Civil Censorship Study Group

An interesting item with what I believe to be an unreported marking.

The cover is postmarked Liverpool GB January 13 1942 headed to Berkely California. The envelope is sealed with a GB PC 90 label with censor number 1864. This censor has been reported in Konrad Morenweiser's database associated with Liverpool.

On the reverse is a District 29 Licensed rubber stamp dated 2/14/42.

Dann Mayo's monograph on Traveller's Censorship reproduces as Appendix F a notice from the Bureau of Customs identifying this type of "Licensed" handstamp as "being used by customs officers in licensing communications leaving the United States".

Does anyone have a suggestion on how/why this obviously incoming cover from GB would be stamped with the marking reserved for outgoing mail? Thanks in advance for any ideas you might share.

Dave

The only logical explanation that I can come up with is that the Customs marking was not applied when the cover was incoming. The cover was carried through the mails from London, UK to Berkeley, Calif. Then for some reason it was carried by someone outside the mails (presumably ship leaving from Portland). The month between the London postmark and the District 29 handstamp would provide ample time for airmail delivery followed by someone carrying the cover our of Portland.

The only logical explanation that I can come up with is that the Customs marking was not applied when the cover was incoming. The cover was carried through the mails from London, UK to Berkeley, Calif. Then for some reason it was carried by someone outside the mails (presumably ship leaving from Portland). The month between the London postmark and the District 29 handstamp would provide ample time for airmail delivery followed by someone carrying the cover our of Portland.