Cancels show your stamps in a new light
By J.H. Krulla
Cancellations and postmarks form a vast area often overlooked by beginners.
Pre-cancels
Stamps overprinted with a city and state before being used. These stamps were used by bulk mailers and required a special license from the Post Office.
Dated precancels are precancels that have the user's initials and the month and year of use printed above the precancel itself. Click HERE for more information on how they got started.
Q.
What is an "integral handstamp" precancel type?
"Cancels" today are the bars or lines to the right of the CDS that "cancel" the stamp, i.e. deface it so it cannot be reused.
Precancels Precanceled postage stamps, or precancels, may be defined broadly as stamps that have been canceled before being affixed to mail matter.
Precancels:
Stamps with cancellations applied before the mailing of the article on which they prepay postage.
Provisionals: ...
Cut Cancels
One of several types of stamp-disfiguring cancellations found on U.S. revenues. Cuts are applied to stamps to prevent illegal reuse.
Machine Cancels - Stamps cancelled by machinery rather than hand stamps.
Mail Early block - U.S. marking block with the selvage bearing the inscription "Mail Early.'' ...
Precancels - Stamps canceled prior to the mailing of a letter. U.S. precancels often consist of a city and state name between two black lines and are used primarily by bulk mailers who do some of the sorting of mail themselves.
Pen cancels with a simple cross, initials or other markings.
Perfin or punched hole cancels.
Embossing.
Damaging the surface of the stamp using a serrated or ridged roller.
Multiple parallel cuts.
Gridiron Cancels - common 19th century cancellations consisting of rows of parallel lines enclosed in a circle.
Railway cancels: used on traveling post offices (T.P.O.), marking may be "Poste Ambulante" in France and Belgium; terminal points are used in Germany and Egypt; sometimes with the train number.
"" Other precancels may include the city and state of the issuing post office. Precanceled stamps are used by volume mailers who hold a permit to use them. U.S. precancels fall into two categories: 1) Locals have the mark or text applied by a town or ...
The indication of stamps being precancels is applied by a post office before the stamps are sold. Precanceled stamps are used by volume mailers who hold a permit to use them. U.S. precancels fall into two categories: 1) Locals have the mark or text ...
Often, the cancels are printed on the stamps at the same time that the stamp design is printed. CTO stamps are sold to stamp dealers at large discounts from face value. CTO stamps have never seen actual postal use.
Fugitive. An ink intended to prevent cleaning of stamp cancels, which runs when in contact with water or other fluid.
Georgian Stamps. Adhesives issued by Britain during the reigns of King George V and King George VI.
Have a look at the stamps you have. Some of the cancels might have the name of the town or city they came from. Some will have the date. Can you find one with your birth date on it?
Fake: A stamp, cover or cancel that has been altered or concocted to appeal to a collector. In a broad sense, fakes include repairs, reperforations and regummed stamps, as well as painted-in cancels, bogus cancels or counterfeit markings.
STAMPS ON COLORED PAPER OR WITH COLORED INK CANCELS:
Cut away all the excess envelope paper without harming the edges of the stamp.
A designation of fine means a stamp without flaws, average centering, gum with light hinge marks. Used stamps designated "fine" are not quite as fresh, cancels are heavier and centering is good.
Factors include color, selvage, plate or die variations, unusual cancels, faults, hinging, gum, and markings.
 See also: Cancel, Stamp, Used, Cover, Catalog
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