Are Those Cancellation Marks?

Morning all,

Disclaimer: this note was written the morning after the night before and I may still be suffering from a turkey hangover.

When in the course of human events well meaning friends squabble over the mundane nuances of our hobby it makes for an interesting conversation.

Let us remember the tag lines from an old beer commercial, "Stop, you're both right"

Let us all be thankful for another fine philatelic year on this good side of the earth.

Best regards, Russ

I have to agree with John that these indentations were likely made by gripper wheels in automated equipment. Having wielded hemostats, needle holders, and all sorts of surgical instruments for over 40-years, the patterns just don't look right for any I'm familiar with (too 'rectangular'). Further, if these were impressions from hemostats, one would expect the pattern to run right to the edge of the stamp paper which in some instances they don't. Sponge clamps could do this, but they're way wider than what we have here.

I would also guess these stamps swam thru the mail stream, but certainly weren't cancelled.

Another thing to check: emilio911, are the marks equally strong and clear on the back? If so, that would demonstrate that the marks were made by something holding the stamps. Otherwise only the front of the stamp on an envelope would take the brunt of the impact.

A metal gripper wheel would be idiotic to use on mail, but I realize this is Canada Post we're talking about. With this short of a track mark, it's just not effective. And by the examples shown, can we infer that 40% of mail in Canada has stamps placed sideways or at an angle? That's not true.

I have had mail from Canada, perhaps 3 letters a fortnight, over 12 months to 5 years, sometimes with 1 stamp, sometimes with 80 stamps aboard.
I'd still have around 300 maybe 500 covers, I've not noticed these markings.

I particularly sided with your observation...

The marks are always at the edge of a stamp, at several angles and positions relative to the upright stamp design. If you go through kiloware, the vast majority of senders don't angle rectangular stamps on a package or envelope. Upside down or sideways is uncommon, too. The marks are all of different sizes, looking to have been done manually.

But, I remain with an open mind.
I have seen love letters under stamps, swastikas coloured in, moustaches on Queen Victoria, who knows what goes on behind the desks of collectors

OK we can discount those, then.
I am not sure Bob or I were being serious with our guesses, just throwing out considerations, discounting mail machinery, what else leaves these types of marks?
If it is indeed sorting machinery, I'd be delighted to be proven wrong, but I want to see evidence.

Yes, I was just tossing the idea of hemostats out there (fishing) to see what others would say. So, the responses would seem to rule this out as an explanation.

Still haven't seen any "convincing" explanation, IMO.

I suppose it "could" be something as bizarre as the "Thickness segregator" or the "Thick/hard object Mail Stacker" in the CFC.
However it will always remain why Emilio has a stack of 4 or 5 stamps, and no one else (as yet) has seen them on their stamps.
I like mysteries.

Just to stir this pot a bit, here is test I just did with a pair of old Weiss stamp tongs on a folded PostIt note (black marks are some graphite I put on the tongs to highlight the pattern).


Note that this is lame 'science', just because I can figure out a way to emulate the marks is a poor substitute for finding actual Canadian covers with these marks.

Here are the tongs


I think they are 1930-1940 vintage and frankly are lethal tongs. I have mistakenly punched holes in a large stamps (see hole and peg in tongs). But I have occasionally used for a couple of decades when I am removing previously hinged stamps. The 'teeth' on the tongs allow for a very strong grip. And I also occasionally use them when I am handling 'slippery' self adhesive stamps.
Don

I side with those who think it's someone using "non-stamp" tongs, like eyebrow tweezers. Separating out soaked kiloware with tongs like Studebaker shows will definitely leave permanent marks. I made the same mistake myself as a newbie.

The stamps came from a seller in the Netherlands. Don't know if that info can help solve the mystery.

Thanks everyone!

Now we need to get an experienced sorter of Canada kiloware.

Wow! whether that's a solution or not, that is so cute, and surprising!
Thanks Don.

To illustrate what hijinx some collectors get up to,
imagine the effort, and imagination went into Spain Sc#397 cover
La Maja desnuda..........(Goya)
I had a double take when it arrived in a box of ephemera.