Stamp Community Family of Web Sites
Thousands of stamps, consistently graded, competitively priced and hundreds of in-depth blog posts to read








Stamp Community Forum
 
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

Cancellations

Previous Page
 
To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 38 / Views: 3,761Next Topic
Page: of 3
Rest in Peace
United States
1806 Posts
Posted 01/25/2010   5:07 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add 1775mac to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Didn't I see that one on ebay, with a "rare cancel" item title?


Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Pillar Of The Community
Canada
907 Posts
Posted 01/25/2010   10:47 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add WpgLwr to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Suspect a CTO if:

- Eastern bloc or other communist country (Czechoslovakia, Cuba, North Korea);
- "Third World" country (Burundi, Rwanda, etc.);
- other stamps in the same set have a similar cancel;
- cancel seems to be perfectly placed in a corner and information is not readable on it, other than a letter or two;
- ink in cancel is all the same shade
- gum is present (this one is automatic)

Suspect a "favour cancel" if:
- cancel is nicely placed and there are varying degrees of intensity in the ink (although this is not prima facie proof of it being a favour cancel);
- item is on piece
- item is without gum

It is unlikely that the following are CTO's:
- missing gum
- if a circular cancel, more than 1/4 of the circle is present
- placement other than a corner or a side;
- socked on the nose;
- more than one circular cancel on stamp.
Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Pillar Of The Community
Finland
753 Posts
Posted 01/26/2010   03:58 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add scb to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I especially enjoyed the article on the Five-Year-Plan stamps from the DDR. I usually end up pulling up what hair I have left when sorting those issues!


Thanks. If it's of any comfort, that's what I used to do too ;)
But it's definitely one great series to study and dive into.

Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Pillar Of The Community
Canada
4648 Posts
Posted 02/08/2010   5:27 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bujutsu to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply


Hi All

Please let me add my 2 cents worth on this topic.

Nine times out of ten, these CTO cancellations are usually from the capital city of any given country using these devices.

Some countries depend on the issues of stamps as a secondary, or maybe even a primary, source of income.

The vast majority of stamps bearing CTO cancellations did not see the country for which they were issued for. Some countries have even incorporated the CTO into part of their design.

For myself personally, I do not collect these cancels but have ended up with a lot of them through purchases of collections etc. For those of you who do, that is fine as long as you get the enjoyment out of them. Having said this, just keep it in mind that CTO stamps will always be worth less than their counterparts that have been 'nicely' cancelled and gone through the system.

I guess I am a purist, because I prefer stamps that are commercially cancelled and have gone through the regular postal systems. That is what the hobby is all about. Happy collecting.

Chimo

Bujutsu
Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Rest in Peace
Canada
6750 Posts
Posted 02/08/2010   7:20 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Puzzler to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Greai info all.

While reading the above posts I thought that it's the history aspect of stamps and cancels that is appealing to people.

If you like history and historical stuff then a stamp that was actually used (or intended to be used) by a real person in a real place is historical and personal and was valued by someone at some time to get their communication delivered to the destination (or intended to be used to achieve this goal for mint stamps).

I suppose the CTOs are historical in some sense but they were never intended for postal use or to be used for anything other than to have a person buy them as a souvenir kind of item. They are pretty though.
Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Edited by Puzzler - 02/08/2010 7:29 pm
Valued Member
United States
111 Posts
Posted 02/08/2010   7:36 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add ironhelm to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
I always love topics about CTO's. It generates so much discussion. I collect CTO's just like I collect mint and used stamps. A CTO may be the only way to get a copy and they have nice cancels that do not obstruct the stamp design. They are the perfect cancellation as far as I am concerned. I soak the one's I put in my albums and leave the rest with gum just in case someone wants to trade CTO's. Let me toss this in the mix. To the collectors here that do not collect CTO's do you collect First Day Covers? Isn't a FDC a CTO?
Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Pillar Of The Community
United States
7072 Posts
Posted 02/08/2010   9:16 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Cjd to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Isn't a FDC a CTO?


Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Pillar Of The Community
Canada
4648 Posts
Posted 02/09/2010   1:45 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bujutsu to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply


In a sense, yes. A FDC cancellation is a 'form' of CTO but not exactly


This is a topic that has so many people with their own versions of CTOS. I think it is one of those grey zones??

Some people love them, I myself am not keen on them, but, what the heck. It is afterall a hobby and each of us collect to our own personal tastes

Chimo

Bujutsu
Send note to Staff  Go to Top of Page
Page: of 3 Previous TopicReplies: 38 / Views: 3,761Next Topic  
Previous Page
 
To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Go to Top of Page

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Stamp Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Stamp Community Family - All rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Stamp Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Privacy Policy / Terms of Use    Advertise Here
Stamp Community Forum © 2007 - 2026 Stamp Community Forums
It took 0.39 seconds to lick this stamp. Powered By: Snitz Forums 2000 Version 3.4.05