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How is it that these revenue stamps from nearly a century and a half ago have such beautiful rubber stamped cancellations and we stamp collectors can't get a decent cancellation on a postage stamp in 2011?
It actually makes sense, when you think about it. The sole purpose of a postal cancel is to eliminate the possibility that the stamp is reused, so it doesn't matter how crisp or clear the cancel is, only that it indelibly mark the stamp. Look at the "killer" cancels of the late 19th century; they're ugly as hell, but they got the job done.
Revenue cancels, on the other hand, served an entirely different purpose. They were a record of who filed the transaction and when, and whether the tax was paid. Unlike envelopes, which were usually discarded, revenue documents were archived long term, and were records of financial transactions. In the event of audits or other review, it was fairly important that the information be legible. In fact, I believe the original law that produced 1st issue revenue stamps required that the clerk's initials and the date of cancellation be included. That's why one rarely sees revenue cancels that are just an "X" or obliteration; you were supposed to provide more information than that.
The very nature of these transactions and their archival is what provides us with the limitless field of beautiful revenue cancels we enjoy today.
Posted 12/20/2011 9:47 pm
