An extremely rare and historic piece of postal history has been certified by the American Philatelic Expertizing Service (APEX).
The service recently received a piece of parcel wrapping paper containing a US Scott No. Q5, the first 5¢ Parcel Post stamp. It appeared to be used on the first day of Parcel Post service on January 1, 1913. The parcel wrapper also included a 1¢ Parcel Post Postage Due stamp.
Scott had previously assigned a catalog value of $3,500 to a No. Q5 as a First Day Cover (FDC). But the Scott listing for the JQ1 postage due only lists an Earliest Document Use (EDU) of February 26, 1913.
The APEX Expert Committee examined this cover and determined that both stamps originated on this cover and were properly cancelled. The contemporaneous docketing establishes the date of use. As a result, this cover is a FDC for both stamps and a new EDU for the Parcel Post Postage Due stamp.
APEX has issued a certificate of authenticity with the following opinion:
“United States Scott Nos. Q5 and JQ1, used on piece of parcel wrapper. Genuine. 1-Ja-13 was the first day of Parcel Post service, thus this is a First Day Cover for both stamps. Also, EDU of Scott No. JQ1 postage due stamp as of the date of this certificate.”
In an effort to increase the educational value of its certificates, APEX has begun issuing Supplemental Notes with extended comments from the Expert Committee. The Note for this certificate reads as follows:
The date and endorsement are by the same typewriter as the address panel. The penciled docketing is consistent with the usage. For a parcel wrapper, the creases and small stain and smudge should not be regarded as faults. The pencil cancel of the JQ1 is normal.
The American Philatelic Expertizing Service (APEX) has been serving the philatelic community since 1903, offering in-depth, expert opinions on philatelic material. More information on APEX is available on the stamps.org website.