Blue "W" Cancellation On Sc# 65

In another post of mine where I was asking whether or not to soak a number of older stamps a discussion came up about this cancellation. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it even a cancellation or does it indicate something else? I've looked through older cancellations and postmarks and can't find anything like it. Maybe some kids playing "Post Office" back in the 1860s?

X- several of us here collect that issue. Nice cancel. I can look it up when I get home tonight in "Skinner & Eno", one of the standard references on 19th century fancy cancels. Ray

It may be a Silent precancel. I can check when I get home from work! Interesting!

I'd really appreciate that and thank you for the Skinner and Eno reference. I'm off to the library to request a revenue stamp book and will add that one to the request. My philatelic library is non-existant -- though I make heavy use of inter-library loan!

Ray,

Doesn't Skinner & Eno only go through 1845 - 1869? What do you use for later dates?

Art

Billig's Philatelic Handbook, Volume 33 goes up to the year 1900.

The "W" cancel looks similar to cancel #1997 in Billig's book but is not a perfect match. If it's the real deal, then in 1972 prices, it was worth $10-$20.

Blue cancels are usually more desirable than black.

Cancel #1997 has been found on US Scott #158 in the year 1873 and originated from Worthington, Ohio.

~~ Mary-Jane ~~

Not listed as a silent precancel!

Well, I'll have to take a look at Billig's Philatelic Handbook -- not only to investigate the mark mentioned by stamphound but for general education.

Thank you warrehouse for investigating the precancel angle. Your mention of a "silent" precancel was a new one to me so I did a bit of reading. I would imagine that there were so many different unofficial precancels used that it would be difficult to document them all. I dunno.

Everyone here has such cool avatars. I might have to use this cancellation as my avatar!

Do it! xquercus1

x- I don't think this is it, but it's the closest that is in the S&E book:



Art-- I don't have later references-- I've got Simpson's "US Postal Markings" 1851-61, but nothing after '69. Since I'm mostly interested in the 3c 1851 and 61, I haven't had the need for later references...YET.

I think that this nice cancel is of the "unlisted" type, at least with respect to S&E.

Hope this is helpful...Ray

I think the cancel looks more like the "anvil" pictured above.

Here is a scan of the fancy cancel #1997 I found in Billig's Volume 33:

I agree the Winchester, Connecticut "anvil" design looks correct. Here's a side-by-side example of the stamp originally scanned above next to another stamp of similar vintage that was cropped from a cover on an auction site in order to compare:

it's almost in the exact same spot on the stamp too! Cool thread!

WT1, If you cropped it off a cover, the city of origin may have been documented on the cover. For varification! But not always!

Here's the link which has the cover that I cropped the comparison stamp from:

http://db.kelleherauctions.com/php/...623&lot=1166

Winchester Center, CT which is not necessarily the same PO as Winchester!
Something to keep in mind when looking at PO's in New England states townships may have had several PO's East, West, Center, North or South, which over time change the name or drop the tag. It can be very confusing if you need to be careful.