The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 6, February 11, 2007, Article 29

ON SUBSTITUTING STAMPS IN ENCASED POSTAGE

Regarding Katie Jaeger's question last week about U.S. encased
postage stamp denominations, Fred Reed writes: "John Gault made
5 and 10 cent EPS to CIRCULATE.   One- and three-centers were ad
pieces.  Above a dime they were simply curiosities or in many
cases fabrications."

Another subscriber writes: "The encasements are made with a brass
shell which is embossed with the advertising copy.  The stamp is
inserted into the shell and a clear round piece of mica is placed
over the stamp.  Then, the brass shell is crimped to hold the mica
in place.  Anyone wanting to replace the stamp would simply bend the
brass retainers back, remove the mica and the stamp, put the higher
value stamp in place, and fold the retainers back over the mica.

"I've also heard of cases in which the mica was cracked or the stamp
had deteriorated.  This would provide another incentive for replacement.
Is it possible to determine whether an encased postage piece has been
taken apart?  Ancient coin experts look for evidence of 'tooling'.
Can this be done with with encased postage?

"I believe there was a civil law suit on this issue years ago in
which John Ford claimed he was a victim of fraud.  As I recall, Ford
accused Len Glazer of substituting a higher denomination stamp in
order to enhance the value of an encased postage item which was
subsequently sold to Ford.  Expert witnesses were called to give
testimony during the trial.  I can't remember which side prevailed.

"I vaguely remember Coin World reporting this trial.  Isn't Coin
World available on Microfiche or Microfilm?  Do you know if an index
for news articles exists?   I hope you hear from others about this,
perhaps someone with a better memory and fact finding talent than I."

[Anyone who watches CSI or any of the popular crime-scene investigation
television shows knows that a criminal invariably leaves physical
evidence of his deed.  The problem is the time and cost involved with
ferreting out that evidence.  Some deeds are harder to trace than
others.  With encased postage stamps, there can certainly be evidence
of tooling on the encasement itself.  Other methods leave fewer marks,
and I believe Ford discussed some of these in a Numismatist article
on the subject.  One method involving heating the metal allowed for
the bending and restoration of the case without leaving tooling marks.
-Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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