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The POD authorised precanceling of stamps in 1887, and produced standardised guidelines on their design in May 1903. US precancels are generally divided into two groups: Bureaus and Locals. Locals, used unofficially since the 1840s, were prepared by postmasters using stamps and equipment they had on
357:
The exact date of the introduction of
Bureaus is unclear; Forster gives 1916 while the Precancel Stamp Society gives 1913. This confusion may be due to the fact that in 1913, the POD began distributing precanceling devices so making most precancels consistent, and that in 1916, the Bureau printed
61:
time and effort by prearranging to use the precancels, and delivering the stamped mail ready for sorting. The postal administration will typically offer an incentive in the form of a reduced price for precanceled stamps in volume. Precancels cannot normally be purchased by the general public,
197:
Around the early twentieth century, some U.S. business colleges used specially pre-cancelled stamps or stamp-like labels to train students in the handling of stamps. Precancels were also used to train
83:. In 1922, the precancel was changed to three pairs of horizontal bars. In the 1930s, town names were replaced with a corresponding numeral of either four numbers or three numbers preceded by an 'X'.
221:, formed in 1922 from two previously-existing clubs, specializes in the study of precancels. A number of catalogs list all the types of precancels issued in the countries that use them.
282:
240:
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Widespread French use of precancels began in 1920 with cancels including the year and city. This was scrapped in 1922 in favour of a standard overprint in a semicircle reading
146:
The first use of precancels (both in the US and globally) was by Hale & Co., an independent mail company in the United States in the 1840s which undercut the expensive
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150:(POD). The first precancels were created in 1843 or early 1844 and their complexity varies; most were "crude straight lines" across the stamps, but examples from
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as an experimental venture. The experiment was judged a failure and was discontinued. The Bureau began regularly printing precancels again in 1923.
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Canada used precancels from 1889 to 1982. Initially, they consisted only of waves and bars applied with ink roller, but the town and
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before being affixed to mail. A number of nations of the world use precancels, typically in the form of an
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158:. Hale & Co., along with all other independent mail carriers, was shut down by an 1845 act of
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Monaco has issued precancels since 1943, with an identical overprint to that of France.
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The 1903 standardised design with the city and state between two horizontal lines.
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213:, a magazine for precancel collectors, was first published in 1919 and the
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U.S. 2¢ stamp of 1938 with New York precancel, Scott No. 806, PSS type 71
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Precanceled stamps are typically used by mass mailers, who can save the
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has only issued one precancel, a 1½ cent stamp used from 1952 to 1959.
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217:, a catalog of US precancel stamps, was first published in 1940. The
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565:"THE MIKE FARRELL COLLECTION OF INDEPENDENT MAILS: Hale & Co"
460:
178:
391:
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for short, is a postage stamp that has been legitimately
493:. Warners Group Publications. February 2018. p. 33.
754:
154:, New Hampshire were precanceled with "P / N.H." in
594:"Review: "Hale & Co. Independent Mail Company""
173:Precancels are known from over 20,000 towns across
419:Ed Kane; Charles Neyhart (January–February 2011).
62:although they are often seen in one's daily mail.
16:Postage stamp which has been cancelled before use
489:"Philatelic curiosities: Pre-cancelled stamps".
429:Book Reports of the Northwest Philatelic Library
756:. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 1997, p. 264.
663:"STAMPS; A COLLECTION OF PARCELS BEHIND BARS"
8:
166:hand. Bureaus are those manufactured by the
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685:
246:Precancel stamp of the United States from
540:"The United Nations Precancel, 1952–1958"
694:"Precancels on the 1869 Pictorial Issue"
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421:"Precancels as a sideline collection"
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515:"Illustrated Glossary of Precancels"
335:United Nations Postal Administration
170:, which came into use in the 1910s.
148:United States Post Office Department
128:United Nations Postal Administration
661:Richard L. Sine (2 December 1984).
692:Jeffrey M. Forster (August 2005).
14:
201:employees in the United Kingdom.
79:was added in 1903, similar to in
702:U.S. Philatelic Classics Society
629:"Hale & Co.Independent Mail"
602:U.S. Philatelic Classics Society
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168:Bureau of Engraving and Printing
592:Gordon Stimmell (August 2005).
544:United Nations Philatelists Inc
303:Canadian precancel stamp from
1:
513:Colin Philip; Dave Philcox.
231:Examples of precancel stamps
95:(Affranchissements Postes).
572:Carriers and Locals Society
806:
519:Precancel Stamp Society GB
368:Springfield, Massachusetts
276:Precancel stamp of France
261:Precancel stamp from the
110:also issued precancels.
733:Precancel Stamp Society
396:Precancel Stamp Society
333:Precancel stamp of the
219:Precancel Stamp Society
790:Philatelic terminology
392:"What are precancels?"
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26:
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98:During their time as
24:
456:"Precanceled Stamps"
752:Carlton, R. Scott.
491:Stamp and Coin Mart
318:Precancel stamp of
288:Precancel stamp of
668:The New York Times
144:
93:AFFRANCHts. POSTES
27:
366:, Louisiana, and
263:Panama Canal Zone
248:Buffalo, New York
211:Precancel Gazette
81:the United States
47:definitive series
31:precanceled stamp
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175:all 50 states
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156:block letters
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134:United States
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59:postal system
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736:. Retrieved
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711:. Retrieved
709:(3): 186–189
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672:. Retrieved
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609:(3): 181–182
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364:New Orleans
305:Quebec City
199:Post Office
183:Puerto Rico
774:Categories
762:0873414489
729:"Glossary"
378:References
215:Black Book
152:Portsmouth
43:overprint
39:cancelled
35:precancel
436:(1): 1–9
160:Congress
77:province
49:stamps.
636:Frajola
401:30 June
320:Belgium
290:Algeria
225:Gallery
108:Tunisia
104:Algeria
66:History
760:
738:9 July
713:9 July
674:9 July
641:9 July
613:9 July
577:9 July
549:9 July
524:9 July
467:9 July
440:9 July
114:Monaco
87:France
71:Canada
697:(PDF)
632:(PDF)
597:(PDF)
568:(PDF)
424:(PDF)
345:Notes
205:Study
33:, or
758:ISBN
740:2021
715:2021
676:2021
643:2021
615:2021
579:2021
551:2021
526:2021
469:2021
461:USPS
442:2021
403:2021
209:The
185:and
179:Guam
126:The
106:and
53:Use
45:on
776::
731:.
707:57
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699:.
684:^
665:.
651:^
634:.
607:57
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517:.
499:^
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432:.
426:.
411:^
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102:,
29:A
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
