Neat Duplex Cancel On C47 FDC

Now that's a "UO" cancellation!



I wonder how common is such late use of duplex cancels? Aware of other examples of such "out of period" use of the duplex cancel?

This style of duplex was used well into the 1960s. Here are a few Ohio examples. I suspect most were eventually retired in favor of a device containing a zip code.

Here's a duplex cancel that was used as late as 1971:

Nice. So we have the sixties and seventies represented. 1980's, anyone?

For the 1970s: wt1's example and those I could easily find were all RPO/HPO or aviation related, uses not easily tied to a zip code - and all philatelic. The latest I have is 1977.





I believe these duplexes were in common use until about 1965. I suggest c1965 not only from direct observation of duplex cancels, but also it is the same year that many of small to medium-sized offices received new dials with zip codes for their canceling machines; and that RPO/HPO use duplexes continued until the demise of each route.

A little more information on the Cleve & Cin HPO duplex postmark is shown at the link below. Note the "final run" was June 30, 1974. I found it interesting to note that the duplex postmark device was manufactured by Pitney Bowes:

http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2...5&img=1&pg=3

Of course this is not a real duplex cancel, but merely a pictorial cancel of recent vintage giving one the feel of how they looked back in the day:



As compared to the actual postmark when it was really in use:

Here is a cover with the last day postmark of the Cleveland & Cincinnati HPO matching the device shown in the Arago article.

Undoubtedly you have a valid last day cover for this "final run" but it is not postmarked by the same device in the Arago article. (Probably more than one duplex postmark was used.) Here's a close-up of the Arago image (note the difference in the "slugs" used for the date):

Interesting, Yes, a different device. I would discount the removable slugs as evidence of the device being the same or not - even though the slug fonts are clearly different - they are removable - and could have been replaced at some time. The real proof of it being a different device is the "C"s on the handstamp being nearly closed circles and having larger openings on the cover.

Fascinating exchange. Thanks to the both of you.