Dear APS #104143 (aka friend Avi):
I've never seen a catalogue of U.S. cancellations, but I suspect that there are many catalogues/listings of cancellations representing different places and times. I know that there is a listing of APO numbers, published by Jim Forte, with an abridged but very useful version available for free on his web site.
If you are looking for a particular time/place, I would suggest contacting the American Philatelic Research Library. They provide efficient and inexpensive searches for articles and publications on virtually any topic, and you have the advantage of living in the U.S., which means you can borrow items by mail. I've used the APRL on several occasions, with excellent results.
Bob Ingraham
There was a United States Postal Slogan Cancel Catalog last published in 1975 by Moe Luff. I have a copy and if anybody needs something researched, please email me. Catalog lists the slogan cancels alphabetically by first word in cancel.
(Message edited by john_macco on October 23, 2009)
I collect various US postmarks and can say for sure that there is no single catalog that has information or listings of all US cancellations -- kind of like a Scott but for cancels.
Instead there exists a wealth of individual publications. These are sometimes on a particular style of cancellation. Publications on specific styles of cancellations usually contain a listing of all post offices known to have used such cancellation. In addition one might find information on earliest and latest dates of use, and occasionally there might be a valuation or rarity guide.
Another stream of philatelic literature is focused on postmarks in a certain geographic area. Mostly a state, sometimes a large city, and occasionaly even a rural county. Most postal history collecting in the US is local. Many collectors strive to acquire one postmark from every post office in their county etc. and, thus, listings of post offices are of extreme importance. In some respect, the focus here is on collecting postmarks not so much as collecting post offices.
An important but little known web resource is Jim Forte's list of 187,000 US post offices by state and county:
http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp
There are also such listings for purchase and I believe some of these have valuation guides, valueing the post office.
Finally, there are publications that focus on certain areas of postal history, like ship mail or military mail. Here you may also find information on related postmarks and probably the most "catalog-like" listings.
In essence, the varied landscape of the available literature reflects the many different ways cancellations can be collected. Many of these publications are truely just only a labor of love by the author, available in limited editions only and hard to find once sold out. I have been collecting literature as much as stamps and covers of the last few years -- but don't have the Luff slogan cancel catalog.
So my question for John: what is the time period covered in the Luff catalog? Does it go all the way to 1975 and does it identify all towns that used the slogan, for instance, Pray for Peace etc.? I own the Payne slogan cancel catalog, which is more recent, but only goes to 1940.
The Luff catalog does not list the individual post offices that use a particular slogan cancel. It just says 'various cities' if more than one uses a particular cancel.
Luis,
I have a book called Cancellations and Killers of the Banknote Era 1870-1894 Catalog. This is essentially a catalog of Fancy Cancels during those years.
There is also a website devoted to Doane Cancels: http://www.doanecancel.com/
Bob
Is there a catalogue of US cancellations?
If any one knows the answer please let me know.
Philatellicaly,
Avi
APS#104143
re: Cancellation resources
Dear APS #104143 (aka friend Avi):
I've never seen a catalogue of U.S. cancellations, but I suspect that there are many catalogues/listings of cancellations representing different places and times. I know that there is a listing of APO numbers, published by Jim Forte, with an abridged but very useful version available for free on his web site.
If you are looking for a particular time/place, I would suggest contacting the American Philatelic Research Library. They provide efficient and inexpensive searches for articles and publications on virtually any topic, and you have the advantage of living in the U.S., which means you can borrow items by mail. I've used the APRL on several occasions, with excellent results.
Bob Ingraham
re: Cancellation resources
There was a United States Postal Slogan Cancel Catalog last published in 1975 by Moe Luff. I have a copy and if anybody needs something researched, please email me. Catalog lists the slogan cancels alphabetically by first word in cancel.
(Message edited by john_macco on October 23, 2009)
re: Cancellation resources
I collect various US postmarks and can say for sure that there is no single catalog that has information or listings of all US cancellations -- kind of like a Scott but for cancels.
Instead there exists a wealth of individual publications. These are sometimes on a particular style of cancellation. Publications on specific styles of cancellations usually contain a listing of all post offices known to have used such cancellation. In addition one might find information on earliest and latest dates of use, and occasionally there might be a valuation or rarity guide.
Another stream of philatelic literature is focused on postmarks in a certain geographic area. Mostly a state, sometimes a large city, and occasionaly even a rural county. Most postal history collecting in the US is local. Many collectors strive to acquire one postmark from every post office in their county etc. and, thus, listings of post offices are of extreme importance. In some respect, the focus here is on collecting postmarks not so much as collecting post offices.
An important but little known web resource is Jim Forte's list of 187,000 US post offices by state and county:
http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp
There are also such listings for purchase and I believe some of these have valuation guides, valueing the post office.
Finally, there are publications that focus on certain areas of postal history, like ship mail or military mail. Here you may also find information on related postmarks and probably the most "catalog-like" listings.
In essence, the varied landscape of the available literature reflects the many different ways cancellations can be collected. Many of these publications are truely just only a labor of love by the author, available in limited editions only and hard to find once sold out. I have been collecting literature as much as stamps and covers of the last few years -- but don't have the Luff slogan cancel catalog.
So my question for John: what is the time period covered in the Luff catalog? Does it go all the way to 1975 and does it identify all towns that used the slogan, for instance, Pray for Peace etc.? I own the Payne slogan cancel catalog, which is more recent, but only goes to 1940.
re: Cancellation resources
The Luff catalog does not list the individual post offices that use a particular slogan cancel. It just says 'various cities' if more than one uses a particular cancel.
re: Cancellation resources
Luis,
I have a book called Cancellations and Killers of the Banknote Era 1870-1894 Catalog. This is essentially a catalog of Fancy Cancels during those years.
There is also a website devoted to Doane Cancels: http://www.doanecancel.com/
Bob