Americana Series - Scott 1618A

I've been chasing a few varieties of the Americana Series - specifically the bureau pre-cancels. While investigating the #1618a, I noticed that there seems to be at least two types of bureau pre-cancels as well as several types of city pre-cancels. The two types of bureau pre-cancels that I've noticed on ebay listings are the bars only pre-cancel and another one with "pre-sorted first-class" between the bars. Both are offered on ebay as #1618a. I cannot find any reference to this last one with the pre-sort first-class statement in my Scott Specialized (2008). I imagine that I'm just looking in the wrong place in my Scott, and could use an assist on this. Any help out there?

My 2011 says suffix "A" is for the bureau precancel, bars only, shiny gum, no tagging. It says the city precancel is worth more but doesn't give any variation suffix. Doesn't even mention any "pre-sorted first class" type precancel.

I only collect US stamps, but somebody more well versed in variations than I am may have more info. Maybe a lot more.

Buck49, that's exactly what I saw too in my Scott Specialized. Absolutely no mention of the "presorted first class" precancel, but there they are for sale on ebay. Anyone else have a clue on this one?

There are 2 different presorted varieties - wide spaced and narrow. The narrow is scarce.

I am not sure about Scotts current policy re bureau precancels, but for sure there are THREE different bureaus without city names, then a handful of bureau prints with city names, and many many local precancels on 1618a.

Quite a nice collectable specialty.

Here's an example of the 1618a with the wide vs. narrow spaced "Presorted First-Class" precancel (as taken from ebay listings):



In fact, the scarce "narrow spaced" example is being offered on ebay at this link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-1618a-13...em35c996e594

My Scott Specialized is the 2008 version. Do the more current versions address all three of these different pre-cancel varieties? Or are they all just considered #1618a despite these very noticeable differences? Very strange indeed.

The 2013 Scott Specialized describes 1618a as "Untagged (Bureau precanceled), shiny gum". The note below the listing mentions the lines only precancel and city precancels; no mention of the Presorted precancel.

I have the 1990 Precancel Stamp Society catalog. It lists the wide-spaced Presorted precancel as PSS type 2.1; the narrow-spaced precancel is PSS type 2.2. Values are $0.25 and $20.00, respectively, for sound singles of 1618a.

Regards, Robert

Although I've never been particularly interested in city precancels, I do find the pursuit of all these bureau precancels and other varieties on the Americana series rather interesting. Looks as though I'll have to create two entirely new pages in my album just to include the precancels.

Scott only lists precancels as 1618a because they are untagged while the regular 1618 (with no precancel) is tagged.

As far as I know, the narrow spaced "Presorted First-Class" precancel is unknown in unused condition on the 13c.

The "Presorted First-Class" precancel is also known in both versions on the 9 c 1616b, and again the narrow spaced version is scarce, but unused examples are known.

Here is the bars-only type and one of the city types:



And the two presorted types (on cover!) scanned together showing a slight difference in color.

Ipmiller,

I really like your Avatar. A lot.

Jack Kelley