U.S. Postal Service to Crack Down on "Counterfeit Postage." Are Artistamps at Risk??!!??

[Thom Courcelle]

This small article appeared in my small hometown newspaper. It was tucked in such a small little space that I could've easily missed it. The notification makes me concerned that the long tradition of Mail Artists creating their own Artistamps may be included in this new "crackdown"—potentially meant to purge mail articles of unnecessary errata.  My fear is that the postal system's "unnecessary errata" may be another person's "mail art."

I have been to many post offices that are enthusiastic about seeing and sending my mail art. But I have had far more experiences of postal employees being skeptical, defensively perplexed, or downright hostile towards my artistamp artwork (even though they are obviously not U.S. issue, and despite the fact that I have more than sufficient "real" postage on the mail piece.)  I have had some irate postal counter employees literally cover my artistamps and artwork with tape or other opaque material RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME as though they were disgusted by the idea of a fun, decorated envelope or package!

It is true that more and more of the postal service system is automated, and that a lot of the work done in the way of sorting mail is performed by machines that electronically scan addresses (and also check that mail has official postage affixed). But automation shouldn't come at the expense of personal or artistic expression.  

It must be noted that I do not agree with or support people who try to pass off their art stamps as the real thing and neglect to affix actual postage costs to the mail article.  (see this article: https://reason.com/2004/01/01/postal-pranksters-2/)  If we are using the postal system as a "collaborator" in our artwork, it is certainly and justly right that we should pay the appropriate fee associated with that service... The USPS conducts a valuable resource for correspondence transport and services that would not nearly be as accessible or economic if allowed to be usurped by the private industry sector.

What do you think?  If you have concerns like I do, there is an address included in the above article where comments may be sent in regards to the proposed change.  Proposed changes include non-delivery of the mail piece, and disposal of the mail article as abandoned or "dead" mail by the post office.

Let the U.S. Postal Service hear from Mail Artists and about Mail Art, which has a long and rich history!  Public comments can be mailed or delivered on or before March 15th 2023 to:

Manager, Product Classification

U.S. Postal Service

475 L'Enfant Plaza SW Room 4446

Washington DC  20260-5015

or emailed to:

[e-mail]

please include the Subject line: "Counterfeit Postage"

Some links to articles on Mail Art and Mail Art Exhibitions:

https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/history-of-usps-mai...

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2020/05/05/a-mail-art-renaissance-i...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_art

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-history-mail-art-cleo...

[Hélène LAGACHE]

Some of these "beautiful" stamps..

[Hélène LAGACHE]

The French Post has been going digital for several years
"Daily" stamps are all with a "barcode" on the side (it’s ugly, I hate it). There are still beautiful stamps, highlighting the work of engravers and artists. These stamps are bought by collectors and mail-artists like me.

Until now, the French post office does not oppose decorated envelopes as long as they respect the rules of legibility.
But what threatens the art of mail is the prohibitive price of sending abroad (only one price for sending in Belgium, or in Japan!) : 1, 80 euros up to 20grs, beyond 3, 70!!
The French Post, half privatized, favours companies. And wants to "get rid" of mail from individuals

[Thom Courcelle]

Ooh... I quite like the art work of the stamps depicting a boat with envelope "sails," and the handwritten letter-turned-into-origami-peace-crane.   I, too, like the bejeweled effect of Greece's holographic strip on their stamps. I wonder if it makes me simple or shallow to like shiny things?!!  :)

[Ptrzia (TICTAC)]

German post is starting to go digital too, since two years we have seen some stamps with a data matrix on the side, for many reasons..against forgery and re-use amongst them. in addition to be able to track the letter until the destination region, not for delivery.

in the meantime we can still use the old ones as this transitional process is taking time. so the unfranked ones can still be re-used, even though it happens very rarely to find any unfranked.  philatelists will probably like this new system as they can scan the matrix code to receive background information such as issue date, motif, edition, etc. in their app.

to be honest, as a stamp creator, i find that the matrix code as it is now, is an element of disruption, i like more the aesthetic solution of the shiny code on the Greek stamps.

so far the Deutsche post doesn't mind decorated envelopes as long as the markings don't interfere with the official stamps.

[Thom Courcelle]

Right??  I mean, it can't really be said that the USPS isn't an advocate of the arts or of artists...because they hire and contract artists to create official commemorative/collectible stamps...that sometimes depict historical artworks, and often prompt a resurgence in interest in modernist or pre-contemporary artists that are highlighted. 

Mail art has been featured and curated by such American institutions as the Smithsonian (Archives of American Art), MOMA in NYC, and hoards of libraries and other federally funded/supported institutions. So one wants to believe that the USPS has a place in its heart for an American art tradition...

https://www.aaa.si.edu/exhibitions/pushing-the-envelope

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1482

 

[Bradford]

If the Artistamp does not bear numerals similar in value to actual stamps (which can be construed as attempted counterfeit postage), then there should't be a problem.  My argument is that Christmas Seals/Easter Seals and now even US stamp panes with additional stickers are intended to "decorate" or announce a cause without being considered an attempt to defraud and so are permissable (without opaque tape being necessary, sheesh).  It's better if the non-postage appears other than the top right corner, but I often place Artistamps there to the left of actual postage in this case.

[Thom Courcelle]

Yeah, my understanding is that US postage stamps also have some sort of invisible-to-the-eye special application that is "readable" by the scanning machines—which makes one wonder why artistamps or "counterfeit" stamps would become an issue. But perhaps like Greece, the USPS just doesn't like a lot of intrusive markings or art that could obfuscate the machine reading the address (??) Sometimes regulations and rules are hard to understand!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Greek postage has now become "digitalized", meaning that there is a barcode or metal code or even an invisible-to-the-eye code on each stamp. Thus the postal machine will read that mark, and our paper, photocopy artistamps are not even scanned. Automatically the "real" postage will be recorded and the mailing sent on to its destination:

see the bling on the left?

HOWEVER...no more "reusing" unfranked Greek stamps because even if the machine (or postal clerk) did not cancel with a rubber stamp making a postal date mark on the postage stamp, still it had gone through the sorting machine where a laser cancelled it. So no need to send unfranked stamps back to sender, as they cannot be used again. 

Actually, I do not put anything, not even rubber stampings on the address side of the envelope anymore, only my return address in its proper place. HELLenic Post doesn't like "artsy envelopes" :-(

And I agree, we should be supporting our postal services by buying and using "real" postage always.