US "S" Cancel Or "Us" Cancel

This is the only one of this type of cancel that I have in my US fancy cancel collection. Can someone tell me if it is a specific "S" fancy cancel laid on its back or is the "U" missing from a specific "US" cancel or something else?

It appears it could be a silent precancel, but there is no recorded 'S' used in that fashion. I personally don't know of any cancellations that would have been that large.

Warrehouse: I had gone through Billig's book of 19th century United States Fancy Cancellations and the closest I could come to it where the "US" versions on page 191 for anyone who has access to the book. This one doesn't seem to quite match them given its large size. I even thought it might be a "manuscript" as the style of the "S" reminds me of old style pen and nib drafting pens where the nib had a wide round or squared tip for making wider letters. A common affect using these inking pens was a widening and narrowing on the inside and outside loops, which this "S" has.

Cynical, The only way to know for sure what you have, would have been to still have this stamp on cover.

Warrehouse: I have four full pages of old U.S. fancy cancels but sadly very few on covers. Here is my favourite and I think my oldest cover, however, it is not "fancy" but to my mind a great CDS cancel. Even has a wax seal on the back.

Cynical, That is a very nice cover! If not fancy it is a excellent cancel example.

That is a nice cover! As a Massachusetts native, I always enjoy looking up details on those named on historical covers from New England.

Here's the obituary for the addressee, as it appeared in the Boston Daily Globe on 10/06/1883. He apparently had quite a career in legal and political circles:

I found one on a web image search for "S stamp fancy cancel"

most sites said that some clerks used the letter from the Town it was sent from as a cancel. and there was one double SS that was a steam ship.

I dont think its a U.S. from the images I saw online

OK, OK, I think I got it...

2¢ reds, "N", "S", "E" "W" cancels, usually indicating direction of train carrying RPO

Wtl: that cover has sat in my collection for years. I greatly admired it but it had only one dimension. You have given it another dimension, namely brought it to life - thanks.

Edwin: did you notice that your "S" example has almost the same orientation as mine. I'm not compulsive or obsessive but I can be somewhat regimented. If I was cancelling stamps I would want every one of my "S" cancels to be vertical.

Your N, S, E, W display reminded me of something I posted elsewhere. I was being ferried around in a helicopter and asked the pilot to turn west but said east. When I saw he was going in the wrong direction I said I'm sorry I meant west. He said "Oh, you mean the other east". If you look at your "E" stamp its upside down and if it was right-side up it would be pointed the wrong way.

Great stuff - thanks guys.