A Type Of Precancel?

I've come across several of these little pieces of newsprint-type paper with 1c prexies on them. Found them in my "to be soaked' box. They appear to have a common wavy line cancel on them, but the cancel does not carry over to the paper the stamp is affixed to. It also looks like the exact same cancel applied in the same place. Are these a type of precancel?

Definitely not a precancel. Although it is a bit curious that machine cancelled (postmarked) stamps were affixed to those pieces.

Someone with more knowledge of precancels may address the possibility that some postmaster improvised the use of machine cancelled stamps to be applied to these mailings when precanceled stamps only should have been used. Although this would have been against postal regulations of the day, I suppose it is not beyond the realm of possibility that it could have happened anyway.

I can tell you it was postmarked Fairfax, Minnesota and under Section 562 P.L. & R, it would have most likely been a wrapper that enclosed a newspaper, magazine or periodical as Third Class Mail.

A few clarifications... they are NOT listable in the PSS precancel catalog, but they are in a sense precancels - called 'provisional' precancels. Probably whole sheets of the 1 cent stamp were cancelled with the Fairfax MN roller cancel [hand applied, not a machine], then sold to permit-holders as precancels are.

It was very common, and not against regulations. What was against the rules was using precancel devices in non-precancel applications - not vice-versa.

Some state precancel collectors save them, I don't. PSS listable precancels document precancel devices, specially designed and approved by the POD.

Wow, what great tidbits of information you can get here!

Next question - Even though they have little value, and are not collected by many, would it be better to leave them on the piece or does it even matter?

Given the condition of the pieces they are on, no benefit to keeping them on piece. Now, if you had the entire wrapper or envelope...

One benefit to leaving them on the piece is that you can then prove they were used as a "precancel". Once soaked off the wrapper, there's no evidence of that.

If you have other wrappers and don't want to retain the whole thing, at least retain that portion of the wrapper that shows the P.L. & R. number and any other postal markings.

I guess I will prescribe to the thinking that it don't hurt to leave it on their pieces for now.

wt1 - I can see your point. They can always be soaked off, but they can never be put back on.

Thanks for the replies.