Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

A couple more NYC cancels. These are the rare 1853 year-date cancels only used for 16 days.

Winston's 6-bar cancel is the "serrated slug"(my name for it) that I had previously referred to. A rare and great item.

I always enjoy seeing the slug and 1853 Year dates as well. Fun stuff.

Winston, love seeing the 6-bar, thanks.

Are any known on the 3 cent stamp?

Sinclair —

I echo what StampCrow said — that is a gorgeous NY integral 6-bar — and one that I have never seen in over 25 years of collecting the 3-cent issue of 1851-1857. Same question as StampCrow — Do you know if it exists on the 3-cent imperf?

Again — a gem of a cancel — and thanks for showing it.

Regards // ioagoa

I'm definitely interested in Winston's take on the cancels as well.

I'll offer my observations, which are, for both the 6-bar and the slug:

- I've never seen either on anything other than a 1c stamp, but a non-1c could exist.

- All covers I've seen, including at least 1 6-bar were on circular/printed matter mail.

- The cancels themselves with no Month/Day slugs, seem quite appropriate for printed matter/junk mail. Printed matter was often cancelled with just a killer and no other identifying information. These provide the city, but no need to change a date slug - so just as good, for printed matter as a simple killer.

So I think these were made for printed matter.

And given the stamp usually used for printed matter is a 1c stamp, it seems to all add up.

An idea just popped into my head after my last post.

Why was the slug made?
- they had grid killers

At this time the circular rate was distance based. Up to 500 miles was 1c, over 500-1000 miles was 2c. This was in effect July 1, 1851 - Sep 30, 1852.

So there are a modest number of pairs of 1c stamps paying the 2c rate. If they just used a small grid killer, they would have to strike it twice. With the big slug, you could strike it once and hit both stamps. I have had and seen numerous such slug covers with only one strike of the slug hitting both stamps.

So that's my thought for the evening. Nite.

Thanks, Caper. The design is a nice blend of good engraving and intricate border. The border doesn't detract from Washington by being too "busy".

Some nice examples of #17 are in the Siegel auction next week.

I have to confess that I have a soft spot for the 12c 1851 too!

Tex, Thank you for reminding me what I have in my own collection! I have never seen any of these cancels on a 3c stamp. Since it does appear that the large central slug style cancels were only used on circular mail, it would be a difficult item to find. One can imagine some scenarios where it would be possible but quite a stretch and quite a rarity.

Since I'm showing pairs... A tremendously beautiful early printing from Plate 1L.

How about one more. Plate 1E, top row.

Beautiful pairs. I really likes the 17 pair, one of my favorite designs!

TxStamp and Sinclair -- Thank you both for the follow-up on the 6-bar NY cancel -- and now it makes sense why we have never yet -- and likely never will -- see one of those elusive NY 6-bar cancels on a 3 cent stamp.

Sinclair -- those are gorgeous multiples -- thanks for showing them. I especially like the 12c pair and the top row 1c pair from 1E. Do you have any 3 cent "eye candy" multiples to round out the set that we might be able to see?

sinclair2010 - Your 12¢ pair is spectacular. I think pairs, both horizontal and vertical of the 1851-1857 issue are so much nicer to look at than single stamps. I wish I could afford to buy more of them.

bankruptcollector and Winston, Those are some beautiful 1-cent and 12-cent stamps! Thanks for showing them.

Here's a 52R1L, 53R1L, 54R1L strip of three with not so great margins: