The following article, was originally published in The Precancel Forum of October, 1953 and describes how this area of precancels got started.
Some Early History Of Precanceled Envelopes
By W. C. MALONE
The Government printed precanceled envelopes came into existence with the issuance of an order by the Third Assistant Postmaster General, dated August 7, 1928, and published in the Postal Bulletin of August 13, 1928, which reads as follows:
"Postmasters are advised that the Department has made arrangements to supply precanceled one-cent stamped envelopes to meet the requirements of mailers who have been issued permits to dispatch bulk matter of the third class under the conditions specified in Section 433½, Postal Laws and Regulations, as stated in the Postal Bulletin of 1928."
"Precanceled envelopes, both special request and unprinted, shall be ordered from the Department and sold to the public in lots of 500 envelopes or multiples of a given variety. . .
"Precanceled one-cent envelopes, unless otherwise advised, will be issued in standard quality, low-back cut only..."
The first price lists issued to postmasters on these envelopes revealed that they could be purchased on both white and blue paper. These colors were the only ones issued until the April revised price list, when amber was included in the list.
At the time these envelopes were first issued, the stamped envelopes of the Government were manufactured by the Middle West Supply Company of Dayton, Ohio. These manufacturers used two different paper supplies; one from mills in Dayton and one from Holyoke Mills. These mills used different types of watermarks to identify their products, which accounts for the two entirely different 1925 watermarks shown in the first Government issue of the precanceled envelopes. On January 1, 1929, the Government envelope supply was taken over by the International Envelope Corporation, of New York City, and these manufacturers in turn used papers from three different mills, each of which was designated by a new 1929 watermark. Two of these 1929 watermarked envelopes are much more plentiful than the third one, watermark No. 29, which was used only in extra quality paper, and very few envelopes with that watermark were precanceled.
Former Postmaster General Harry S. New, in his report to the President dated November 1, 1928, of new postal issues for the year, stated as follows:
"The issuance of one-cent precanceled stamped envelopes was required to conform to the new rate applying to third class matter when mailed in bulk. Provision was made for the furnishing of one-cent precanceled envelopes in sizes 5, 8, 13, with and without the re turn card of the mailer. The stamps are precanceled by three horizontal black bars approximately 2½ inches long spaced ¼ inch apart, between which, on separate lines to the left of the stamp, appear the name of the post- office and the state. Underneath the lower cancellation bar appears, 'Sec. 435½, P. L. & R.', as required by the regulations. The first one-cent precanceled envelopes were supplied on order of August 6, 1928."
Thus it will be seen that the first Government printed precanceled envelopes were issued in August 1928, the envelopes having the two 1925 watermarks, No's. 26 and 27. And, as the watermarks in the envelopes were changed to 1929 beginning on January 1, 1929, the watermarks No's. 26 and 27 were only in use for a few months, from August to December, inclusive, 1928. Of course, that is the reason those first two watermarked envelopes are much scarcer than most of those issued since January 1, 1929. There are quite a large number of precanceled envelopes with earlier watermarks than 1925, however, all of these were locally printed on Government envelopes having the earlier watermarks. Dr. J. M. Brooks and Mr. A. C. Leonard have submitted for my inspection a number of these early watermarked locals. Among them I note: Ritzville, Wash., watermarked 1911; Federalsburg, Maryland, two watermarked 1911 and 1915; Virginia, Minn., on Scott No. U400; and an early wrapper from Washington, Ind., on Scott No. 405. All of these locally printed precanceled envelopes are very interesting, as they show a great variety of overprints and, of course, they all differ more or less from the regular Government printed precanceled envelopes.
My sincere thanks go to both Dr. Brooks and Mr. Leonard for their valuable assistance and information, including the "Priced Check List of Government Precanceled Envelopes", issued by C. A. Carroll in July 1929, from which most of the above information was obtained.
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