U311 1890 cut square UPSS die 88 fancy cancel geometric missing quadrant, EFO

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

U311

Stamp Type

Postal Stationery

Condition

Used

Stamp Format

Error

Topic

People - Politicians

Year of Issue

1890

Item Description

38x44mm. This cut square was among thousands of stamps and cut squares collected from businesses at Union City, Indiana, in the early 1890s. Most of the readable postmarks in this hoard are from 1891 to 1893. Most of the 11-12,000 cut squares have the two-cent green Washington indicium that the United Postal Stationery Society (UPSS) identifies as Die 88. The Scott catalog number for this example on laid white paper is U311. This cut square includes part of a UPSS watermark 8. There is some soiling along the right side of the cut square.

The partial circular date stamp (CDS) includes the letters ____DRIA. The obliteration appears to be three quarters of a rectangular design. This could be an unusual inking problem, but that seems unlikely given that the hoard contained a Scott #220 stamp with a nearly identical obliteration. The hoard also contains a handful of die 88 cut squares with this same small portion of a CDS and similar obliterations, but with all four segments. In other words, I do not know if this obliteration represents an intentional design, a modified design or something else.

The stamps in the hoard had been soaked from the envelopes around the time of their collection. The stamps and cut squares were then sorted and tied tightly with string and sewing thread into bundles of 100 each. That process protected most of the items from damage and aging for over a century. I inherited and began unpacking the bundles in 2000. None of these sale items from the hoard has ever been in a collection.

Mail was arriving at Union City from all over the country via three railroads. Much of that mail was from small cities and towns in Indiana and Ohio and to a lesser degree from smaller communities in other nearby states. In other words, most of the fancy and geometric cancels probably originated within 150 to 200 miles of Union City. If this circular date stamp is from an Alexandria post office, the nearest would be Alexandria, Ohio, and Alexandria, Indiana. Alexandria, Ohio, is about 115 miles east of Union City and the 1890 population was only 296. Alexandria, Indiana is 45 miles west of Union City with an 1890 population of 715. Of course, there are other more distant possibilities.

The Die 88 stamped envelopes were printed in huge quantities. They display a wide variety of inking problems and die varieties, many of which fall under the EFO (errors, freaks and oddities) umbrella. Except for a few newly identified items that are not yet confirmed, these variations are found on multiple copies and have been documented; some display progressive characteristics.

The primary variety on this cut square is the serif on the lower bar of each letter “E” in the UNITED STATES POSTAGE text. Serifs are usually absent, but I have identified 153 Die 88 cut squares in the hoard with the serifs. When they do exist, the serifs vary in size from one cut square to the next. The serifs in this cut square are relatively small and more common than the larger serifs. Another variation is a small nub, or spur, on the line below the “A” in STATES. I have identified only four copies in the hoard with this characteristic.

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Seller Information

Seller

keesindy (4648)

Registered Since

04/11/2016

Feedback

100%

Store

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Item Location

Indiana, United States

Ships To

United States

Shipping Instructions

About 3½ years ago, I stopped selling and shipping outside the US due to new postal rules and rapidly rising costs. The USPS is raising postal rates again in January 2019. Today, December 25, 2018, due to the continuing rise in the cost of postage and associated fees, I am reluctantly raising my general shipping fee for the first time in many years. My sales here at HipStamp involve no additional charge for the purchase of multiple stamps. Shipping is via USPS unless otherwise specified. Be sure to contact me before making your purchases if you have questions.

Returns Accepted

Yes

Returns Policy

All items may be returned unless otherwise stated in the listing. Of course, I cannot be responsible if uninsured items are damaged during shipping. If you are dissatisfied with a purchase, contact me within 7 days of your receipt of the item to make arrangements for returning it. If I have made an error in my listing or the item is not as described, you will receive a full reimbursement plus the pre-agreed-upon cost to return the item.