Your Oldest Stamp Pictures

Digging through my box, this is the oldest stamp I've found so far: an 1861 issue Washington 3 cent. Working on the grill to see if I can narrow it down better (any thoughts?). Looks small to me on the 'good' stamp and significantly larger but not the whole stamp on its partner. Shame it's partner stamp has been ripped almost off (they weren't a pair, just two separate stamps).
What's your oldest stamp?

Probably one of my British Penny Blacks (1840). They don't get much older unless you count some fiscals that predated that.

It was this, until I sold it, to pay for a new crank and bottom bracket for a classic road bike.

Actually a lot of revenues are much older then that, both in the US and in GB.

Always wonder why the postmaster felt it necessary to put a pen/manuscript cancel over the standard 7-bar grid cancel.? If someone could educate on this I would appreciate. From my reading these stamps per government regulations were to be cancelled with 7 bar grid, but if cancel device wasn't available, they were cancelled with pen or some other cancel device. Is it that this stamp passed thru 2 separate post offices?

rg, how do you tell which came first, the pen strokes or the grid?

Ah, thanks Don I see it chiseled right there, up five lines from the bottom: "For international mail, transit clerks shall apply a red handstamp cancelling mark upon any stamp bearing only a pen cancellation."

Perhaps the postmaster felt that the red seven bar grid would fade as it dried as it is somewhat similar in color and applied his trusty pen to be positive?

It was a nice, four margin stamp...,with a hideous cancel. It was the second stamp item I ever sold on eBay. The buyer was very happy with it. I was happy with the price.

Stude- actually the stamp is on the other side...that's the grill we're seeing.

Bulk Rate

A few years or so ago now, Scott Trepel wrote a post on the Frajola Board regarding cancels on top of cancels. He may have been citing a study or article done by another individual, I can't remember. The main point was that once the cancel inks mix together, it is impossible to tell which cancel is on top of the other.

I figure that in nearly all instances, the pen cancel comes first. You typically see this when the letter originates from a small post office that did not have a canceling device. Once the letter arrived at a larger post office, the stamp was struck with some sort of killer to protect USPOD revenue.

I guess technically, as a trial color proof this must be older than the Scott #1 someone posted. Of course provisionals started getting used a couple years earlier than official US stamps. But here is a trial color proof from 1847 anyway.

Interesting.... when I left Iooked at this Scott 1 initially I thought there was no question the pen cancel was on top/ over the grid.

Makes more sense if pen was first, but I just don't see it that way with my eyes.