i remember my aunt telling me about this when i was young and i could never remember it! thank you for posting this

Not a problem Bear. My Great Grandmother said this was used heavily during WWI and as far back as the civil war.

it was still popular in the 80's while i was growing up (at least by word of mouth any way)

I should make this topic it's own thread. I think it's important for collectors to know why the cover they have looks so strange with the stamp not in the upper right hand corner, and that it's orientation, careful and deliberate placement tells a story of it's own. In many cases, especially with the civil war era covers, it can help towards the understanding of what the contents were about. In many, actually in MOST cases, when a civil war era cover comes into ones possession there is no contents. The question in my mind is normally "I wish I knew what the contents were all about?", and any small peek into what it may have contained, would be very gratifying to say the very least. What do you think Bear?

Greetings Fellow Boarders
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I remember as a young'un seeing one of those Stamp Placement on an Evelope Means a Message. But it was a lot different. It contained some of the mushy stuff, but also included more a lot more specific thoughts, like "your dog died" or "the cow quit giving milk."
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I reckon I need to spend a little time searching the net for one of those.
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Back on topic, it's a shame that the mourning letters have run out of favor. It was a much more personal way to let family and friends to learn about the loss of a loved one. Now-a-days it's just a quick cell phone contact saying, "Did you hear about Aunt Tilly kicking the bucket?"
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Respectfully,

Gordon Lee

Krash i love the idea !!!! would you like to start it new and fresh or rather i moved these posts ? your call...

You can move it if you don't mind? I can't seem find my files anymore?

done and done sir!

is it a American thing or standard, never hear anything like this before actually, but quite interesting too.

Wow I have never heard of this. A language all it's own.

I remember some but not all of these. I also remember getting a letter from a girlfriend and the stamp not being affixed in the "right" position and one just knew the cover contained the infamous "Dear John" letter.

Who all remembers what SWAK written on the back of the envelope meant?

sealed with a Kiss

In the early part of the century you could buy postcard everywhere! With the limited space and postal rate changes regarding if it carried a written message or not (believe it or not it would cost the sender more if there was a written message) it was up to the sender and, of course, the recipient to get the most bang for your buck. First it was probably established in a written letter and decided upon between the what the placement of the stamps would mean. I would take an educated guess that it was so unique in nature that some enterprising post card salesman (usually the local photographer too) thought of making this a post card. there were many different topical incarnations of this. You would pick out a card of stamp positions that more or less fit your needs and mailed it to your friend then you both would know what the others code meant!

The post card vs. postcard vs. postal card different rate subject is a long, but fascinating story of it's own. Basically private card makers were not permitted for a time to connect the two words (post & card) because of confusing postal rates of both.(Not even going into the whole "Souvenir cards", "private mailing cards", etc..) If one wrote "post card" on the back of say a piece of cardboard the that rate applied if it was a postcard an extra fee was attached. It's all very confusing but a great artical in the American Philatelist magazine Feb 2011 I think?

Thats some great info Jay. Do you have any covers with the stamp affixed in a certain way, would be great to see some.