Usage

Like the other sidewise coils, the 10c value became available for use on January 20, 1939.

Postmaster signed Risko Art FDC. Add on cachet signed by the artist, Marguerite Papke Mossak.

As one of the high value coils, most usages of this stamp would involve special services or international destinations. It was the purpose for which the stamp was intended. Of special interest to Prexie collectors is the search for solo uses. Both these solo uses were mailed from Idlewild Airport, most likely with stamps from a vending machine.

Mailed September 3, 1961. Unfortunately, the rate increased to 11c just two months earlier. Sent without postage due.
A properly rated solo use to Peru mailed in October 1957, also from Idlewild Airport.

An obvious place to search for this scarce stamp is among special delivery mail. There were a number of special delivery rates during the Prexie era.

Mailed at prevailing 10c special delivery rate in 1943, In addition twice the first class rate is paid.

Both covers below were mailed at the 13c special delivery rate.

This 1946 cover pays 13c special delivery and 8c air mail.

With the slow roll out of the Liberty Series, Prexies were in use for a long time with some values issued as late as the early 60s.

Paying the special delivery and first class rate for 1945, this cover uses the three rarer stamps, not only of the coil format, but the entire Prexie series.
Mailed in 1958, three other coil values along with the 10c pay a 30c special delivery rate.

Keeping with special services, registration usages can be fertile ground for this elusive stamp. Below is a slide show of three registration uses. The first is a strip of 4 from 1949. The coils pay 40c registration for $100 indemnity. Second is from 1951 showing a 25c registry fee and double the 3c first class rate. Finally is a wonderful coil franked cover from 1950. Also double weight, registry rate is 70c for up to $300 indemnity.

Next is a very nice piece of a 1953 registered envelope with 2 strips of 6, one with a line. The $1.21 in postage calculates as 2x first class and registry of $1.15 for up to $400 indemnity.

Back of piece showing Washington and Tampa postmarks.

Registration was also available to international destinations. Here a coil pair pays the required registry fee for 1947 along with postage for the 15c air rate to Europe.

The 10c coil was easily used to make up international air mail rates. Here are properly paid covers to Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Australia.

Below is an especially nice usage to Lebanon. The cover is overpaid by 1c.

Postcard to Israel franked with 3 stamps purchased from a vending machine at Idelwild Airport. This would correctly pay the letter rate, but when mailed (May 1961), there was a listed postcard rate. The sender overpaid by 20c.

While all usages are uncommon for the 10c coil, insurance payment can be particularly elusive.

Postage on this 1956 cover with a strip of 4 can be calculated as 20c for insurance and 4x the 6c air rate.

More typically, insured mail was sent by third or fourth class mail as shown in this example. The manuscript 2-15 in the upper left shows how the rate was calculated. 15c for insurance up to $25 and 2c third class for this mail sent in November 1945.

To finish our story of the 10c coil, we go back to the beginning. Though the Prexie coils were issued in 1939, there were still large inventories of Fourth Bureau coils in post offices around the country, so they were not immediately distributed to many places. Prexie coils used in 1939 are not often found.

This is a very early use of Prexie coils, February 25, 1939. The 20c postage calculates as 15c registry and 5c UPU surface to Sweden, leaving from New York on the Queen Mary.

This double weight letter was sent special delivery on July 9, 1939 from New York to Wisconsin.

That is all for usages, folks. Thanks for stopping by.

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