Got Any 19th Century Fancy Cancels On US Stamps Or Covers?

Here is a "star within a star" fancy cancel:



I do not know the town from which this cancel originated.

Nice cancell Tom

Now would this be a 'cork'. I'm assuming because of how thick it is.

Yes presumably the cancel made by a cork that the postmaster carved on the front steps of the post office when business was slow. I really would like to find an example of this one on cover to identify the town that it came from. I have a book on order which may help identify it. It is not cut with sharp lines - it really kind of jagged and bumpy and makes me think of a starfish.

1860's flower power - can you see the grill on this stamp?



Circle of Wedges (or pie for the middle aged guys)
on a block of 4! How many used blocks of 4 have you seen?

Very nice Tom

Can't wait till I have neet stamps to show
Dianne

Thanks Dianne!

Here is another negative star cancel on a 1869 3c locomotive:

Here is a New York Foreign Mail (NYFM) fancy cancel on a 7c stamp from the 1873 issue. These stamps were printed by the Continental Bank Note Co. and are known as "large banknotes."



This is a US Scott #160 7c orange vermillion Edwin M. Stanton canceled with a eight pointed star inside a circle (NYFM #A-8). Note there are "secret marks" on this stamp - two small semi-circles are drawn around the ends of the lines that outline the ball in the lower right corner of the stamp design. One is covered by the cancel but the other is clearly visible. These are not present on the ball in the left corner. The secret marks were added to indicate that the stamps were printed by the Continental Bank Note Co.

Everyone knows who Edwin McMasters Stanton was, right? He was Secretary of War during most of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era.

Nice Cancels again Tom

Thanks for sharing these they are great!!

Once I get all my packages out I'm going to take the time to go thru some of mine to see what I have

Here is another NYFM cancel (#G-6) on Scott #165 grey black Alexander Hamilton from the 1873 Continental Banknote issue. I think for most people it would be very hard to recognize this bust as Alexander Hamilton!

Here a cover from the 1870s with a "Negative W" and
a town cancel from Woburn, Mass. (pronounced "woobun"),
which is in the Boston metropolitan area fairly close to where I live.

Hello Tom....

Your star-in-star cancel is known to be from Phelps, N.Y. valued at $1.00-$5.00 on a #65. It is possible it could be from somewhere else, still unknown.

A flower very similar to this is known to be from N.Y., N.Y. valued $1.00-$5.00 on a #65

The New York open star in circle on the orange 7 cent is valued $5.00-$10.00


The star in black circle on the #114 is from N.Y., N.Y.....valued up to $1.00

Circle of wedges, and the other NY foreign cancel do not appear to be in the book I have.

Information from Billig's Philatelic Handbook volume #33....4th revised edition 1972 edited by Herman Herst, Jr.

Thank you for the identification and pricing information! I have had most of these since the Eighties. I know I didn't pay too much more than those 1970s prices, since I could not afford to. I ordered another book by Herst on fancy cancels but I don't have it yet.

"Wheel of Fortune"

i have to look I have a ## 94 on cover.

Scott #68 10c green Washington and #65 rose (2) tied by San Francisco fancy cogwheel cancels on 1863 cover to Limoges, France.
The San Francisco Feb 28 datestamp has an error in the year (1862).
It traveled overland to New York (Mar 28, paid 6 cents receiving stamp), then overseas to Calais, France (April 11 receiving mark),
then on to Paris (April 11 backstamp) and finally to Limoges (April 12 backstamp, indistinct).