US Precancels
A precanceled stamp in the US is not only a stamp that was canceled *BEFORE* affixing, but also stamps that are canceled *AFTER* affixing, but before delivery to the post office for handling.
Precanceling in the US started gradually, in the middle of the 19th century. Localities started with arbitrary designs, letters or strokes as the emblem of the cancellation (Like circular date stamps(cds) are used for post-office cancellation). From this time on the form or style of the cancellation has gone through stages including "bars" and pen strokes. Then townnames and state names/abbreviations were used. And that was a big hit.
For the last 90 years this has been the practise, although different variants have been used as you can read further.
In 1970 the bureau of engraving and printing (referred to as bureau from now on) printed precanceled Christmas stamps (Scott#'s 1414-1418) with 2 straight (on 1414) or 2 wavy lines (on the others). This was furnished to 68 cities. Many of them have been cancelled like all other Christmas stamps.
In 1974 another trial was made with Christmas stamps. In this case a 'self-adhesive' stamp was issued with an inscription in the design: PRECANCELED
Since 1975 bureau precancels dropped the usage of town/state names and included lines only and other special service indicators like 'BULK RATE' and 'PRESORTED'.
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This was followed a few years later with the introduction of stamps with fractional values. These stamps had service indicators in their design. (Like 'Bulk Rate' in below stamp)
In 1985 Service indicators, not being part of the design,were printed on stamps without the 'lines'
Local precancel devices though still use town/state names.
Sometimes you will be filled with joy, since you just 'discovered' an yet unknown/unlisted precancel. Although this is possible, these finds are very rare indeed. It is more likely that a 'box cancel' has been applied in such a manner, it is difficult to distinguish from a local precancel device.
Check for example below 'precancel' from Orangeville, Ill, with the same cancel applied differently on a larger stamp.
versus 
For US precanceling the printing press is used most frequently, but a fair amount is applied by hand-stamps, or half-automated hand-stamps. Various styles of typesetting have been used (nowadays called fonts). Some of them universally, some of them unique to one or a few localities. I will try to show the different types that exist.
A large number of precanceled stamps were produced by the use of electrotype plates. These elctros were made from an original set-up of the style selected for the precancel. The original design was repeated sufficiently to make up the size of the electrotype plate desired. (25, 50, or 100 subjects for one plate). These plates were then used in the printing press, just like the original dies of the stamps. The pane of stamps was placed on the bed of the press and the overprint was applied. The style is generally two bars or two lines eith the names of the city and the state centered between these lines or bars. Sometimes the panes were placed upside down. The precancel is then called 'inverted'. It also happened that half of the pane was printed 'normal' and the other half 'inverted'. This was due to the fact that for example a plate of 50 subjects was used to print over panes of 100 stamps. The plate was applied once, then the pane was turned over, and the other half was printed.
As of 1916 the bureau of engraving and printing, Washington D.C. produced precancels
with city and state name (later also with lines only or with service indicators).
Their first attempt was in 1916, the so-called 'experimentals', which were supp;lied
to 3 cities only: New Orleans, LA; Springfield, Mass; Augusta, Maine
No other runs were made until 1923, when precanceling was adapted to the printer
used to produce all US stamps in those days. This press used curved plates mounted
on a roll, and was fed by rolls of paper, and not sheets. The precancel was
applied immediately *AFTER* the stamp printing, and *BEFORE* the gumming and
perforation.
On these stamps two different fonts were used. Initially a serifed font, either
totally uppercase or the initial letters capitalized in various font sizes.
In 1927 the bureau switched to a non-serifed style all captalized letters. The
fontsize was much smaller (appx. 3mm), and standard throughout. The lines were
between 13 and 14 mm apart.
In 1938 the bureau modified it style (so called "narrows"). The lines are only 11mm apart. The reason was to leave more room on the stamps above the overprint for the 'dated control imprint', that was required on denominations above the 6c used by permitholders.
This page is still under construction, please watch this space
Last updated: 30-January-2002 (©Copyright 1999-2002 by Hans Hilte)