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Old 13-01-19, 14:56
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kiterunner kiterunner is online now
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Yes, I don't know what the chances are that Winston Churchill licked many envelopes or stamps himself (the My Heritage news piece says they are trying to extract DNA from his letters.) I should think the more personal the letter (apart from ones that would go through a military censor or similar, of course), the more likely the writer at least licked the envelope. Probably any which say "SWALK" on the back would be a good bet!

Looking through the scanned images of my grandfather's letters and postcards to Charles Lahr, it seems that you used to be able to buy postcards and envelopes with pre-paid postage included? So no stamp-licking there, but I suppose he would at least have licked some of the envelopes.

And most of the stamps on the letters and postcards from my German ancestors seem to have been removed to go in stamp collections, but I see there is at least one written by my great-grandmother with stamps extant, so hopefully one day...
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