The Classic Cancel

Item #	Description	Price
395	#O58, 2 cent State, XF, fresh with large margins and black cork cancel (appears darker in scan than actual). Single nibbed perf at right and two tiny corner creases do not detract from this very attractive official.	$40
2903	#O59, VF, sound, bearing a VF strike of NY foreign mail numeral 4 ellipse killer.	SOLD
1794	#O59, F-VF, 3 cent State, fresh and sound copy, tied by VF strike of Washington, DC 1882 postmark and 1 in triple circle duplexed killer on VF unreduced cover. The cover was mailed to Peoria, IL, by a member of the U.S. Legation to Bolivia, part of the known Adams correspondence. There is a small blue hand stamp "DEPARTMENT OF STATE" on front, and the back flap shows the logo of the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. (back scan) A very nice and scarce item.	SOLD
3686	#O60, mint, o.g. (hinge disturbed), VF, sound, bright and fresh, crisp perfs, from plate position 27 displaying a major plate scratch in the left margin that projects into the stamp. Scarce and desirable plate variety.	$175
2016	#O60, 6 cent State, fine, cancelled by violet quartered cork killer with matching APR 29, 1878 Washington, D.C. postmark. The VF Department of State, U.S.A. cover is neatly opened at right with two clean vertical bends at left. The stamp has a tiny corner crease at lower right and is very fresh. Very scarce on cover usage, especially with color killer.	$650
3439	#O62, 10 cent State, XF, bearing an XF-superb strike of Washington, DC indigo outlined barred ellipse killer, extremely scarce this well struck, especially on such a beautiful stamp. (Click image for enlarged scan.)	SOLD
4047	#O61, F+ 7 cent State, cancelled by a double oval 1884 New York City foreign mail killer. Stamp has small hinge thin. Neat and scarce use.	$40
4928	#O72, F-VF SE stamp, tiny faults, tied by quartered cork killer and paying the 1 cent unsealed circular rate on fine Treasury Department return envelope, docketed MAY 18 on front and 1875 on reverse. Quarter inch cover reduction at right and small tear. Scarce.	$85
4081	#O72, fine, tied by quartered cork killer and circa 1874 SHARON, MAS. postmark on intact unsealed old style USIR Collector's Office large envelope, manuscript "Missent" with additional postmark. Small cover faults at top.	$75
3789	#O72, fine 1 cent Treasury, fault, tied by XF strike of violet NEW BERNE, NC APR 5, 1878 postmark and matching duplexed target killer on VF intact small USIR Collector's Office unsealed drop rate circular. Scarce, especially this clean.	SOLD
4130	#O72, VF, nice margins, fresh, light cork grid killer. Pretty stamp. Repaired perf at left.	$5
4327	#O73, 2 cent Treasury, fine, tiny fault, tied by hollowed quartered cork killer on unsealed intact early style USIR penalty envelope from North Carolina 4th district office paying circular rate to private citizen. This is an extremely scarce use of a penalty with an official stamp.	SOLD
4549	#O73, F+, sound 2c Treasury, tied by red geometric with matching Washington, D.C. NOV postmark (an 1873 use as detailed below) on Third Auditor's Office obsolete free frank envelope front. It is addressed to G. W. Z. Black. According to internet research, Mr. Black was a colonel during the Civil War, a delegate to the Republican National Convention 1868, and admitted to the bar in Fulton County, Maryland, in 1871. Mr. Black's address on the front is written only as "Present." At upper left appear the abbreviation letters W.S.S. The reverse has several written entries. What follows is my best interpretation of the writing: No. 29.3 50 - Jas. K. Skinner [?] / (holder and owner) / Vouchers $189.50 / Is the case not com / plete and ready / for adjudication. / G.W.Z.B Att'y In calling for proof of delivery, / please give me sufficient / memoranda from which I / can prepare affidavit for claim / ant. / Please send answer through / city post office. / G.W.Z.B. Clark St 5 [?] / StockNOV 17/7[?] [???] / [continuation line] / No ans necssy - No ans necssy / Nov 20 73 [apparently in hand of GWZB] blue oval THIRD AUDITOR'S OFFICE RECEIVED / NOV 22 1873 This is a very interesting and curious item. It probably originated as an intact envelope whose front was removed, filed and annotated as the case progressed. The "Present" address would indicate that Mr. Black did not have a D.C. office and instead retrieved his mail directly at a window in the DCPO on his trips into the capitol from Maryland. The red postmark indicates local delivery, but in this case it essentially represents general delivery. The blue oval receiving hand stamp on the back is normally found on undeliverable mail returned to the Third Auditor's Office. Here, however, it appears to have been used as a sort of official confirmation towards the end of the exchange when the front was presented at the Third Auditor's Office. A wonderful official mail item.	SOLD
4969	#O73, XF, sound, firm perfs all around. Due to the size of the design of this stamp it is very difficult to find this so well centered with such nice margins. Great color, moderate cancel, a very nice stamp.	$30
4601	#O73, F-VF, fresh, canceled by a VF strike of a small blue negative shield in serrated circle killer, unlisted.	SOLD
1310	#O73, VF-XF, sound, with SOTN semi-transparent block negative H cancellation of Boston, MA. This particular stamp is exceedingly difficult to find with nice margins like this. (See: Campbell, Alan, "The Quest for Perfection: Observations on Grading and on Perforating the Official Stamps," The Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues, November 2007.)	$20
4292	#O74, avg-fine, bearing an XF SOTN strike of positive letter H killer, with NORTH ADAMS, MASS. postmark on fine USIR Collectors office cover, half inch reduction at left. All fancy and representative killers on officials are scarce.	SOLD
4632	#O74, fine pair, small faults, bearing two XF strikes of large star with central circle killer (possibly Whitfield 3289). Eye catching pair.	SOLD
3912	#O74, VF, tiny perf thin, bearing a bold SOTN strike of LEBANON, ILL, JUL 1877 postmark. Town postmarks from small towns are scarce and desirable.	SOLD

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