Always Loved This Cancellation

Hi guys...As far as American stamps go..I am at a lost..Just remember this postcard I received years ago..To me this is the nicest cancellation on a stamp from the States that I have ever seen...There is just something about it that catches my eye.

Yes, it's a nice one. Everybody has his own "nicest" one, and they probably are very different. Beholder...

That is an excellent impression.

The irony about cancels on this postcard is that it was printed as pre-cancelled, and did not need to be cancelled when mailed. There are some first day cancels on this postcard that print "First Day" and "of Issue" on the spaces above and below the middle line, but with no killer. I first saw that FDI cancel atwww.buckacover.com.

That's a nice strike on the Smokey Bear slogan cancel. In fact, a quick review of the DC Machine Slogan Cancels list shows that particular slogan cancel was in use for almost 29 years -- from an EKU of 09/15/1956 to a LKU of 05/13/1985. That's one of the longest (if not THE longest) usage of any US slogan cancel I can recall, which is attests to its popularity.

I have one of those on a UY18 (reply card). Note that not only did they place "FIRST DAY" and "OF ISSUE" between the precancel lines, but they also truncated the CDS from a circle into an arc, so as not to interfere with the "THE SIDE OF CARD IS FOR ADDRESS" text.

I agree that it's a nice cancel
Tom

How times change! Smokey The Bear and his campaign against forest fires was ubiquitous in my youth.

Since then, the US Forest Service et al have begun to allow some fires to burn themselves out at their own pace (watchful waiting) and have even experimented with controlled burns.

The reason is that the accumulation of tree litter on the forest floor causes the eventual fire (and there will be a fire, eventually) to burn much hotter and to be more destructive.

More frequent fires will burn less hot; the trees survive and quickly recover, the cleaned-out brush makes room for sprouting seedlings of all sorts, that makes food for all the furry things, and they poop, and everything gets better.

But watchful waiting & controlled burns require more sophisticated messaging; and "only you can prevent forest fires, but we'll let them burn - or start them - whenever we see fit" probably would not go over too well.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Was the cancellation used in every State, or just a few (where trees grow..haha)..?

The cancellation was used in "many" States (not sure if in "every" State) but it was quite popular in its day.

Today, the US Forest Service still uses the Smokey the Bear campaign, but has changed the slogan to "Only you can prevent Wildfires".

Here's a retrospective look back into the history of the slogan, the posters (and poster stamps), the radio and TV ads, and even toys and other promotional materials that used the slogan:

http://www.smokeybear.com/vault/#!prettyPhoto

Only where trees grow. Haha. There are no treeless states my dear Wert. :)

Are there trees in North Dakota?

During the dust bowl, the state of North Dakota implemented a wind break program by planting rows of trees pretty much everywhere between fields and properties.



There are also five state forests, including three on the border with Canada.

Yeah, that was a joke intended for my son who lives in the Great State of North Dakota. It is a 12 hour drive to see him and there are some pretty barren areas crossing the state on 94. The Roosevelt park over in the badlands is a beautiful place to visit.

I knew it was, but I had to stand up for my many generations or ancestors from N. Dak. :o)

You guys call that trees..??..HAHA..this is trees...
Just joking.

I was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base back in the 80s and we had to travel all over 1/2 the state (guarding the missile silos assigned to GFAFB) - the other half belonged to Minot.

I remember hearing back then that there were no indigenous trees to that state (only state that's true of?) They were all brought in and planted

The joke was that the state tree was the telephone pole and state bird was the mosquito :)