Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - Mike Ludeman

Pages: [1] 2
1
Other Issues / Help with rating a cover.
« on: July 27, 2021, 06:00:42 PM »
Can someone help with the postage rate determination on this cover.


Unfortunately, no information on actual weight.

2
General Discussion / Postmaster Appointment in Mexico
« on: July 01, 2020, 04:11:36 PM »
One of my non-Mexico collecting interests is the collection of the official Postmaster Commissions used in the United States. These documents were issued to each new postmaster when appointed, and were his "license" to operate a post office.


I have posted an image of one from my collection, sorry the image is so large.

Does anyone know what sort of documentation was provided by the Admon de Correos to a postmaster as authority to operate a post office.  In my limited exposure to Mexico Postal Laws & Regulations and other literature, I have not seen anything that addresses this.
 

3
General Discussion / WW2 Censored cover from Mexico to Portugal
« on: October 02, 2017, 04:00:48 PM »
Attached below is a cover sent from Mexico to Portugal in 1944, censored both in Mexico and the US (New York most likely), addressed to:   

"Obras Evang. para os Internados e Prisioners de Guerra" in Lisbon, Portugal.

I have been unable to locate any information about this organization, and hope that one of the readers here might have some information.I have encountered 4-5 other covers, including some sent prior to Mexico's entry into the WW2 in 1942.

If you have a cover addressed to this organization, please post it here. Also, if you have any covers with the Mexico censor label (EXAMINADO), please post them here. I have a small census of these covers and would like to add any others to it.

Thanks for any help.

Mike

4
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Amelia Earhart Flights Los Angeles to Mexico City to Newark NJ, 1935
« on: February 13, 2017, 01:49:23 PM »
The recent thread on the Sarabia Flight to New York in 1939 got me interested in looking at this flight by Amelia Earhart.
Amelia Earhart is easily the best known female aviatrix of the 20th century.  Her flight from Los Angeles, CA to Mexico City was the first solo flight on that route, as was the second leg from Mexico City to Newark NJ.  Although not an "official" air mail flight, she carried 40 covers on the first leg, and 37 of these 40 plus another set of 40 on the second leg.  With a few exceptions, these covers were all addressed to her or her husband, George P. Putnam, were autographed by Amelia Earheart, and were franked with the special overprinted Mexico air mail stamp which is now cataloged by Scott as C74.
I've started a Census of these covers, recording the characteristics and registration numbers, much as I did with the Sarabia flight. So far, I have located some 19 covers, and am looking for more.  I have also researched some of the background information on this flight and I am putting things together in a preliminary format for a monograph.
Anyone who might know of an auction catalog or article where one or more of these covers is illustrated, please contact me with the information.
A copy of the current Census is attached.

5
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Mexico Barr-Fyke Machine Cancels - 1900 to 1908
« on: October 01, 2016, 12:06:47 PM »
For Board readers interested in the early machine cancels of Mexico, Richard Frajola has posted a one-frame exhibit showing these the Exhibit section of his Philamercury website..
See: http://www.rfrajola.com/MikeE1/MikeE1.htm.
The Exhibit was prepared by Mike Ellingson, a long standing member of the Machine Cancel Society.

6
Miscellaneous / Inbound Registered cover from India
« on: July 13, 2016, 11:13:56 AM »
I observed this cover on eBay, but can't understand the likely route that it took.
Mailed Delhi, India on Apr 9, 1895, then to London, England (date not legible), arrived Mexico City 18 May 1895.  But how did it get into Mexico?
One possibility would be via USA and New York,  then to Laredo, Texas, then  Nuevo Laredo, and then on to Mexico City.  There is a black "C" registration marking (#57369) from Nuevo Laredo, but no corresponding transit marking from New York or Laredo, and no US registry exchange label from Laredo, Tex. 
An alternate route might be London to New York, and from New York by ship to Veracruz or other port, but there are no New York registry transit markings or a New York exchange label.
Another alternate route might be London to Vera Cruz, then Mexico City, but then why the Neuvo Laredo registration marking? 
Was there some form of closed registered pouch service between London to Mexico via NY and Laredo where the letter would not be handled by the US postal authorities, but opened in Mexico?
So what am  overlooking?

7
Modern Stamps 1940 - Present / New Postal Rates for Mexico in April 2016??
« on: May 12, 2016, 12:13:27 PM »
I have recently received a rumor/report that the Mexico Postal Administration has revised the postal rates effective this past month (April 2016).
I have no precise date, and the Correos de Mexico website does not mention this and the rates posted there are the same as they have been for the past several years. A GOOGLE search likewise gives no information, and there is nothing ppublished in the Diario OFicial de la Federacion.  However, none of this is conclusive.
If there is a MexiMail reader in Mexico who knows something about this rumor - either TRUE or FALSE - please post your information and/or contact me directly.
If there is a new set of rates, I would very much like to learn the (a) effective date, and (b) obtained a printed copy of the Postal Tarifa with the new rates if one is published and available at a local post office.
Anyone interested in Mexico postal rates is invited to contact me. 
Mike.

8
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Censorship of Mexican Covers to the US and beyond during World War I (1917-1919)
« on: December 01, 2015, 05:49:57 PM »
The United States entered World War I in April 1917, but it was not until December 1917 that they established a program for the censorship of mail entering and leaving the United States.
Since a large volume of mail from Mexico was sent to the United States or transited the United States to New York and onward to Europe, a number of Mexican covers received censorship treatment at a number of locations along the US/Mexico border.
I've started a small census of such covers with the US censorship labels and hand stamps used on each, primarily to compile a list of the different labels and markings used by the US offices.
A review of the digital issues of Mexicana resulted in very little information about this censorship, and no illustrated examples. 
An example of one of the typical US Censor Labels used and an oval censors hand stamp used by Examiner 729 is illustrated below.  I believe that this style hand stamp was used at the El Paso, Texas Censorship Office, but I have not been able to discover a published list of the Offices and Examiner numbers assigned to each one.
Mail from the United States (and elsewhere which transited the US ) to Mexico also received this US censorship, but examples are much less common.  Of course, not all letters were censored, but some significant portion were.
I would like to hear from any collector who has a cover with these type of censor labels and hand stamps.  With enough response, perhaps we can document this phase of  Mexico postal history.
Thanks,
Mike Ludeman

9
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Sunburst Seals - Green Type 2 of 1918-1919
« on: December 01, 2015, 05:18:16 PM »
As part of my on-going study of the Mexican registered mails, I've become interested in the Sunburst Seals as documented by Nick Follansbee in his monograph.
I am particularly fascinated with the GreenSunburst Seals which were used for only a short time during late 1918 and early 1919, and have started a Census to see what can be learned about the distribution of these seals to offices outside Mexico City.  So far I have been able to identify the existence of about twenty (20) covers with the green seals.
One such cover is displayed below.
I would be very interested in hearing from any collectors who might have covers with these green Sunburst Seals.  If you have one, and would be willing to share an scan of the cover, please contact me via the Forum.
thank you,
Mike Ludeman

10
Creacion Popular / Stamp Issue with missing "TIEV"
« on: December 01, 2015, 05:02:36 PM »
I don't collect the postage stamps of Mexico, so I'm posting this in the event it might be interesting to stamp collectors.
I recently purchased an item from a dealer in Mexico City and the envelope with my purchase had a block of 9 of a recent Mexico $2 Peso issue.
A note was included which mentioned that the center stamp in the block was missing the "TIEV" imprint at the bottom of the stamp.  I have no idea if this was intentional, accidental, or whether this is present on every pane or sheet of stamps, or just on some.
I've attached a scan of the stamp, and a crop from the bottom section of a strip of 3 with the center stamp missing the "TIEV".
If there is a collector of current issues with additional information about this issue and the variety, please post and add the information. 
I'm curious.
Thanks
Mike Ludeman

11
General Discussion / Mexico International Reply Coupons
« on: August 25, 2015, 06:06:51 PM »
Does anyone know whether there is a listing of the various designs and values for International Reply Coupons (IRCs) used in Mexico?  I've seen only an occasional reference in the Mexicana journal.
I know these listings exist for other countries, and are also listed in the Scott Catalog for the United States.

12
General Discussion / What is function of this postal form?
« on: August 25, 2015, 05:59:57 PM »
I happened upon this Mexico postal form, and wonder about the function.  I suspect it has something to do with CUSTOMS declarations, but it is not at all similar to the green Forma 552 I usually see attached to a letter.

13
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Sunburst Seal - Unusual Gray color seal
« on: June 08, 2015, 10:49:04 PM »
I recently came across this unusually colored Sunburst seal on a 1915 cover used from Hermosillo, Sonora.  Are other examples know in this color, or is this something like a dry print, or an albino, or perhaps simply a color changling.  It does not appear to be faded from exposure to the sun.
It appears to have the absence of color/inking around the die-cut points, as is described with the Type 6, but the date of usage is too early.
I believe this is what the Folansbee's monograph would identify as a Type 1 - Die A, but am open to corrections on this.
Any thoughts appreciated.  Thanks

14
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Sunburst Registry Seals - Earliest Usage Question
« on: January 16, 2015, 02:44:38 PM »
I've not seen much written recently on the Sunburst registry seals  documented by Nick Follansbee in his monograph. On page 11 he writes  that the earliest known usage is October, 1913 (Type 1, Die A, day  unknown).

I recently acquired the attached registered cover,  mailed La Piedad, MICH, Mexico to the USA, with a SET 28 1913  CERTIFICATION marking on the reverse from Nuevo Laredo, TAM.  The dates  in the La Piedad cancels are illegible, but most likely only a day or  two before the 28th, making this slightly earlier than Nick's reported  earliest usage.

This seal appears to be a Type 1, Die B, seal, but I cannot be absolutely certain.

Have I missed a previous report relating to this earlier usage?

Are there any collectors of Mexico presently interested in or studying these seals?  If so, I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks,

Mike Ludeman

15
Post-classic Stamps 1900 - 1940 / Help Wanted - US Postage on Mexico Covers transiting the United States
« on: December 11, 2014, 11:13:23 AM »
A friend asked me for an explanation of the 2c US postage used on the two attached covers. This is not my area of expertise!

Each was mailed from Mexico (I think Nuevo Laredo but the postmark is not clear and I don't think this is significant) to England. I know that during the Revolutionary period, many of the Mexico "local" or "provisional" stamps were not accepted as postage in the US, so covers addressed to the US would often include a US stamp to pay the postage for its travel within the US. 

Between Oct 1, 1908 and Aug 31, 1931, a special treaty rate of 2c was applicable for first class mail between the US and England.

These two covers were addressed to England, and traveled via Galveston, Texas.  During 1914, I understand the international rate in Mexico was 10 ctvo for each 20, double the 5 ctvo domestic rate.  Thus the May 23, 1914 cover had 20 ctvo franking for 40 gm at the international rate.  But was the 2c added to pay this international rate, or merely the rate within the US.  Or both? Would knowledge of this special US treaty rate to England be generally available through the Mexican post office?

Similarly, some Mexico rates were doubled in early 1915 (circa Feb 25), but those under the Constitutionalists apparently did not increase (double) until Aug 1915. The second cover only has 10 ctvo franking, which is the international rate for 20 gm.    What can be speculated as to the purpose of the 2c US stamp? Same as above? Or different?

It's not obvious to me that one can interpret the true intention of the sender adding the 2c US stamp.

Can anyone clarify this for me, or provide a reference?  I have the CD of Mexicana but not Nick Folansbee's book on the Revolutionary issues.

Can anyone provide a reference to the appropriate USPOD regulation (i.e., Postal Bulletin/Postal Guide) which describes how the US was to handle mail from Mexico with these "local" or "provisional" stamps?

Thank you in advance.

Mike Ludeman

Pages: [1] 2