There are no doubt thousands of different hands and fingers out there, all poking at the name of an unlucky sender whose mail could not get where it was supposed to go. Typically, the phrase is "returned to writer unclaimed", as it is in the cover shown above. This unlucky piece of mail originated in Dover NH and traveled to Akron OH, Chautauqua NY, and Boston MA before the search was given up. This recipient simply could not be found.

Pointing hands may still be found in your mailbox. I've received several in past months, including the piece above, with a hand on a printed self-adhesive label noting that a piece was returned for additional postage. The sender didn't quite comply with the directions on the label, since she didn't remove it. Still, it made for a very collectible piece of modern postal history!

As a final note, it's worth mentioning that at least one other, non-offensive use of a pointing hand exists. Several towns used "pointing hand" paid markings on stampless mail in the 1830s and 1840s. They are normally rather expensive, though ones from New Haven CT are probably more affordable than others. The example above, from York PA in 1837, is the only such one I own. It is unlisted in combination with this postmark in the American Stampless Cover Catalog.

While "pointing hands" are not always easy to be find, they don't usually cost much and can often be found lurking in stamp dealer's junk boxes or in masses of cheap postcards. They add to any state postal history collection, or make a great collection in their own right. Try it out!