Hello Sister Forum.i Have A Question Pls.

I am a member and supporter of your sister forum and a few months ago I was getting some help from you folks on some stamps that my Father left me.One of you distinguished members noticed that I have a fairly rare pre-cancel that should be worth a few bucks so I want to put it on ebay.Could someone take a look at it,tell me what the Scott number is and how much I should start the bidding.He mentioned that it should be worth around 60 bucks or so.I sell coins on ebay but have never tried selling a stamp.Any help would be very much appreciated.I have many stamps and maybe someone could give me some advice on how to liquidate them on the Bay.Thanks.

Halfwitty,

I have the Silent Precancel Catalogue. I can try to match this up when I'm get home after work. If you could measure the width of the lines and the distance between them will help to clearly ID this one!

Why not auction it here and avoid the fees?

yes lot of members with deep pockets here :)

Is it ok to sell here even though I haven't enough posts on this forum? I have over 1300 on CCF if that makes a difference.By the way. I beleive it was you Warrehouse that helped me before but I couldn't find the old thread.

As best as I can do is the distance between the lines is about 3.3mm and the width is about .6mm or so.It is really hard to free hand measure this with my micrometer.

Hey Bobby. Fancy meeting you here.hehehehehe

Thanks for the in-tel Halfwitty, line .6mm wide, distance 3.3mm apart,
I will be able to give value at publication of catalogue,
City of origin & likely what business, government or association used it.

As to selling, there were a couple threads on here recently about Selling On ebay if you search. You sell coins so should be OK knowledge-wise I would think.

Show a scan of the back I think and/or describe any little faults or flaws like a thin in the paper or a crease at a corner or a pulled perf. Use the word precancel in the title and the Scott Catalogue number also besides the precancel catalogue number. Easier for people to find.

Precancels are a separate collecting area / interest all by themselves to a degree. It takes a knowledgeable collector to be able to appreciate them I think. Well, to get to know about them anyway and realize they are special. Lots of folks don't think they are anything special.

Doug, special in his own little world!

Thanks for all the help folks.

These silent precancels, like this one, will fall into a very small niche within precancel collecting. Only the most knowledgeable collector of precancels will likely be interested.

It looks as though I have the go-ahead from Bobby to put some them on here so that's probably what I'll do.I know all you folks know what you're doing.

Halfwitty,

Can you measure the total width of the 4 lines, left to right.

Also, to the best of your ability what color is the line, Black, gray, brown etc.?

Looks to be 12.28mm from the front of the first line to the back of the last.I'm gonna say the ink is light black,grayish.Hope that helps.I didn't realise that stamps were so complicated.Hahaha

OK Some things just don't match up,
Your stamp; 4 vert. lines .6mm wide spaced 3.3mm overall 12.28mm 2c Wash 1890-3
Berlin, MD; 4 horz. lines .25 wide, spaced 3.5 overall 11.5mm 1c Frank 90-93
Unknown, 4 Horz. lines .4mm wide, Spaced 2.mm, overall 8mm 1c Frank 94
Unknown, 4 Horz. lines, .75-1.mm wide, spaced 2-2.5mm, overall 10mm, 1c Fr 98
Ansonia, CT 4 Horz lines .5-.75 mm wide, spaced 2.5-3mm, overall 8.75or10mm 1890-8
Lowell, MA 4 Vert. lines .75mm Wide spaced 5.5mm, overall 15-16mm 1&2C 90-95
Yonkers, NY 4 V/H lines .5-1.mm wide spaced 5.5-6mm, overall 13-14mm 1c 95-98

Well those are the closest recorded silent 4 line precancels in the catalogue.
I'd have to say it is none of these.

So what do we have? To myself it appears to be a precancel.

But it could be a early machine cancel?
It could be a forgery to look like a precancel?
It could be an unrecorded silent precancel?

All can say is try to present this to David W. Smith the person behind the "Silent Precancels" Catalogue &/or the Precancel Stamp Society itself for their opinion.