IRRADIATION DAMAGE REPORTS Público Deposited
The E-Sylum: Volume 5, Number 9, February 24, 2002, Article 7
IRRADIATION DAMAGE REPORTS
Mike Molnar reports: "About radiation damage: my mother
in South NJ mailed some cash to a grandson in Virginia.
This was right after 9-11. After a few months the letter
arrived and the notes were yellow, apparently from
irradiation. My sister is keeping the notes as a memento."Mark Borckardt of Bowers and Merena Galleries writes:
"In response to Tom DeLorey's question, we have not
experienced a problem with books, however, we did have
a problem involving PCGS graded coins. We had sent two
Proof Lincoln cents to a customer who never received them.
Finally, after several weeks we had the original package
returned to us. The coins appeared to be ok, however, the
slabs were yellow, warped, and just completely disfigured.
We think, though, that due to the irradiating process, the
coins might now be candidates for upgrade!!!"Dick Johnson notes: "In addition to banknotes and books
Tom DeLorey mentioned in last week's E-Sylum, be glad we
are not in the jewelry business. Gemstones shipped through
the mail -- and irradiated -- are changing color!
See http://www.gia.edu/gandg/special-issue-112701.cfmFinally, thanks go to Kavan Ratnatunga of the Pittsburgh
Numismatic Society for pointing out the following article on
irradiation damage from Linn's Stamp News:"A spokesman for the Philatelic Foundation, one of the
hobby's expertizing bodies, told Linn's in mid-January that
the Foundation is no longer using the Postal Service to
ship stamps or covers. The New York City-based
Foundation now ships all philatelic materials via FedEx to
avoid the possibility of any of its materials being irradiated
by the Postal Service.Scott R. Trepel, president of Robert A. Siegel Auction
Galleries Inc., told Linn's the same thing. Siegel is no
longer using the Postal Service to ship auction lots; it is
using FedEx exclusively for delivery."A sidebar to the article illustrates an interesting
collectible created as a result of the irradiation situation.
It shows an ordinary business-sized envelope
"... addressed to United States Department of Justice trial
attorney David D'Alessandris, [which] became a desirable
piece of modern postal history after it was irradiated and
marked with a bold red "IRRADIATED" handstamp, upper
right, before being delivered to D'Alessandris at his Justice
Department office. A second red handstamp at lower right
indicates that the cover was received at the Justice
Department mailroom Dec. 13, 2001, more than one month
after it was postmarked Nov. 2, 2001, in Topeka, Kan.
According to D'Alessandris, the Justice Department applied
both handstamps to the cover. These interesting auxiliary
markings likely are the result of the U.S. Postal Service's
decision to irradiate all mail addressed to government agencies
in the District of Columbia."- 2002-02-24
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