The Other Precancels: Silent Precancels

INTRODUCTION:

Silent precancels are precancel overprints that do not contain the name of town/post office they were issued from. They are a series of lines, bars and designs.
They can be from 1 line to 13 lines, straight or wavy, rectangular bars, squares, stars, cross's, triangles, pentagons, loops, circles, ovals, target, marbled, gridiron & solid. There are also lettered or initialed precancels and one with a message.

These precancels have been applied to the stamp in many ways, handstamped, printed, brushed, mimeo, smudged, roller, stencil, pen, crayon, cork, pencil & chalk.

Finally you can find them with 'punches' like perfin's in so much as the stamp is punctured. These stamps were punched with large circles, hearts & stars and generally considered as control marks.

Most silent precancels are before 1910 and of course were the first used in the US. Starting in Wheeling, VA, of course now West Virginia, in 1847 used a 7-bar grid within a circle that was applied to 4 stamps, both Scott #1 &2, at once so that each corner has 1/4 of the precancellation. These were soon followed later that same year in Winchester, CT & Winchester Centre, CT which were precanceled in pen by making an "X" from corner to corner only found on Scott #1.

Most recent usage of a local silent precancel was used in Tucson, AZ in 1983. These were created by a vinyl 10 subject handstamp that had 2 lines, much like your common precancels, but with no town listed between the lines. These precancels were used on 3 different Americana's issues (.03, .04 & .09) as well as the Igor Stravinsky Prominent American issue.

Most of these precancels (96%) that are still know to exist come from only 40 different city/post offices.

More to come. Hope you've found it interesting!

Mike

I found that extremely interesting,are you going to carry on with some more?I'm hoping sothis is how I learn THANKS MIKE

Mike,
I have at least 1 silent precancel. I received it from Gussyboy1. I will try to remember to post a picture of it.

Thanks everyone for your interest!

Mike

Stamperdude, Do you know where yours came from? Or need help to find out?

Show a pic, I'll try to ID it for you!

Mike

Nope, I have no idea where it came from. I'm at work so I can't show you. LOL

When you can, post the image. I'll try to ID it for you.

Mike,

Thanks for the information. I have one or two silent precancels mothballed somewhere. Maybe I'll find them. I did not know about the silent precancels on #1&2, nor that they were first used in Wheeling, (W) Virginia. I thought their use originated in the New England area.

Marty

bobgggg,
That is not a precancel, but a well centered local rectangler cancel.
At best it is a psuedo precancel, but they were only on a single stamp.

But, I would keep it. It's still cool! Not silent at all!

Mike

What Bobggg posted was a very nice example of a "box killer."

It's not a precancel though.

Dan

Mike,
The silent precancel I have is the Piano 8.4 cent Scott #1615C with the 2 black precancel lines.

I thought silent precancels were like silent wives - just a myth.


I hadn't heard the term before - thanks for sharing.

Silent is Golden!

I will look that up, but that will come under another form of silent precancel.

MIKE

I had never heard of that before. I need to keep my eye out. Are they rare?

Here are mine. I found a second one.