Precanceled Philatelic Truck Sheets

A couple curious items popped up on eBay in recent months. These are fairly common Philatelic Truck sheets from 1939-40, but I've never seen them precanceled like this. Apparently no one else had either -- the Detroit precancel brought $110 and the Chicopee Falls (Mass.) precancel commanded $205.

What does anyone make of these? Were they just philatelic inventions by local postmasters?

there is a first time for everything. I have never seen "used" or precancelled trucks before.

Hi Greg,

The truck sheets were apparently available in small quantities beyond the one-at-a-time that were handed out to visitors to the truck.

Shown below are examples of stamp clubs overprinting the truck sheets for their local shows.

These are the only four varieties that I am aware of.

They almost certainly used an inexpensive hobbyist letterpress, such as the Kelsey 3 by 5 inch model shown below, to overprint the text. These sold for around $100, with type and accessories, back in the 1940s.

All of these overprinted sheets are considered rare in the philatelic exhibition label collecting community, with each one selling in the hundreds of dollars.

The examples that you show were probably similarly produced, but as the sheets had no value as a postage stamp, there was really no reason to precancel them.

All of these items are rarely seen.

Jim

These are bound to be bogus as it relates to normal legitimate precancels and their intended usages. In recent years some greedy people have obtained and used precancel devices on all manner of newer (and sometimes older) stamps for the sole purpose of making money off collectors. Although ~maybe~ not illegal, they definitely are not legitimate precancels in the sense that they are not intended to be used for that purpose.

At one time I owned one of the CPS Rajpeepla sheets. They are all rare, with the San Antonio sheet being the most seldom seen. In the process of compiling images for my pet project, the SCCS website, I came across one more modern overprint that is virtually unknown...





You can see images and data on all of these here:
http://www.souvenircards.org/gallery/FPS/fps.html




This begs the question -- who would have access to a precanceling machine? Were these always done within the local post office?

The precancels were made in recent times (last 20 years) by an enterprising collector. He must be very happy at the crazy prices on eBay.

I have heard stories of one particular stamp collector that, years ago, went from post office to post office and borrowed their precancel "slug," and took it out to the trunk of his car to make impressions on a Kelsey press (as described above).

These precancels can still be found on some post office seals, and apparently on truck sheets as well.

Jim

Local precancels were made within a post office using a simple rubber hand-stamp device. The link below goes to a page on the precancel society website and illustrates one of these devices.

https://www.precancels.com/rubber-h...ncel-styles/

When I used to travel to post office for examples of their counter handstamp devices, four bar and double circle type, an occasional postmaster would drag one of these out of a old desk drawer and I'd make an impression on the back of a postcard or two just to make him/her happy.

Fascinating information. Thanks to everyone for posting.




These did occasionally get cancelled on cover, usually along with a valid postage stamp. I have a metered example on cover, signed by the Philatelic Truck supervisor, Ralph Davis.

Is the Detroit an actual precancel or a roller cancel for bulk mailing?