Uncancelled stamps

Before the Second World War, it was common practice for postal workers sorting mail on delivery routes to invalidate incoming mail stamps that had remained uncancelled using a pen. This was often done with wild pen strokes, causing the stamps to lose their collectible value. The then Dutch Federation of Stamp Collectors' Associations (the current KNBF) received numerous complaints from collectors. These complaints were presented to the management of the State Post and Telecommunications Company and, despite the outbreak of the Second World War, the battle was won and a collectible solution was found.

Service Order No. 303 of July 3, 1940: “Postal Services” stamp for rendering stamps unusable.

1. In order to address the objection that, upon compliance with the provision contained in Art. 301 of VP 1, stamps rendered unusable lose their philatelic value, metal stamps bearing the inscription “ shall be issued to the main and unclassified auxiliary offices, as well as to the branch offices with independent service provisionPOSTAL SERVICES”, shall be provided. 2. The provision shall be made, ex officio, gradually to all the offices concerned. 3. As soon as the stamp is received at the office, it shall be used to invalidate stamps on received documents that have not been stamped or have not been stamped sufficiently. Any additional stamps required may be requested as needed. 4. At offices to which the stamp has not been provided, the stamps shall be invalidated by two diagonal, intersecting lines in ink. If no ink is available, an ink pencil may also be used. From mid-1940, many stamps were issued. This continued for years after the war. Because the name of the postal company was changed to PTT Post, a new stamp was produced featuring only the word POST twice in the same font and the typical cross twice. Even later, this was changed to PTT Post, where the entire outline of the stamp was filled. These stamps were no longer made of metal but of plastic. However, it could also be observed that the Postal Service stamp remained in high regard for a long time. And nowadays? Besides the terrible ballpoint pen streaks that still occur, more and more uncancelled stamps are left untouched, and letters and cards fall into the mailbox without a problem. Where have all those cancellations gone?