USPS Postmarks Explained

USPS postmarks are a crucial part of the mail system, serving as proof of where and when a piece of mail was sent.

A postmark is a cancellation mark applied to an envelope or package by the USPS to indicate that it has been mailed. This mark is usually a date and a location.

The date on a postmark is significant, as it helps determine the order in which mail was sent. In some cases, the date can even be used to establish the authenticity of a piece of mail.

USPS postmarks can be found in various formats, including handstamps, machine cancellations, and special cancelations.

A postmark is an imprint on a letter, flat, or parcel that shows the name of the USPS office that accepted custody of the mail, along with the state, the zip code, and the date of mailing.

Postmarks are usually applied by machine or by hand, with cancellation bars to indicate that the postage cannot be reused. This means you can't reuse the same stamp on another envelope.

The USPS only postmarks certain mail depending on the type of postage used. This is why it's essential to mail your payment early enough to account for unforeseen delays in mail handling.

To ensure a postmark is applied, use a regular stamp or a metered mail system. These types of postage are more likely to receive a postmark.

Postmarks are imprints on letters, flats, and parcels that show the name of the USPS office that accepted custody of the mail, along with the state, the zip code, and the date of mailing.

The USPS postmark is generally applied with cancellation bars to indicate that the postage cannot be reused.

If you send your payments by mail, be aware that the USPS only postmarks certain mail depending on the type of postage used.

The USPS may not postmark mail on the same day deposited by a taxpayer, so it's essential to mail your payment early enough to account for unforeseen delays in mail handling.

To avoid penalties, your payment must have a United States Postal Service (USPS) postmark by the date due on your tax bill.

Postal marking is any kind of annotation applied to a letter by a postal service, and it's a crucial part of postal history.

The most common types of postal markings are postmarks and cancellations, which almost every letter will have. You might not even notice them, but they're there.

Service marks provide information to the sender, recipient, or another post office, while advice marks notify about forwarding, missending, letters received in bad condition, or the reason for a delay in mail delivery.

For example, a letter may be marked "snowbank" if snow accumulation not cleared by the potential recipient makes it difficult or impossible for the carrier to deliver the mail. I recall reading about a letter that was marked with this exact phrase in a philatelic literature book.

Auxiliary marks are applied by an organization other than the postal administration, such as transportation organizations like private ships, steamboats, stagecoaches, and railroads.

Here are some common types of postal markings:

Post offices may add cachets for special events, such as a first flight, and modern postal markings may appear in the form of yellow adhesive labels with the text printed on them.