Early (August 1938) Dated Precancel

Let me preface this post by saying that from things I have read dated precancels were only introduced in mid-to-late 1938. That being said, this must be one of the earlier ones produced:



Although I realize dated precancels are considered less desirable to some collectors and that Sears and Montgomery Ward apparently used the majority of the common ones out there, this is of interest to me because of its early date. Does anyone have any earlier ones?

The one things about stamps is that there is enough variety to excite any collector. I have pre-cancels by the gross so it is safe to say I find them attractive. I know I do but I would have to take a look.

Though precanceling was first stared in the late 1880's. I think the first standardized patterns really started to take hold around 1903 when the POD said that the name of the post office and state along with two parallel heavy black lines -one below and one above must be used on each stamp. Though some post offices still used their fancy non standard precancels.

The POD finally issued a uniformity regulation in 1913 that all head-stamps were to be ordered through the POD.

It was in 1938 that the POD started to require precanceled stamps more than 6 cents to be marked with the initials of the user along with the month and year of use. These stamps were not permitted to be used for postage if used more than 10 days into the month shown on the stamp. Thus you have what they call the DATEDS version of the precancel.

Probably more info than what you wanted.

Thank you for the information. I knew most of it from my reading on the subject, but as to your next to the last paragraph that precancels were required to be dated if more than 6 cents, how would that relate to the 2-cent stamps I have shown? Was it that the dates were not required but could be added to the lower denominations if a firm so desired?

Since firms could apply their own date and initials to the stamps my guess is that just did it to all precancels.

By the way, the first precancel was a silent issued in Wheeling, VA (now West Virginia),in 1847.

The S.A. is an unidentified user. My Handstamp Control Handbook & Checklist shows "S.A." was used from 1941-42. Not the "Aug. 1938" you show here. Maybe you have something special.