U314 cut square, UPSS Die 88 thinner pale blue paper fancy cancel geometric

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

U314

Stamp Type

Postal Stationery

Condition

Used

Stamp Format

Single

Topic

People - Politicians

Year of Issue

1890

Item Description

31x40mm (measured at bottom and left side). This cut square is Scott U314 green indicium on thin blue laid paper. The United Postal Stationery Society (UPSS) identifies these 2c Washington envelopes with this particular indicium as Die 88. This copy has no watermark. The cancel may be an ellipse or a circular three-ring bullseye or a two-ring target.

This paper is thinner and more pale when compared to the typical blue paper. The paper is thin enough that the laid paper lines can be seen in the scan; this is not the case with the normal paper. The laid paper lines on this copy are at about 45 degrees. I have found only three cut squares in the Union City hoard (see next paragraph) with this paper. Each of these has a distinctly different crossbar on the letter “G” of POSTAGE, suggesting each was printed with a different die. The post offices of origin are unknown.

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 the hoard are from the period 1891 to 1893. The stamps 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.

Although mail was coming to Union City via three railroads from all over the country, much of it seemed to be coming 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.

The Die 88 stamped envelope indicia were printed in huge quantities. They display a wide variety of inking problems (including setoffs) and die varieties that fall under the EFO (errors, freaks and oddities) umbrella. Except for a few newly identified items that are yet to be confirmed, these characteristics are repeating and documented; some display progressive characteristics. This copy does not appear to have any of the obvious varietal characteristics.

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APS Member

Seller Information

Seller

keesindy (4648)

Registered Since

04/11/2016

Feedback

100%

Store

Stamps from Keesindy

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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.