Postmark Calendar

In that case, the postmark year is probably 1968, but enough ink is missing that it can read as 1983... Still doesn't explain how such a thick cardboard stamp came to be.

Hi, Xavier & Steve (stevew ):  Thanks for your interesting posts on this unusual item.  I have a theory on what might have happened, so here goes:

I am wondering if this might be an example of a technically illegal reuse of this stamp.  I agree that there is no PSE or postal card with this design, but I remember the stamp well, as it was issued in the early days of my collecting, and I was one of those American youths back then!

Anyway, my theory is that this stamp was already affixed to another envelope or postcard but either never went through the mail or went through the mail uncancelled, and someone cut it out from that envelope and glued it to the new one.  That would account for the unusual thickness and trimmed perforations.

And as for not paying the correct postal rate of the day, I would guess that this example was simply underpaid but sneaked through the system unnoticed.  It does look like 1983 to me, too.

What do you guys think about my theory?  Maybe a bit of a long-shot but I think it fits what we can see about the item....

October 23rd, 2012. Full booklet pane of France semi-postal Red Cross issue from 2004, including the vignettes at the top. Mailed from post office #39916 (not sure where that is).

Well, it's either in Paris (if this came franking an envelope from Theodore Champion) or Amiens (if it came from Yvert&Tellier). But I don't remember.

October 24th is United Nations Day. So there are lots of UN anniversary issues on that date. I went back through the previous years of this thread and saw that we had, up to now, only seen the 15th anniversary issue. So here is a twofer:

2001: A special postcard emitted from Vienna to celebrate 50 years of the UN postal administration (joint Austrian - UN-Vienna franking).

1955: FDC of the block issued by the UN NY administration for its 10th anniversary

October 25th, 1969. FDC from France featuring the "Redoutable" (~ "Fearsome"), first French nuclear submarine. Their engines are made just down the road from where I work.
 

October 26th, 1934. Germany Michel #546, postmarked from Altona, a suburb of Hamburg.

October 27th, 1987. Dutch FDC featuring a local palace. AFA #1329.

I have to cheat and post this now, because I don't think I'll be able to tomorrow. But it's the 28th already for most of the world, so it must be ok.
On October 28, 1927, Pan American Airways began service, flying mail between Key West Florida and Havana Cuba. On October 28 1977, to celebrate it's 50th anniversary, Pan Am Flight #50 flew a special performance 747, carrying paying customers, on a record breaking around the world flight over the both poles. It took off from San Francisco, flew over the north pole, and made a stop in London. Then it flew to Cape Town, South Africa, where it made another stop, flew to Auckland, New Zealand over the south pole, and from there, returned to San Francisco. The trip took 2 and a half days, setting a record that stood until 2008. The cover below is postmarked on the front the day the plane took off, and on the back of the envelope is postmarked the day it landed. I'll add a scan here of the back on the 30th. There must be more copies of this cover out there, but I haven't been able to find any on the internet. I'd like to learn more about the cover itself. Unfortunately, when the back was cancelled, the ink from the envelope on top of it smeared, marring its appearance. This is something my uncle collected. It was addressed to him. This CNN article tells more about this flight, and links to a short film about the flight.

October 28-29, 1995. Cover made for a Youth Philately championship event held in Aix-en-Provence.

I've noticed a few odd FDC ceremony sites with American stamps that seem odd. One wonders the logic of these sites. Perhaps it was just their turn came up for the next FCD ceremony!