1614-87 Cover Question

The value is for THIS precancel style from THIS city on THIS stamp. There is another precancel style from the same city on the same stamp that the Precancel Stamp Society "Bureau" catalog prices at $0.25 each.
My question(s) remain : Does the date of the cancellation have any postal significance in relation to this stamp? Would I destroy any "postal history" by removing the stamps from this envelope ?
The date of the cancellation is nearly a year after the 7.7 cent postal rates became obsolete.

Parcelpostguy - I believe you are saying what I had hoped some would say - that removing the stamps from this envelope would make no difference one way or the other - right?

The pair would remain "used" as noted by the partial handstamp cancellation, but not as being a verified in-period usage. Of course if the envelope was trimmer down, the terms cut square or 1" x 2" cut corner come to mind, then you would be verifying when it was used. If you view the date of use as a negative, soaking will remove that view. However the pair, on cover, cut corner or as a soaked pair will never be established as an in period use.

Me, if I was a hole (space) filler would soak it. However as much more of a postal history person, I would keep it as a cover. For me while not in-period, it is close enough to keep intact, especially with today being some 45 years later.

So ends my 2 7.7 cents' worth.

While yes two 7.7 stamps covered the 1st class rate of the day, there was still no need to cancel by the clerk, thus it is a pure favor cancel.

In general the transportation and bicentennial series of coils are a fun, frustrating and deep, deep area to collect. I believe few collectors have any understanding of how deep this area can be. When first issued, they the coils certainly spurred collecting. Even a basic Scott specialized album for the coils of that period is a three volume national sized set, when last I looked. I only own the first two volumes which are brand new and unused. I got the set for a few dollars last October and boy was I surprised to learn there was still a volume three back at the time the set was issued. It was "new old stock" of a stamp store which closed over a decade ago.

Thanks to all - I don't "collect" "covers". I do "put back" covers I think may have something of "importance" - until I find that they aren't anything "special". I collect stamps, and right now am concentrating on the stamps of the Americana Series. I differ from many in that since the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced the "Bureau precancels" as part of a particular stamps production "run", I consider each precancel on a particular stamp as a "face different" variety of the basic stamp - along with the gum, error and tagging, etc. varieties - and collect them as such. All that being said, I went ahead and soaked them off and they're in my Americana Issues album now. Thanks again for taking the time to look and respond.