Reuse of Postage 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.

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 are somewhat expensive to collect.

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.

- Mrs. Nagalakshmi Tadakaluri, Philatelist.

---

Bookmark with: