Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Of course, the origin of most of the stamps was impossible to determine except via a very small number of unique identifiable fancy cancels and some help from members of the Indiana Postal History Society. This was true of the 8,500 or so Scott #219, 220, 220a and 220c stamps that I unbundled. However, there is this one unique fancy cancel that showed up on 2 #219s and on 11 #220s.
When I was preparing to sell some of the cut squares on eBay 16 years ago, I checked around and could find no one who was familiar with this cancel. I sold two pair on eBay back then (1 #219 and 1 #220 in each pair), but hadn't done anything with any of the remaining stamp fancy cancels since then. A few days ago, I decided it was time to work on getting some more of these out of my hair. (They're fun and fascinating, but I don't collect them.) The fancy cancel pictured here still bugs me for some reason. I bought a used copy of Salkind's book several years ago and it's not in there. I downloaded the Cole book last year (thanks to a tip from an SoR thread!!!) and it's not in there either.
So, if anyone has any idea where this cancel was used, I'd like to hear from you. Hint: there is a better than 50-50 chance it's from Indiana or Ohio.
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Hi keesindy,
I checked most of my cancel reference books and did not find your cancel. I one more book to check, Whitefield, I'll check to see if it is in there. I won't get to it until tomorrow though.
Vince
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Thanks for checking, Vince. I hope Whitefield can give us an answer!
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Hi keesindy,
I checked Whitefield and "U.S. Cancels 1890-1900" by Sol Salkind, which covers the 2c red definitive stamps of the period with no luck. I checked my Wisconsin post mark catalog, Louisville markings and "Illinois 19th Century Cancel" with no luck. I do have one more place to check, US Cancellations column from Stamps magazine. These articles are from the 30's and 40's. There are several hundred pages so it will take some time. I haven't looked at these articles in some time so it will be fun to go through them again, I might learn something New.
Vince
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A man on a mission! 
I would say, "don't go to too much trouble," but it sounds like you're enjoying yourself. So, I'll refrain.
Tom
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Hi keesindy,
I was on a mission. I like to go through my reference material because I never know what I will find. I looked through about 500 pages of photo copies tonight and didn't find your cancel. This exercise helped me to organize some of my reference material to make access a little easier. I did have fun but now back to my cancelcollection.
Vince
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Thanks for the effort, Vince. I appreciate it. Hopefully, someday, this one will be found in a reference source and its origin identified.
Tom
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Background: In the 1960s Dad found a stash of many thousands of cut squares and stamps from the 1890s. All of the stamps were off paper! The 1c and 2c Columbians were neatly stuffed into old Clark thread boxes (a perfect fit, by the way.) The other stamps and cut squares were tightly bound with string and thread into bundles of 100 each. About 15 years ago, I began unbundling them all. Many cut squares were cut large enough to see portions of the business addressees and all were Union City, Indiana businesses (near where I grew up). The mail came from all over the country, judging by the partial date stamps on a few thousand of the cut squares. However, much of it came from towns and smaller cities in Indiana and Ohio (based on the cut squares info).
Of course, the origin of most of the stamps was impossible to determine except via a very small number of unique identifiable fancy cancels and some help from members of the Indiana Postal History Society. This was true of the 8,500 or so Scott #219, 220, 220a and 220c stamps that I unbundled. However, there is this one unique fancy cancel that showed up on 2 #219s and on 11 #220s.
When I was preparing to sell some of the cut squares on eBay 16 years ago, I checked around and could find no one who was familiar with this cancel. I sold two pair on eBay back then (1 #219 and 1 #220 in each pair), but hadn't done anything with any of the remaining stamp fancy cancels since then. A few days ago, I decided it was time to work on getting some more of these out of my hair. (They're fun and fascinating, but I don't collect them.) The fancy cancel pictured here still bugs me for some reason. I bought a used copy of Salkind's book several years ago and it's not in there. I downloaded the Cole book last year (thanks to a tip from an SoR thread!!!) and it's not in there either.
So, if anyone has any idea where this cancel was used, I'd like to hear from you. Hint: there is a better than 50-50 chance it's from Indiana or Ohio.
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re: An orphaned fancy cancel?
Hi keesindy,
I checked most of my cancel reference books and did not find your cancel. I one more book to check, Whitefield, I'll check to see if it is in there. I won't get to it until tomorrow though.
Vince
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: An orphaned fancy cancel?
Thanks for checking, Vince. I hope Whitefield can give us an answer!
Login to Like
this post
re: An orphaned fancy cancel?
Hi keesindy,
I checked Whitefield and "U.S. Cancels 1890-1900" by Sol Salkind, which covers the 2c red definitive stamps of the period with no luck. I checked my Wisconsin post mark catalog, Louisville markings and "Illinois 19th Century Cancel" with no luck. I do have one more place to check, US Cancellations column from Stamps magazine. These articles are from the 30's and 40's. There are several hundred pages so it will take some time. I haven't looked at these articles in some time so it will be fun to go through them again, I might learn something New.
Vince
2 Members
like this post.
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re: An orphaned fancy cancel?
A man on a mission!
I would say, "don't go to too much trouble," but it sounds like you're enjoying yourself. So, I'll refrain.
Tom
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this post
re: An orphaned fancy cancel?
Hi keesindy,
I was on a mission. I like to go through my reference material because I never know what I will find. I looked through about 500 pages of photo copies tonight and didn't find your cancel. This exercise helped me to organize some of my reference material to make access a little easier. I did have fun but now back to my cancelcollection.
Vince
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: An orphaned fancy cancel?
Thanks for the effort, Vince. I appreciate it. Hopefully, someday, this one will be found in a reference source and its origin identified.
Tom
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