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Postcard stamped in 1920 delivered 100 years later

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Re: Postcard stamped in 1920 delivered 100 years later

#4
post #2

The response from USPS is what I expected. It's unlikely this was in the system for 100 years, but someone put it in the mail recently and the USPS decided to deliver it.

But doesn’t the postmark mean it arrived at the destination’s post office (although this was 100 years ago, so things may’ve changed)? So if it has a postmark of 1920, the USPS has it then. It is entirely possible it was delivered, then someone decided to drop it back in the system a few days ago.

Re: Postcard stamped in 1920 delivered 100 years later

#6
post #2

The response from USPS is what I expected. It's unlikely this was in the system for 100 years, but someone put it in the mail recently and the USPS decided to deliver it.

That seems almost certainly the case. It seems unlikely that any USPS sorting facility or post office where this could have fallen behind something would still be in use 100 years later (at least without extensive renovations/changes).

Re: Postcard stamped in 1920 delivered 100 years later

#7
post #2

The response from USPS is what I expected. It's unlikely this was in the system for 100 years, but someone put it in the mail recently and the USPS decided to deliver it.

But doesn’t the postmark mean it arrived at the destination’s post office (although this was 100 years ago, so things may’ve changed)? So if it has a postmark of 1920, the USPS has it then. It is entirely possible it was delivered, then someone decided to drop it back in the system a few days ago.

Postmark is at the originating post office (usually). But what you say is still almost certainly true.

Re: Postcard stamped in 1920 delivered 100 years later

#8
Like many office buildings in NYC, my employer's building had a system of air-pressured mail tubes. I understand (now) that they are kept in some cases as decoration, historical artifact, or due to the building being designated a historical monument (not sure if internals are covered (?).

We didn't understand that as first, and several colleagues and I put postcards and some expense reports into them. I can see the postcard arriving 100 years later!

This was Accenture, and at the time, original receipts were required. Luckily they made an exception on photocopied receipts when I explained what had happened.

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