Can This New-York Cds Help Narrow The Date Use Of 1851-57 3c Stamp

Are there characteristics of these cancels that can narrow the date of use?

Absolutely, but I don't know what the dates of usage are on that one. I probably have enough material to narrow it down quite a bit but I haven't gotten around to it.

Based on color, I would say 1853 is the most likely followed by 1854 and then 1855.

Thanks Winston,
I only have a couple of New York covers from this era. I thought the E in this CDS might be something identifiable.

People have definitely done studies of this cancellation over time. It did evolve/change. I once knew someone who had studied it in some depth. Unfortunately, I don't have any such knowledge, other than the (circa) 1853 era where it had a funny flattened part to the CDS.

There are probably somewhere around ten different CDS devices that were commonly used in the 1851-61 period. I am not counting several rare to uncommonly used cancels. It's actually a very fun area to collect, for me anyway.

Hopefully stampcrow doesn't mind me posting this in his thread. This stamp currently resides in my collection. It is the only known example of this cancellation.

Interesting cancel. Might be yet another variation of the NY slug, which has quite a few variations over time. I haven't seen one like that either. Good one!

It's ex. Ashbrook and illustrated in his two-volume book.

Check out Charles DiComo's article at:

https://www.uspcs.org/resource-cent...el-revisted/

The focus is on the postmarks that use "APL" instead of "APR" for April, but there are detailed illustrations of the various similar NYC postmarks in use during that period. It may not provide a definite answer for you, but is worth a read.

Of course not!

I have one 3c with a slug in the CDS but no way to tell if it's New York

ttreen, I like the work Charles has done with his study of the APL cancels. I have a few, including an 1836 stampless cover.

I see on his page, cancels that have W's matching mine here but not the E. or ones that match the E but not the W.

Great stuff! thanks folks.

Edit: Follow up question. Is the space in the lower horizontal line of the E an inking issue or is that part of the design?

Here's a pic of the slug CDS and because it's hinged on the same page a scan of an New-York APL cancel.

That's not the well known 1851 slug, it looks like the smaller one known used in 1856.

Thought it might even be a different city.

Sure enough, found this one on ebay.

I searched U.S. covers, New-York 1856.

I knew I had a better example of a New-York CDS with the small slug. What I didn't remember, it's on a perforated stamp.

My Simpson's U.S. Postal Markings lists this as a New-York 1 bar (11x3) (1856).

Anyone have any knowledge about how long this cancel was in use?

I have a cover with a November 1856 usage of this cancel.

I don't recall seeing a use of this outside of 1856.

I suspect that the range of use was probably 6 months or less -- and approximately the second half of 1856. This is unscientific and only based upon my rough memory of the ones I've seen. There may well be some before and after that.