2016-10-14 Fri

Combination Cover is a philatelic peculiarity. On such cover was featured in 2014 U.S. Stamp Notes column.

This interesting philatelic item is a cover from an earlier period to which a newer stamp has been attached and cancelled. The cover is a 1844 cover, which is cancelled in Washington, D.C. and the add-on stamp is the imperforate variety of the stamp [issued in February, 1934] to be used primarily on mail from the Antarctic expedition.

This particular stamp is stuck on this cover is probably because there was an earlier exploration just before the time of the 1844 cover. Possibly in 1934 the defacer of the 1844 cover might have associated the addressee on this stampless mail with the USA’s first Antarctic Expedition and thought it would be neat to tie them together.

Either that or this cover was a random act of philatelic vandalism by a new collector who didn’t know what he was doing. However, this cover has become a unique philatelic piece.