Sale 1316 — United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 19-20 March, 2024
Category — Precancels and Patent Cancels
2c Black (73). Centered to right, manuscript "1864" cancel entirely within the stamp, press-printed "Cumberland Me. Mar. 28" circular datestamp with "28" in manuscript on "Horace I. Gray Card & Job Printer" corner card cover to the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Carmel Me.
VERY FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE CUMBERLAND, MAINE, PRESS-PRINTED DATESTAMP ON A COVER WITH THE 1863 2-CENT BLACK JACK.
The Cumberland press-printed postmarks are discussed by Sterling T. Dow in Maine Postal History and Postmarks and by James W. Milgram in an article in the Chronicle (May 2005, pp. 90-95). There are five types. This type (Dow Ty. 5), and perhaps all of the others, were printed by Horace I. Gray. Examples of this type are also known with 1c and 3c 1861 Issues on cover where the stamp is not tied and is separately cancelled by manuscript, as well as one tied (offered in our 2011 Rarities sale). Milgram states that the Ty. 5 datestamp was printed prior to the stamps being applied, which may or may not have been the case here, though the 1864 date written entirely within the margins of the stamp could also indicate a precancel that was applied to each stamp in the sheet before application to the covers.
Illustrated in the Allen book on p. 33. Ex Faust. Accompanied by a second later cover with the same corner card and "1866" manuscript postmark on the 2c Black Jack, but without the press-printed datestamp. Also accompanied by an advertising enclosure from Horace I. Gray dated Mar. 1, 1866.
2c Black (73). Three strikes of clear Rochester double-circle precancel handstamp, affixed to unsealed red James Vick Flower and Vegetable Seeds illustrated corner card cover to Prospect O., slight edgewear, Very Fine, a rare precancel on the Black Jack, the stamps in Rochester were cancelled in full panes by the Rochester double-circle postmark (dateless), then separated, very few are known, ex Faust
2c Black (73). Horizontal pair, both stamps with brushstroke "+" precancel, right stamp with small corner creases, left stamp with a nibbed perf at top, still Fine and unusual, with 1988 P.F. certificate confirming these are precancelled by declining opinion on where the cancel originated (submitted as Harrisburg Pa.)
2c Black, Patent Cancels (73). Three covers, each with patent cancel, first used with 3c Rose (65) with "Buffalo N.Y. Jan. 6, 1865" circular datestamp to Saginaw City Mich., 2c stamp with a pulled perf, second over with two 2c and also with Buffalo circular datestamp to Williams College Mass., third with single tied by "Albany N.Y. Oct. 10" circular datestamp on folded printed notice from 1863 used locally, overall Very Fine, scarce examples of these cancels which cut into the stamp to prevent reuse, two are ex Faust