A Very Special, Utterly Enjoyable Piece of Mail

A reader sent me an extremely thoughtful letter. Plus more apostrophic signage and a new Inconspicuous News Roundup!

Such a wonderful communiqué that I don’t even mind the misspelling of my city’s name. (Return address altered to preserve sender’s privacy; photo by Paul)

As most of you know by now, I love mail, especially if it comes in a hand-addressed envelope. But while all handwritten mail is good, some dispatches are particularly exceptional. The letter shown above, which I was recently lucky enough to receive, is one such specimen.

There’s so much to love here, beginning with the loooong manicule (i.e., a pointing hand), which is a topic we’ve previously explored here on IC. Even better, this manicule is left-handed! And of course I love the striped sleeve, complete with ribbed trim on the cuff.

If we zoom in, you can see that the sender used stamps that are actually celebrating the U.S. Postal Service! In other words, this is mail that’s about mail — perfect for a postal enthusiast like me.

The stamps are from a sheet called “250 Years of Delivering,” which was issued last summer. (Photo by Paul)

If we shift our focus from the upper-right corner to the upper-left, something remarkable becomes apparent: The return address, which appears to be a rubber stamp based on handwritten lettering, includes an upside-down “N,” which is another topic that’s been covered here on IC!

The “N” in “Santa” is fine, but the one in “NM” is upside-down! Or missing a serif. Or something. (Street address removed to preserve sender’s privacy; photo by Paul)

Now let’s turn the envelope over. The back flap has an appealing illustration of a safety pin, making it look like the envelope had been pinned shut.