given special attention due to some special circumstance. A broad definition would include accompanying postal service letters, and ambulance covers in which damaged or misdirected mail has at times been delivered, and markings placed on covers by institutions other than the postal service, such as the military, prisons, hotels, etc. Auxiliary Markings are sometimes known as Instructional Markings or Supplementary Markings.

The above definition is from Auxiliary Markings Club. The Auxiliary Markings Club (AMC) brings together a diverse group of collectors who are interested in the movement of the mails -- especially mail that has had problems. The evidence of those problems are the markings applied to envelopes and packages as the mail was processed. They may have to do with inadequate postage, problems with the delivery address, accidents that occurred with planes, trains, ships or trucks carrying the mail, or literally hundreds of other reasons. There is a full listing of what is currently known for many of the auxiliary markings.

I have three different 'Unsealed' markings shown below. These markings are used to notify receivers of mail that the cover sent through the mail unsealed during its route. Of the markings below, two are new discoveries as they are not in the 'full listing' and the third is a new Earliest Known Usage (EKU). I emailed Nancy Clark and sent her the images and they will be added to the list at some point. Below the markings are the full covers with the markings on them.

Received Unsealed At _____
Earliest Known Usage (EKU) - January, 1961
Received Unsealed at
Received%20Unsealed%20at


Discovery Copies
RECEIVED UNSEALED AT AMF MIDWAY (CHICAGO) ILL
RECEIVED%20UNSEALED%20AT%20AMF%20MIDWAY%20(CHICAGO)%20ILL
Received unsealed at New Orleans, La.
Received%20unsealed%20at%20New%20Orleans,%20La.


Indonesia Scott 502-505 issued November 12, 1960 on FDC designed by Karnedi and produced by Ganaco Bandung.
"Received Unsealed at Hicks " applied on the front
Received Unsealed at - Full Cover - Front
Received%20Unsealed%20at%20-%20Full%20Cover%20-%20Front
Received Unsealed at - Full Cover - Back
Received%20Unsealed%20at%20-%20Full%20Cover%20-%20Back


Indonesia Scott 502-505 issued November 12, 1960 on FDC designed by Karnedi and produced by Ganaco Bandung.
"RECEIVED UNSEALED AT AMF MIDWAY (CHICAGO) ILL" and two official seals on the back.
RECEIVED UNSEALED AT AMF MIDWAY (CHICAGO) ILL - Full Cover - Front
RECEIVED%20UNSEALED%20AT%20AMF%20MIDWAY%20(CHICAGO)%20ILL%20-%20Full%20Cover%20-%20Front
RECEIVED UNSEALED AT AMF MIDWAY (CHICAGO) ILL - Full Cover - Back
RECEIVED%20UNSEALED%20AT%20AMF%20MIDWAY%20(CHICAGO)%20ILL%20-%20Full%20Cover%20-%20Back


Pan American Health Organization cover sent August 27, 1962 with a Washington D.C. malaria meter cancel.
"Received unsealed at New Orleans, La." applied on the front of the cover and a official seal on the back.
Received unsealed at New Orleans, La. - Full Cover - Front
Received%20unsealed%20at%20New%20Orleans,%20La.%20-%20Full%20Cover%20-%20Front
Received unsealed at New Orleans, La. - Full Cover - Back
Received%20unsealed%20at%20New%20Orleans,%20La.%20-%20Full%20Cover%20-%20Back

If readers have other items such as these with malaria stamps on them, please email me at malariastamps@yahoo.com.