Jupiter SSA Gives 'Stamp of Approval'

Jupiter Sales & Service Associate Mary Ann Tucker assists customer.

Article & Photo:

LuAnn Warner

WPB Customer Relations Coordinator

Jupiter Sales and Service Associate Mary Ann Tucker learned quickly how to apply a pictorial postmark cancellation to an envelope. She was invited to participate in the Jupiter Lighthouse- Lightship pictorial cancellation ceremony on the Jupiter Inlet grounds. Holding the special order cancellation stamp and transferring the image onto a stamped envelope in just the right place is not as easy as it looks.  She practiced transferring the image onto blank sheets of paper until she felt confident enough to cancel stamps on the envelopes. 

Philatelic and postmark collectors usually prefer to have the cancellation catch the left side or lower edge of the stamp. The remainder of the postmark then appears on the envelope portion, making the postmark clearly readable. Collectors want to be able to read the name of the city and the ZIP Code in the postmark. Pressure during the application, as well as making sure that the device is properly inked and legibly applied to the cachets, can make this a complicated task. Tucker’s persistence in learning the new task, however, has generated approximately $435 in revenue of stamp and cachet sales. The special postmark cancellation is available for 30 days after an event.  As a community service, the Postal Service offers pictorial postmarks to commemorate local events celebrated in communities throughout the nation. Pictorial postmarks depicting community events appear in the Postal Bulletin.