Grand Rapids (Mi) Precancel Varieties - Scott #279

This is the same series as in my earlier post, just the 1 cent denomination in green (#279). I assume this is what is meant by the difference in prencancel bar spacing.

Curiously, this is one of the few precancels I have with only the city listed (no state), but there is a significant difference in the spacing between the bars and the words and, to a lesser extent, the typeface, especially in the capital letters "G" and "R".

What you have there are town cancels,
the first one is a L-1 TS
and the second is a L-2 TS
what do you think Warrehouse.



Oh P.S. The L stands for Local,meaning the local Postmaster arranged for the precancelling.

You are correct, mostly, Nuggethill, no doubt L-2 is the second stamp.
But look at he "R" in Rapids of the first stamp, it has a long tail on it.
The L-1 pictured in the PSS Precancel Catalog does not have that tail.
My Rotnem Catalog 1928 discribes the tail, but does not mention type shown in the PSS catalog. Keep it!

Yes I did notice that and thought it may be L-1 TS Var,

Thanks. It's definitely a keeper.

Now for a possibly stupid question: Does the L-1-TS and L-2-TS define the different widths between the bars and the two line city being closer together?

Are these Grand Rapids precancels unique in that the State is not listed or are there other precancels from around the country that show it? (I would have thought a major metropolis such as New York or Chicago would have been the more likely candidate to drop the State name than a place like Grand Rapids.)

Precancel catalogues generally show the overprint at the actual size. You can use the illustrations as a type of template - if you took one of your stamps and placed it beside the illustration for styles L-1 and L-2, you would quickly see that the spacing between the lines is correct for one style and is wrong for the other.

In looking at this in my PSS Town & Type catalogue, I noticed that the illustration for L-1 (the one with the narrow line spacing) doesn't show the pointed tail on the "R". The Hoover Bros. catalogue gives that pointed tail a sublisting, worth a bit more than twice as much as a copy that doesn't show a tail on the "R". And in an odd twist, the L-2 type also has a sublisting in Hoover for a tail on the "R", and it's priced at less than the copies without the tail!

For some of the listings, the catalogue might give some dimensions for distance between lines, or spacing between lines of text, but it's usually quicker to just lay the stamp up against the illustration rather than getting out a ruler. Unless it's already hinged in your album, of course ....

Ryan

Edit - oops, should have read the other postings to see that others have already spotted the tail / no tail listings.

The Grand Rapids precancel you have are unusual, but not unheard of, most always have the state listed with the city.