York PA Allegorical Cancel --Finally I Have One

I have been looking for an example of this cancel that I could afford for nearly a decade. The American Stampless Catalog 1997 edition values it at $1,000.00. Maybe values have dropped considerablly since 1997 since I obtained this one for a fraction of CV.

It seems to me that the ratings would give this cancel a Very Fine since it is a complete strike. However, the over inking might lower the rating and value.

Umm, I don't think the over-inking detracts in any way - Yours is a beauty!

Perhaps a slight ding for the over inking, but I like it and I would rather have it that way than partially inked or overly faded. A big plus for this cover is that it looks nice and clean. It is addressed to a lawyer over in Columbia which is about 14 miles north east of York so my guess is that is would likely have been delivered in a day or even the same day. Columbia is on the bank of the Susquehana River, on the opposite side from York so it would likely have been taken across the river in a small ferry of some kind or perhaps a small boat that took the mail and passengers back and forth there? There is a bridge there now and I don't know when the first bridge was put across the Susquehanna there. I think it would be interesting to find out how it got across the river there. Is there any writing or printing inside that might say what the letter's purpose was or even better is there a handwritten year there?

Fantastic gem of a cover. Thanks for posting.

Maybe I should have said "I finally bought one". It is in the mail so I don't actually have in hand as yet. When it is delivered, I'll have to ask my sister in law to scan the inside if it has writing.

Kimo, you have a pretty good knowledge York. I specialize in collecting York PA cancels because that is my hometown. There were a total of 6 bridges built. The first was completed in 1814 was destroyed by ice, high water and a storm in 1832 so it is possible that this cover crossed the bridge in 1827. I don't know when Wrights Ferry ceased operation but I assume was in operation for a number of years after the first bridge. Bridges 5 and 6 are in use today. If interested look up Columbia–Wrightsville Bridge" on Wikipedia for details on the first 4 bridges. Bridge 5 opened in 1930 is the longest multiple arch concrete bridge in the world.

I lived in Lancaster for about 4 years a while back and I lost track of how many times I drove across the Wrights Ferry Bridge on Route 30 between Wrightsville and Columbia and passed through York. I think that whole area of Pennsylvania is a beautiful part of the country.

Nice find. Living outside York, and in Lancaster County also, I traverse the bridges daily, either Routes 30 or 462. Don't forget about the bridge that was burned in 1863, furthest excursion of the Confederates to the East in the Gettysburg campaign. I believe those are the stone bridge pilings still in the river adjacent to the current 462 bridge.

You are correct. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th bridges all used the same pilings.
The 2nd was burned by locals to prevent the Confederate Army crossing into Lancaster Co, a relatively short distance from Philadelphia. .
The 3rd and 4th were train bridges shared by pedestrians, carriages or vehicles.
The 3rd was destroyed by the 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane which started in the Florida Keys and traveled rapidly all the way north to eastern Long Island and also affected Great Lakes shipping in Ohio.
The 4th was a mostly steel construction. It was dismantled for scrap in the early 1960s. I still remember seeing that one when I was a child.

A simple hobby as stamp collecting can reveal a great deal of history. By the way, York surrendered to the Confederates to avoid being burned by them.

I have the cover in my possession and it has very short content as is common financial info from York Bank to cashiers in Columbia. It is a simple acknowledgement of receipt of a check.