Auxiliary Markings Club
What Are We?
The Auxiliary Markings Club (AMC) brings together a diverse group of collectors who are interested in the movement of the mails -- especially mail that had problems. The evidence of those problems are the markings applied to envelopes and packages as the mail was processed. They may have to do with inadequate postage, problems with the delivery address, accidents that occurred with planes, trains, ships or trucks carrying the mail, or literally hundreds of other reasons.
Auxiliary Markings Club
- Home page (here)
- Bibliography
- Earliest Known Use
- Exhibits-Awards-Covers
- Markings List brief
- Markings List full
- Newsletter
- Press Releases
Resources
Auxiliary Markings Club Membership
Our members may have a primary interest in a type of auxiliary marking (e.g. "pointing fingers") or find auxiliary markings interesting as a sideline to the collecting of a special area (e.g. Prexie Postal History). The AMC serves both types of collectors; helping all to understand the origin and meanings of markings, and facilitatiing the exchanging of material of interest.
A flaw of the field in the past has been that it was not well defined, and information about the markings has been dispersed. As we grow, it is our intention to bring together available information in our newsletter, through an exhibit copy service (exhibit copies), a club library, on this website, and in other publications.
We invite YOU to join with us. Together we can help each other, encourage more collectors to sample this fascinating field, and dealers to carry the kinds of material that we enjoy. Look at our website, and the first issue of our journal. If you have questions or suggestions, the officers will be happy to hear from you. You can join by regular mail, or using PayPal right here on the website. See the section below titled HOW TO JOIN.
Definition of Auxiliary Markings
Auxiliary Marking: Postal marking applied to covers by handstamp, machine cancellation, a stick-on label, manuscript markings, or by mechanical or electronic methods such as addressograph or computer, indicating that the covers were given special attention due to some special circumstance. A broad definition would include accompanying postal service letters, and ambulance covers in which damaged or misdirected mail has at times been delivered, and markings placed on covers by institutions other than the postal service, such as the military, prisons, hotels, etc. Auxiliary Markings are sometimes known as Instructional Markings or Supplementary Markings.
Auxiliary Markings include:
- addressograph markings
- ambulance envelopes
- cancellations
- crash markings
- delay markings
- disinfection markings
- handstamped markings
- military markings associated with deliverability
- pointing fingers
- postage due markings
- return to sender markings
- security screening markings
- spray markings
- yellow forwarding labels
- and ..... (your favorites)
Auxiliary Markings Club - News
- By popular demand, our Auxiliary Markings Club is now accessible through both www.postal-markings.org and www.postalmarkings.org
- Auxiliary Markings Club Officers Spoke at APS 2007 Summer Seminar Electives
Three officers of the Auxiliary Markings Club showcased their collecting expertise during the American Philatelic Society’s 2007 Summer Seminar, June 17-22 at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
Philately makes room for all types of collectors, including those who concentrate on metered mail and, in more recent times, personalized postage. AMC Webmaster Douglas B. Quine covered these topics and more at Wednesday morning’s General Session. This was an opportunity to learn of Pitney Bowes’ historical role in postal automation and ongoing role in the changing environment of moving the mail.
AMC Treasurer Gary G. Hendren conducted an elective on silent precancels — precancels that do not contain the town and state name in the imprint on the stamp. Through many examples, Gary showed participants how to identify silent precancels and gave an awareness of what to look for on covers and in collections and stockbooks.
United States FDCs, with stamps that went through the mail, sometimes have a wide variety of auxiliary markings, receiving cancels, and more. AMC Director Ralph Nafziger’s elective examined these markings, ranging from those applied at the sending post office, to those applied after the FDC was received. Routes, rates and the time spent in transit by these elusive auxiliary-marked FDCs were also discussed.
The Summer Seminars, which are open for registration, are more fully described in the APS Summer Seminar Press Release - The AMC exhibit copying service has John Hotchner's Auxiliary Markings ten-frame exhibit available for your library. On-line, email, and postal ordering information are provided below.
- The Board of the American Philatelic Society voted us Affiliate status at the APS 2006 General Meeting, where Treasurer Gary Hendren was present. The Auxiliary Markings Club is now Affiliate #252 of the APS. In July 2007, we were a featured affiliate in the American Philatelist; the note may be viewed on our public relations page
- 2008 Dues of $15 may be paid on-line or by mail (details below)
- Auxiliary Markings Club awards are described below and winners are listed on our Awards page
- Cooperative information sharing with International Machine Cancel Society: PDF download copy of Michael Ludeman's 28 page A New Type of "Return to Sender" Endorsement Created By Ink Jet Printer Technology Part 1: Texas P&DCs"
Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit
Criteria: The Auxiliary Markings Club sponsors the Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit to recognize the exhibiting of auxiliary markings. The exhibit must have won a national Silver Award or better and include a significant percentage of auxiliary markings. The award is open to any exhibit in a National (WSC) stamp exhibition. Membership in the Auxiliary Marking Club or the sponsoring organization of the exhibition is not a requirement for winning the award. Show organizers may contact the Award of Merit coordinator, Doug Merenda, to obtain award certificates:
Winner:
- WESTPEX 2005: Peter Baker, Censor Marks, Cachets, & Postal Markings of the Free French 1940 - 1945
Richard B. Graham Award for Excellence in Exhibiting Auxiliary Markings
Criteria: The Auxiliary Markings Club sponsors the Richard B. Graham Award to recognize the exhibiting of auxiliary markings. The exhibit must have won a national Silver Award or better and include a significant percentage of auxiliary markings. The award is open to any exhibit in the open competition class at the show hosting the Auxiliary Markings Club annual convention. Membership in the Auxiliary Marking Club or the sponsoring organization of the exhibition is not a requirement for winning the award.
Winners:
- SOUTHEASTERN STAMP SHOW 2005: Regis Hoffman, Letter to the Stars.
- ROPEX 2004: John M. Hotchner, 20th Century United States Auxiliary Markings Documenting Delay of, or Inability to Deliver, the Mail: The First Fifty Years
President's Award for Single Frame Auxiliary Marking Exhibiting Excellence
Criteria: The Auxiliary Markings Club sponsors the President's Award to recognize the exhibiting of auxiliary markings. The exhibit must have won a national Silver Award or better and include a significant percentage of auxiliary markings. The award is open to any exhibit in the single frame competition class at the show hosting the Auxiliary Markings Club annual convention. Membership in the Auxiliary Marking Club or the sponsoring organization of the exhibition is not a requirement for winning the award.
Winner:
- ROPEX 2004: Ada M. Prill, Uh-Oh - Mistakes in U. S. Auxiliary Markings
Auxiliary Markings Club - Officers
Auxiliary Markings Club - Past Events
- Washington DC 2006 - World Philatelic Exhibition was a phenomenal show (the show web site is managed by our own Tom Fortunato who has posted images). The Auxiliary Markings Club was out in force. We participated with a frame in the "Society" area hosted by our own John Hotchner. We held our annual meeting, which was well attended.
Ralph Nafzinger arranged a show and tell with eight of our members showing items of interest in a show and tell format. Mike Mead, Tony Wauwrukiewicz, Bill Geijsbeek, Alan Warren, Ralph Nafzinger, Mark Goodson, Jackie Alton and Doug Merenda presented us with interesting puzzles, solved and unsolved.
We discussed having regional meetings, as our membership is spread so widely across the country, with members in other countries as well. We will have such a meeting in Chicago in conjunction with StampShow in August.
Those fortunate enough to make it to the National Postal Museum, could see John Hotchner's "20th Century United States Auxiliary Markings Documenting Delay of, or Inability to Deliver, the Mail: The First Fifty Years."
- September 23-25, 2005 Second Auxiliary Markings Club annual meeting at the Southeastern Stamp Show (formerly Peach State Stamp Show) www.stampclubs.com/sestampshow.htm. The club's awards were offered for the best exhibits.
June 18-20, 2004 first annual meeting of the Auxiliary Markings Club
ROPEX, Webster Community Field House, Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Road, Webster, NY (suburb of Rochester). Exhibits of any kind are welcome from club members. The first competitions for the Richard B. Graham Award for Excellence in Exhibiting Auxiliary Markings and the President's Award for Single Frame Auxiliary Marking Exhibiting Excellence (described above) will be held at ROPEX 2004. The ROPEX show web site has details about area hotels (which book early).- January 31, 2004 at 1 pm in Room 3: Auxiliary Markings Club Membership Forum
AmeriStamp Expo, Norfolk SCOPE, 201 E. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Virginia
discussion of methods that can be used for organizing auxiliary markings, meet board members and fellow collectors
Auxiliary Markings Club
-- memberships, renewals, newsletter back issues, exhibit copy purchases, and donations
- FOR NEW MEMBER ON-LINE ENROLLMENT for 2008 MEMBERSHIP (1 year), click on the "PayPal Buy Now" button below. During MEMBERSHIP enrollment, please list your Philatelic Memberships and Auxiliary Marking interests in the "Memberships/Marking Interests" box. (Charges will show on your statement as "Triskelion Ltd" - a PayPal verified business.)
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- FOR NEW MEMBER MAIL ENROLLMENT for 2008 MEMBERSHIP (1 year), please complete the Sign-Up Form (available below to print in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Microsoft Word formats) and mail $15 club dues for 2008 to the membership secretary.
- RENEW MEMBERSHIP for 2008 ON-LINE, click on the "Buy Now" PayPal button. Please list your Auxiliary Marking interests and indicate whether you wish to have your mailing address and email addresses published in the "Marking Interests/Publish Address" box. (Charges will show on your statement as "Triskelion Ltd" - a PayPal verified business.)
- RENEW MEMBERSHIP for 2008 BY MAIL, please complete the Membership Renewal Form (available below to print in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Microsoft Word formats) and mail $15 club dues for 2008 to the membership secretary.
- AUXILIARY MARKINGS NEWSLETTER BACK ISSUES (charges show on your statement as "Triskelion Ltd" - a PayPal verified business)
- DONATIONS to the AUXILIARY MARKINGS CLUB (charges show on your statement as "Triskelion Ltd" - a PayPal verified business)
- EXHIBIT COPIES from the AUXILIARY MARKINGS CLUB
The AMC exhibit copying service has John Hotchner's Auxiliary Markings ten-frame exhibit available for your library at a cost of $13.50 unbound and $23.00 bound (with a plastic comb with clear outside front and back). The Club offers these copies at cost as a service to our membership. Should you decide to order a copy, do so by ordering on-line (below), by emailing Doug Clark at
, or writing Doug Clark at PO Box 427, Marstons Mills, MA 02648. Remember that any copy you receive will be a second generation, a copy of a copy. Though not as clear as the initial copy it remains a fine reference.
Copyright (c) 2003-2008 by the Auxiliary Markings Club
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