Modern Cancellation Errors?

I have a large amount of cancellations that were collected by someone else, and handed over to me. All were cut from covers. Almost all are extremely common and uninteresting. So, I had to go through them one-by-one to see if something came up. I'll be posting a few of them over the next few days, but this one is one of the more interesting. Can you comment on the cancellation(s)?

I have always thought that stamp to be one of the prettiest ones. I think that is hand stamped and for some reason the postal worker stamped it hard twice. I have to get one. Thank you for showing it.

Nope, a little more than that, at least by my eyes.

Rapid City: 2 different machine cancels.

The upper cancel is from a facer-canceler (a 4-head machine which detects the tagging on the stamp).

The lower cancel is from a Universal Model G (a 1-head machine which requires manual facing), note the inverted dial which did not fit all the way into the canceling head and thus imprints a bit low compared to the wavy lines. Due to the asymmetry, I suspect this dial formerly had a 5-digit zip code at the bottom and had the last 2 digits filed-away.

Impossible to tell which cancel was applied first.

John noted the difference. The lower cancel is inverted ... normally the city name is at the top of the cancel, with the zip code at the bottom. In this case, it is flipped. Other ones to come later.

Note that the top cancellation also shows just 577 on the right, though it is almost symmetric. Perhaps Rapid City increased the area zip codes right around this time?

The postal term you want is "sectional center", completely unrelated to phone numbers. From the 1994 "National Five-Digit Zip Code and Post Office Directory":

OK, these next ones should be easier to spot. All share the same "error" in the cancellation.

Partime,

It seems as though you came across a postmark collection. People do collect these, myself included.

Check out the Postmark Collectors Club:

http://www.postmarks.org/resources/intro.php

Dan

PM inverted on all 3

And quigngt is correct, of course. I've got a few more to post later. Thanks for playing along.

Is this wrong cancellation also? 1855

Thank you

That looks to me like a '9' with a glump of gop on it (technical terms); perhaps a bit of paper from a piece that went thru the canceler earlier, and soaked up plenty of ink, and deposited that ink on pieces that subsequently went thru that canceler.

Q/ Where is John Becker, now that we need him?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

LOL, since that parcel post device wasn't invented/designed until the 20th century, there would never have been "18" digits made. I agree, damage. dirt, inking irregularity makes an illusion.

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For a different error cancel which arrived in today's mail. LaGrange, Indiana with a "C" for the second G, on a collector sent-for cover.