Purple Star Cancel On Scott #272

Does anyone know if this is a common cancellation for this issue?



Among a stock of several used copies of Scott #272, I came upon this cancellation which looked a bit out of the ordinary.

Yes, it falls under the category of "fancy cancels". The basic 5 point star will have a modest premium. There are hundreds of different types of fancy cancels. Simple cork cancels and bullseye's are the most common. Your cancel is rather light, but still very collectible. Also, looks like "purple" cancel (?). The black cancels are more common. Other varieties of the 5-point star include "in circle" and "negative star" (star is white inside a black circle).

Star silent precancels do exist from Glen Allen,VA, Andover & Clinton, NY also Providence, RI & Troy, OH. However no stamp was ever greater then the 5ct value.

Is that star done with a cork plug or did the postmaster use a pen?.. Gary

It was not an uncommon cancel for a short period of time. Between late 19th century and 1910ish when machine cancels started to "rule the roost".