Seeking Opinion On Cancellation On 85A

I would like to see if anyone else thinks the cancellation on 85 A is fishy. The postmark looks too old for the stamp. John

You might want to post an image?

https://www.google.com/imgres?q=sco...085a&imgurl=https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-1iek1jneyj/images/stencil/1280x1280/attribute_rule_images/136064_source_1741874100.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.mysticstamp.com/85a-1867-1c-franklin-blue-z-grill-perf-12/&docid=sWCw3UnFTV8EJM&tbnid=chKgvUqXkx4KJM&vet=12ahUKEwiGpPqKhcqPAxWiLkQIHZBhKqwQM3oECC0QAA..i&w=1061&h=1280&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiGpPqKhcqPAxWiLkQIHZBhKqwQM3oECC0QAA

Sometimes I think i'm getting old, not real savvy when it comes to posting photos, sorry

Sorry, but not working. You should practice in a specific SCF topic that is already set up for that.

Only two USA 85A are known, both used. Only one is in private hands, the one mystic used to own.

Beyond that we need an image.

Edited to add: your google link does not display and the mystic page is gone as they traded their 85A away for a block of C3a.

Adding the image


Their link is still up, but the stamp is obviously sold and unavailable

https://www.mysticstamp.com/85a-186...ill-perf-12/

Thank you for that Bradnod. However we do not know what image nor stamp the OP was referring to.

You're right, some clarification from OP would be helpful. It looked like his broken link was trying to show Mystic's, so thats what I had assumed he was referencing.

Aside from the ex-Mystic and ex-Gross etc. stamp pictured above the only known 85A is in the National Postal Museum as part of the Miller collection (pictured here). Perhaps OP can specify which one he was referring to?

The postmark on the ex Gross #85A is perfectly genuine. However it is only known used before July 1, 1863. Make you your own conclusions about the magical appearance of the cancel in the period of the genuine grills.

The date of July 1, 1863 is significant because the rate for both drop letters and printed matter posted in Philadelphia became 2c on that date. No real use for ANY one cent stamp in Philadelphia after that 1863 date.

Is this another way of saying there is not yet a good explanation as to how a z-grill appears on a cancelled stamp five years after the last known use of that cancellation that was in use when the stamp was not grilled?

I wrote off the board to NSK but short answer for public consumption is that my thoughts are well known to many and other stamp people have other opinions. I am a postal historian with scientific background and I tend to go with "ocam's razor" in such cases. I am not en expert on the grills.

Obviously any pair of one cent stamps would have use with a two cent rate.

Interestingly, most mass mailers of printed circulars would tend to use 2c black jacks after July 1863. No pair of 1c stamps is known used on cover from Philadelphia - after July 1863 most 1c stamps were sent to smaller post offices to use on local mail. Do you know of any pairs of 1c stamps used as late as 1867 on a printed matter cover from a major city? However, you do see some uses of strips of three and some 1c stamps on foreign uses.