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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 28, 2006 Since You Asked Don’t try to reuse canceled stamps Recently I had a letter returned for postage by the Medford post office. The envelope had the correct amount of postage, but the stamps had been on a different envelope, never used, cut off and glued on this envelope. A note accompanying the return said once postage is placed on an envelope it must be used on that envelope or it is considered reused. Are they really telling us that if we make a mistake and can’t use a stamped envelope, we must throw away the postage? At today’s cost of postage? — Merry H., Medford Ernie Swanson, a postal service spokesman based in Seattle, said an uncanceled stamp generally can be moved to another envelope without a problem. Bulk rate stamps, which often have the word "presorted" on them, are considered precanceled and can’t be reused. However, he said, visible tape, gobs of glue or shreds of past envelopes can trigger suspicions that stamps are being reused illegally. Some criminally frugal types even apply tape or glue on the front of stamps to prevent cancellation marks from sticking. Removing or attempting to remove a cancellation mark to reuse a canceled stamp is a federal crime that carries a fine and the possibility of up to a year in jail under U.S. Code Title 18, Section 1720. With a penalty like that, perhaps you’re lucky the suspicious postal clerk just sent a warning note and not a swarm of federal agents. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since You Asked ">[email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement