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Auxiliary Markings Club

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What Are We?

The Auxiliary Markings Club (AMC) brings together a diverse group of collectors who are interested in the movement of the mails -- especially mail that had problems. The evidence of those problems are the markings applied to envelopes and packages as the mail was processed. They may have to do with inadequate postage, problems with the delivery address, accidents that occurred with planes, trains, ships or trucks carrying the mail, or literally hundreds of other reasons.

Auxiliary Markings Club (AMC)

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Breaking News


Concerning Auxiliary MarkingsConcerning Auxiliary Markings - Joint Anthology from PSSC and AMC

Gregg Redner, editor - 258 pages free access to all - published February 1, 2025


Our next AMC Zoom meeting will be Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 7 PM EST by Gary Loew on - Jusq'qa marks. Access is by the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81690034552?pwd=9AJlnPLBF9UDjHbZ8eNxqbOTth4YAQ.1
The full Auxiliary Markings Club Zoom meeting calendar is shown below.


The complete Auxiliary Markings Newsletter Index through 2024 is now available on our website thanks to Dennis Ladd.


The New AMC Officers for 2025-2027 have been elected and started their terms on January 1, 2025.


AMC member Piyush Khaitan FRPSL, FPCI advised us AMSIPEX-25, the 1st International Virtual Aerophilatelic and Astrophilatelic Exhibition will be held in February 2025 which will also celebrate World Air Mail Day on February 18th, the anniversary of the First Aerial Post on that day in 1911. The show website is https://www.amsipex.com.


Members may submit 1 free 40 word classified ad to the newsletter annually (new benefit in January 2024).


Auxiliary Markings Club Membership - Please Join / Renew Now

Our members may have a primary interest in a type of auxiliary marking (e.g. "pointing fingers") or find auxiliary markings interesting as a sideline to the collecting of a special area (e.g. Prexie Postal History). The AMC serves both types of collectors; helping all to understand the origin and meanings of markings, and facilitatiing the exchanging of material of interest. Our club was founded in late 2003 by John Hotchner and Douglas Quine with the assistance and cooperation of Linn's Stamp News. With over 30 charter members, editor Tony Wawrukiewicz published the first edition of our quarterly Auxiliary Markings newsletter in January 2004.

We invite YOU to join / renew with us. Together we can help each other, encourage more collectors to sample this fascinating field, and encourage dealers to carry the kinds of material that we enjoy. Look at our website, and our newsletter tables of contents from every published issue. You can join / renew by regular mail, or using PayPal here on the website and access every back issue on-line.

  • Enroll / Renew ONLINE NOW for the new 2025 (1 year) $15 DIGITAL edition - the PDF file is delivered quickly, saves money, and is better for the environment. You will receive all 4 PDF issues for the year and free online access to all the issues of the past 20 years. (Charges will show on your statement as "Auxiliary Markings Club" - a PayPal verified business.)
    • Click "PayPal Buy Now" for on-line payment.

  • Enroll / Renew ONLINE NOW for 2025 PAPER membership (1 year). Annual club dues are $22. You will receive all 4 printed issues for 2025. (Charges will show on your statement as "Auxiliary Markings Club" - a PayPal verified business.)
    • Click "PayPal Buy Now" for on-line payment.

  • Enroll / Renew ON PAPER NOW for 2025 membership (1 year), please complete the Sign-Up Form (Adobe Acrobat PDF or Microsoft Word format).
    • For the DIGITAL edition (PDF) mail a $15 check made out to Auxiliary Markings Club starting Jan. 1, 2025. You will receive all 4 PDF issues for 2025 by email and free access to all issues online.
    • For the PAPER PRINT edition mail an $22 check made out to Auxiliary Markings Club starting Jan. 1, 2025. You will receive all 4 paper printed issues for 2025 by USPS mail and free access to all issues online.

  • DONATIONS to the AUXILIARY MARKINGS CLUB (charges show on your statement as "Auxiliary Markings Club" - a PayPal verified business)
    • Click "Make a Donation" to make a GIFT to the Auxiliary Markings Club in the amount of your choice

return to senderDefinition of Auxiliary Markings

Auxiliary Marking: Postal marking applied to covers by handstamp, machine cancellation, a stick-on label, manuscript markings, or by mechanical or electronic methods such as addressograph or computer, indicating that the covers were given special attention due to some special circumstance. A broad definition would include accompanying postal service letters, and ambulance covers in which damaged or misdirected mail has at times been delivered, and markings placed on covers by institutions other than the postal service, such as the military, prisons, hotels, etc. Auxiliary Markings are sometimes known as Instructional Markings or Supplementary Markings.

In the past, auxiliary markings have not been not well defined and information about them has been dispersed. As we grow, it is our intention to bring together available information in our newsletter, on this website, through an exhibit copy service, a club library, in other publications, and by facilitating communications between interested members.

greeting card postage dueAuxiliary Markings include:

  • addressograph markings
  • ambulance envelopes
  • cancellations
  • censor markings
  • crash markingstest mail spray marking
  • delay markings
  • disinfection markings
  • handstamped markings
  • military markings associated with deliverabilityCFS yellow forwarding label
  • pointing fingers
  • postage due markings
  • return to sender markings
  • security screening markings
  • spray markings
  • yellow forwarding labels
  • and ..... (your favorites)

Auxiliary Markings Club (AMC) Zoom Meeting Calendar - access is by the Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/2mbez2zf

  • January 14, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Tom Fortunato – My Titanic cover that missed the boat
  • February 11, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Gary Loew - Jusq’a marks
  • March 11, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Ken Snelson, FRPSC – Early British postal labels
  • April 8, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Andrew Kelley – TBD
  • May 13, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Gregg Redner, FRPSC – The UPU Postal Return Labels of Yugoslavia
  • June 10, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Douglas B. Quine - Hiding in Plain Sight: Letter Mail Barcodes, Misdirected Mail, and Modern Postal History
  • September 9, 2025 at 7 PM EST: Regis Hoffman – Private Auxiliary Markings on Hollywood Fan Mail
  • October 14, 2025 at 7 PM EST – Arnie Janson – Unusual auxiliary markings on unusual mail
  • November 8, 2025 at 1 PM EST (Saturday: 1:00 PM)Chris King, RDP – Danish Auxiliary Labels
  • December 9, 2025 – Rajesh Pamnani – Registration labels of India

Auxiliary Markings Club (AMC) - News

  • Auxiliary Markings Newsletter Index Dennis Ladd has updated the free complete index for the Auxiliary Markings Club newsletter (through 2024) in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. Please advise him of any corrections or additions at: Auxiliary Markings Index Email Address

  • The Auxiliary Club membership approved the 2023 revisions to the Bylaws and Constitution.

  • Member Responses to the AMC Membership Satisfaction Survey (Questionnaire) distributed in our July 2023 Auxiliary Markings newsletter have been compiled by our President John Hotchner and are available online: 23-amc-questionnaire-2023-09-06 answers.pdf as a PDF file. We welcome your further insights and feedback.

  • The Auxiliary Markings Club board has approved free on-line open access (except the latest 2 full years) to our high resolution newsletters ... paid members can access all issues (your user name and password are required when clicking on the "members only links" which are available from the webmaster or the membership secretary).

  • The Auxiliary Markings Club is deeply saddened to report that Dr. Anthony (Tony) Wawrukiewicz, esteemed editor of the Auxiliary Markings newsletter for the first 19 years, renowned philatelist, author, and radiologist, passed away on July 11, 2023. The Auxiliary Markings Club members extend our condolences to his family; he will be deeply missed. A special memorial issue was mailed to all members on August 2nd and is included in all 2023 club memberships. His successor, Andrew Kelley, will continue to edit our newsletter.

  • The Auxiliary Markings Club now has Facebook and YouTube pages: Facebook AMC on Facebook and YouTube AMC on YouTube

  • New member Russ Ryle has suggested that we post member Research Help Wanted notices at our web site: www.postal-markings.org/award.html#rres. His posting is the first and we invite other members to submit theirs.

  • Auxiliary Markings Club awards are described below and winners are listed on our Awards page

  • The Auxiliary Markings Newsletter is now available on-line to current members with all back issues (including some in color that were originally published in black and white) at https://www.postal-markings.org/newsletter.html.

  • As mentioned in the April 2010 newsletter, the Held for Postage study group has collected their holdings into a 'Held for Postage' Mail Auxiliary Markings study group PDF "catalog" to allow other members to review the materials and add in any missing materials. Please advise them of any items that you have which are not represented in this "catalog".

  • The Board of the American Philatelic Society has approved the Auxiliary Markings Club as Affiliate #252 of the APS. In July 2007, we were a featured affiliate in the American Philatelist; the note may be viewed on our public relations page

  • Cooperative information sharing with International Machine Cancel Society: PDF download copy of Michael Ludeman's 28 page A New Type of "Return to Sender" Endorsement Created By Ink Jet Printer Technology Part 1: Texas P&DCs"

  • By popular demand, our Auxiliary Markings Club is accessible through both www.postal-markings.org and www.postalmarkings.org

Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit

Criteria: The Auxiliary Markings Club sponsors the Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit to recognize the exhibiting of auxiliary markings. The exhibit must have won a national Silver Award or better and include a significant percentage of auxiliary markings. The award is open to any exhibit in a National (WSC) stamp exhibition. Membership in the Auxiliary Marking Club or the sponsoring organization of the exhibition is not a requirement for winning the award. Show organizers may contact the Award of Merit coordinator, Matthew Liebson, to obtain award certificates:

Auxiliary Markings Club Award of Merit contact ppt 9 point times roman jpg

Winner Lists

Richard B. Graham Award for Excellence in Exhibiting Auxiliary Markings

Criteria: The Auxiliary Markings Club sponsors the Richard B. Graham Award to recognize the exhibiting of auxiliary markings. The exhibit must have won a national Silver Award or better and include a significant percentage of auxiliary markings. The award is open to any exhibit in the open competition class at the show hosting the Auxiliary Markings Club annual convention. Membership in the Auxiliary Marking Club or the sponsoring organization of the exhibition is not a requirement for winning the award.

Winner Lists

President's Award for Single Frame Auxiliary Marking Exhibiting Excellence

Criteria: The Auxiliary Markings Club sponsors the President's Award to recognize the exhibiting of auxiliary markings. The exhibit must have won a national Silver Award or better and include a significant percentage of auxiliary markings. The award is open to any exhibit in the single frame competition class at the show hosting the Auxiliary Markings Club annual convention. Membership in the Auxiliary Marking Club or the sponsoring organization of the exhibition is not a requirement for winning the award.

Winner Lists


Auxiliary Markings Club Officers 2025-2027, Editor, and Webmaster (click on table to enlarge)

Auxiliary Markings Club officers 2025-2027

Auxiliary Markings Club Officer History (click on table to enlarge)

historical Auxiliary Markings Club officers

The Auxiliary Markings Club was founded in September 2003 when John Hotchner published an open letter in Linn's Stamp News suggesting that such a club be created and Douglas Quine responded with a proposed web site design. Tony Wawrukiewicz subsequently volunteered to be the newsletter editor and the Auxiliary Marking newsletter began publication in January 2004 for dues paying members.

John Hotchner, Douglas Quine, and Anthony (Tony) Wawrukiewicz were made honorary life members in 2017.

Your visit makes more than 156,048 to this web page since September 19, 2003 (last updated February 1, 2025 SSL).
(25,392 on counters to August 30, 2015 plus 130,656 logged on clustrmap.com as of December 30, 2024)
Copyright (c) 2003-2025 by the Auxiliary Markings Club.